Deputy Head of Property Law

Our client are a growing practice.

They are now looking for a motivated and experienced Deputy Head of Real Estate to join their forward-thinking and growing team.

This key leadership position will work at the heart of the Real Estate department, supporting the Head of Department in providing leadership around performance, strategy, and processes.

You will play a vital role in driving operational success, managing recruitment, supporting team development, overseeing business development, and ensuring exceptional client service. If you are ready to make an impact and contribute to a growth-driven, collaborative firm culture, with a genuine enthusiasm for Real Estate, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities

Nature & Scope:-

To work at the heart of the Real Estate department to support the Head of Department in providing leadership in relation to performance, strategy and processes

Such support to include accountability for recruitment, operations, team and individual performance, business development, and HR

Operations and Performance

• Lead, train, and monitor the provision of exceptional client service in the department
• Review staff compliance with relevant KPIs to have real time impact on performance
• Monitor individual team pipelines to ensure turnover of work and billing targets are met
• Utilise KPIs, complaints, testimonials and feedback from file reviews to identify areas for improvement in performance and/or opportunities for staff development/progression
• Create and implement plans to achieve such development and progression
• Ensure effectiveness of supervision, training and feedback, including reflection and refinement where appropriate
• Zero upheld complaints
• Ensure personal and team compliance with Lexcel and internal procedures and policies
• Identify, manage, reduce and where possible remove operational risk in the department
• Collaborate with risk and compliance team to identify risk gaps, or patterns of behaviour/practice which expose risk; work with team members to facilitate understanding of the risks and to develop/agree solutions to minimise, if not eradicate, the risk
• Provide training, both 121 and group
• Deliver appropriate operational supervision, to include regular staff contact, and monitoring of KPIs, complaints and testimonials, and feedback from file reviews
• Where necessary, implement performance management and/or disciplinary procedures in line with firm policies
• Promote our Behaviour and Competency Framework, and lead behaviour by example
• Ensure achievement of billing performance and cash collection across teams within the department at least to budget level
• Provide leadership to encourage efficiency, business analysis and case management configuration
• Identify and recommend improvements in efficiency and practice; creating and implementing solutions
• Ensure that agreed processes are adopted by both fee earners and support staff, including ensuring that IT is utilised to the best effect in the department
• Ensure a strong client experience, minimise complaints, and if they do occur, provide an effective response
• Ensure the delivery of excellent customer service to all clients and colleagues, including good communication, timely responses to queries, and proactive management of workload
• Promote the firm’s commitment to excellent service;
• Ensure personal and team compliance with professional conduct rules and internal policies and procedures, reporting any breaches to Head of Risk and Compliance
• Ensure that your own personal development is sustained

BD

• Ensure performance at least in line with annual budget
• Monitor pipelines to ensure upcoming budget figures will be achieved
• Identify growth opportunities in line with overall business plan
• Identify income streams and initiate contact with key contacts
• Take ownership of key referrer relationships, carrying out regular review meetings and ensuring referrer and client satisfaction
• Manage referral agreements to maximise conversion
• Liaise with New Enquiries team to provide support and guidance in relation to queries and pricing, in line with business model and agreed fee structure
• Ensure price transparency in line with SRA requirements
• Understand BD strategy including online SEO strategy
• Monitor SEO spend versus return
• Create online content and monitor effectiveness

Recruitment

• Monitor staffing levels and identify resource gaps
• Collaborate with Head of People to identify successful recruitment channels
• Evaluate applications and identify suitable candidates for interview
• Interview and assess, making recruitment recommendations to Head of Department
• Create and implement induction plans for all levels and ensure completion of all induction plans
• Monitor performance throughout induction process in line with department policies and in collaboration with risk manager; with enhanced staff supervision throughout
• Carry out probation reviews and make recommendations for probation extension, permanent appointment, or termination of appointment

HR

• Be alert to, and identify, any behaviour, capability or performance issues
• Manage performance and behaviours using all appropriate management tools
• Where necessary implement performance management
• Run any disciplinary procedures, in collaboration with HR
• Identify required areas of training; adapting Learning and Development Plans to achieve exceptional technical and service standards
• Ensure delivery of Learning and Development Plans
• Carry out appraisals, utilising performance data, file reviews, and feedback from colleagues and risk managment

Excellent package on offer