Office Services Manager, Singapore

Clifford Chance is one of the world's leading law firms, helping clients achieve their goals by combining the highest global standards with local expertise. The firm has unrivalled scale and depth of legal resources across the three key markets of the Americas, Asia and Europe and focuses on the core areas of commercial activity: capital markets; corporate and M&A; finance and banking; real estate; tax; pensions and employment; litigation and dispute resolution.

Reporting to the General Manager, Singapore, this role is to ensure that the Administration/Operation functions of the Singapore office are delivered efficiently through the implementation and maintenance of effective processes and systems and ensuring that the correct infrastructures are in place to deliver first class professional administration/operational support in the Singapore office.

Key Responsibilities

Facilities Management

• Manage and assess premise requirements, including managing tenancy refits, overseeing office fit outs and renovations, seat allocations/space planning, carpark allocations and office move and ensuring continuity of office operation for all staff.
• Ensure premises are adequately secure and fit for purpose with due regard to the basic requirements around storage, handling and disposal of client confidentiality.
• Assist the General Manager in liaising with the Landlord on rental renewals and other matters, where appropriate.
• Assist the General Manager in liaising with designers and contractors on office fit out projects.

Administrative Support

• Oversee the procurement operation of the Singapore office including conducting due diligence, liaising with local contractors, vendors and suppliers and ensure procurement best practice, while utilising preferred suppliers, where available.
• Supervise the administration team on supplier data cleansing, contract management and supplier management.
• Maintain office efficiencies by planning and implementing office systems, layouts and equipment procurement and sharing approaches with the Asia Pacific offices.
• Manage and renew third-party services and contracts: ie Printroom, stationery, photocopiers, office furniture, machines, pantry supplies, corporate transport, food delivery services.
• Administration Budget - Once approved, manage administration expenses within budget, suggesting areas for potential savings.
• Organise annual office activities: Lunar New Year Dinner, Annual Year End Party and Social Events from time to time.
• Work with hospitality team onoffice access cards and by the bay app for staff and visitors.

Travel Arrangement

• Manage office travel arrangements/policy including liaison with third party travel provider and our global travel team.
• Negotiate corporate rates where appropriate.
• Work with Delhi Processing Team on payment for travels charged to firm's credit card.

Business Continuity

• Develop, maintain and ensure appropriate business continuity plans are prepared and maintained in line with CC global guidance and policies. Seek to test/ensure plans are robust and up to date on a periodic basis.
• Member of the global business continuity team.
• Liaise with related suppliers and vendors for updates and support. Oversee the operation of travel risk management.

Insurance

• Oversee the Firm's local insurance policies and co-ordinate and work with the third party insurance broker and global team in relation to the inclusion of Singapore office for global insurance purposes and meeting all reporting deadlines as required.

PSC Management

1. Resource and Workflow Management

• Responsible for leading the Team Leads in managing peaks and troughs in the workload, allocating work appropriately and ensuring that the individual secretarial workload is balanced.
  • Responsible for regularly reviewing the legal support service levels.
  • Responsible for the allocation of PSCs to fee earners and be the guardian of PSC-to-fee earner ratios.
  • Work with the other Managers from various department to ensure that the required level of service from the PSCs are consistently delivered.
  • Responsible for the allocation and monitoring of the Saturday on duty system.
• Responsible for supporting the Team Leads in ensuring cover is provided for fee earners during absence (sickness, holidays, maternity) of secretaries
  • Responsible for the selection and recruitment process for new PSCs

1. Performance Management and Career Development
   • Responsible for organising (and delivering if required) tailored induction programmes for new PSC staff, including working practices, performance standards and work expectations.
   • Review performance, feedback, training needs and develop detailed objectives and training plan to support individual performance and development
   • Supported by the team leads, responsible for conducting regular training needs analysis of PSCs and working with HR, IT and other teams to ensure appropriate training delivery.
   • Responsible for performance conversations including appraisal process and collecting feedback on the PSC team from individual fee earners; delivering this feedback in conjunction with the relevant fee earner as part of the annual appraisal discussion.
   • Gather data and actively participate in the salary review process for the team.
   • Responsible for addressing performance management issues in line with the firm's policy.
   • Responsible for identifying, arranging and providing relevant trainings and personal development of the Team Leads.

Team Management

• In addition to the day-to-day management of the PSC team, overall management the Front of house teams including Concierge, Hospitality and tea lady as well the outsourced Print Room teams and overseeing the day-to-day operation and management of the office administration. This encompasses, recruitment, training, allocation of resources, appraisals, employee relation matters and managing the annual pay reviews for all the above teams.
• Work with various Delhi Support Team to ensure service delivery for Grab reports, iexpenses, billings etc and work with Delhi Support Team Leads / Heads to address performance issue.

Ad-hoc Projects

• Oversee and manage local ad hoc administrative related projects and work with regional and global project teams as required.
• Working with the General Manager and considering service delivery within the teams to optimise efficiencies and enhance service delivery

Listed below are the minimum expectations for technical skills, experience and qualifications which the individual needs to meet in order to perform their role:

Technical Skills

• Knowledge of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, , Access, Outlook, One Note etc.

Experience

• Minimum 6 years previous work experience in a professional services environment with at least 2 years experience leading teams
• Practical experience in office administration management as well as commercial experience (preferably in a professional services environment) demonstrating the maturity to handle a legal practice
• Strong interpersonal and team building skills, with the ability to instil trust within the business services team and to deal effectively with legal staff at all levels.
• Ability to operate with multiple reporting lines and with minimum supervision, and to work cooperatively with business services managers and the wider network as required.
• Strong IT skills and awareness and understanding of current technologies.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills with a capacity and willingness to cover tasks ranging from complex to routine.
• Strong problem solving skills, prepared to challenge existing processes with a view to making improvements.

Qualifications

• Graduate or equivalent

Working at Clifford Chance & About the Firm

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge.

From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skillls-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Whatever your area of expertise, you will find a range of career opportunities at Clifford Chance. And wherever you're heading, Clifford Chance is where you can be true to your ambitions.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures and languages. In a world where commercial success increasingly relies on globalisation, we offer clients a truly international perspective, and we offer our people a rewarding and stimulating career.

We're proud of our approachable, friendly and team-based way of working. Highly professional and self-assured, with an entrepreneurial  streak, our people are more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge.

Equal Opportunities

At Clifford Chance we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. Find out more here.