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Job Title Client and Matter Inception Manager
Location Birmingham, Bristol or Leeds
Description

Make a Real Impact

Bevan Brittan is a leading commercial law firm. Alongside our recognised expertise in housing, local government, and health and social care, we are specialists in the construction, energy and resource management, higher education and financial services sectors.

Supported by our valued business services professionals, our award-winning and growing legal teams provide almost 2,000 organisations with commercial, corporate, property, finance, regulatory, employment and litigation (commercial and clinical negligence) legal and advisory services.

As a responsible business, we embrace four values: Relationships, Reputation, Responsible and Results. These give us a sense of purpose. They influence the decisions we make and how we work with each other. Importantly, they motivate us to deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients and the communities that we're part of.

Consistently recognised as one of The Times Best Law Firms and highly ranked across the legal directories, we are proud of our hard-earned reputation. Our 2023/24 financial results confirmed both revenue and profit growth for an eleventh consecutive year, ensuring our ability to continue investing in our people.

Looking to the future, we're targeting ambitious growth and success. And we're looking for the best people to be part of it.

Join a team of experts and progressive thinkers

Our Risk and Best Practice Department in Bristol is currently recruiting for a Client and Matter Inception Manager to join their busy team. The role is required to enhance our current resource in this area and provide an efficient service of the highest quality to the firm's management and lawyers, to enable the business to deliver a first-rate service to its clients.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall management of client and matter inception, leading and supervising a central AML due diligence team.

They will also work with the firm's management and lawyers, building effective relationships, delivering system improvements and providing expert advice.

The role

Client onboarding process

  • Overall responsibility for the end to end processes for client and matter opening and the better informed decisions (BIDS) process.

  • Contributing to the current project to enhance the firm's new client and matter inception (CMI) process, including assessing the merits of alternative CMI software systems.

  • Liaising with all stakeholders in the client, matter opening and BIDS process including Finance, Business Support Services and Business Development and Marketing as well as the legal teams.

  • Ensuring systems and processes are up to date in the face of changing regulation and growing needs of the firms.

  • Taking ownership of all systems, processes and forms relating to client and matter inception and take the lead in coordinating, agreeing and planning system or process changes, working with colleagues to implement those changes and ensure they are properly communicated.

  • Continually looking for improvements to the process that reduce administrative burden on legal teams and improve efficiency.

  • Taking the lead in ensuring a very high level of data quality in the systems.

  • Ensuring the smooth progression of requests through the system, spotting and dealing with stuck or delayed requests and producing management information on performance.

Managing AML team and processes

  • Providing line management, leadership, support and guidance to the central due diligence team which deals with AML client due diligence and risk assessments. Taking overall responsibility for AML ongoing monitoring at client level.

  • Reviewing and updating the AML firm-wide risk assessment.

  • Assisting with the preparation of the annual AML report to the Board.

  • Supporting and advising fee earners who carry out AML matter risk assessments and source of funds checks.

  • Keeping up to date with professional, legal and best practice developments in AML and financial crime and maintaining excellent knowledge.

  • Working with the firm's Risk & Best Practice lawyers to maintain and improve the firm's AML policies, procedures and templates.

  • Providing training to fee earners, the Finance team and others as needed on AML and financial crime issues.

  • Working with the firm's internal auditor to evaluate levels of AML compliance across the firm, suggesting and implementing changes as needed.

Conflicts of interest

  • Working with the firm's Risk & Best Practice lawyers to maintain and enhance the firm's conflict search system, policies, procedures and templates.

  • Assisting with the selection of a new conflict searching system to be implemented by the firm alongside the CMI system, providing input and support with the design process.

What we are looking for from you

  • Excellent knowledge of the UK Anti-Money laundering and sanctions regime and associated requirements in relation to client identification and source of funds checking, and confidence in navigating the requirements in relation to complex clients, group structures and/or overseas entities.
  • Excellent communication and report-writing skills, confident in dealing with senior managers and others at all levels and all roles in the business.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Experience of supervision of others and leadership.
  • Careful attention to detail and excellent record-keeping.
  • Experience of leading or taking a supervisory role in a client and matter onboarding function within a regulated entity (including a law firm or professional services firm) would be desirable.
  • Experience of client/matter onboarding software systems desirable.
  • Experience of working in the legal sector desirable, including familiarity with the Legal Sector Affinity Group (LSAG) guidance.

Work with approachable people

When we ask colleagues what makes Bevan Brittan a great place to work, the most popular thing they say is "the people". The overwhelming consensus is that we make time for each other. We welcome questions and support each other. Naturally, we look for new colleagues who align with our values.

Supported to be your best

Hybrid working

We operate a hybrid working model based on the needs of our clients, teams and people. Our core business hours are 9am - 5:15pm Monday to Friday, but we're open to our people working more flexibly around those times and welcome a conversation with you if you have any questions about this. We try to offer you the flexibility to work your week in a way that suits you.

Learning, Development & Progression

We're committed to supporting your professional and personal development needs.This means that we offer a range of tailored training courses and you will have lots of opportunity to learn from those around you. We actively encourage progression and this is reflected in our annual review and promotion processes. You will be supported by your line manager to achieve your full potential.

Wellbeing

As a Bevan Brittan employee, you'll have access to a variety of services that support your wellbeing. We've pledged our commitment to The Mindful Business Charter and lots of our people contribute to our Wellbeing Responsible Business strand, which organises an annual calendar of wellbeing events and initiatives.

Benefits

  • A minimum of 25 days holiday (plus the option to buy up to an additional 5 days)
  • Discretionary bonus scheme
  • Generous pension scheme
  • Private medical insurance through Vitality
  • Biennial private health assessment through Nuffield Health
  • Life assurance
  • Access to Employee Assistance Programme
  • Cycle to work scheme

Embracing our differences and valuing inclusion

Our shared aim is that everyone is welcome and can feel comfortable being themselves at Bevan Brittan. To support this, we actively value and promote equality, diversity and inclusion in everything that we do. You'll be empowered and supported through our employee led networks, diverse colleagues, and a broad range of firmwide initiatives.

Recognising the unique contributions that a diverse workforce can bring to our business, we encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We take great pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any adjustments throughout the recruitment process or have any questions, please get in touch with our recruitment team by emailing recruitment@bevanbrittan.com

Acting responsibly, now and for the future

To us, being a responsible business is second nature; a core part of Bevan Brittan's identity. Our colleagues are heavily involved in shaping and delivering activity across the four pillars of our Responsible Business strategy: Community Engagement; Environmental Sustainability; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion; and Wellbeing.

Our people deliver pro bono legal work for charities and not-for-profit organisations. We play an active role in our local communities and donated £100,000 across our four regional office charities last year. We are also proudly carbon neutral. We've achieved the UN's Climate Neutral Now accreditation and our environmental sustainability plan focuses on achieving our net zero carbon target by 2040.

Collectively, the four pillars ensure we look after our colleagues' wellbeing; offer an environment in which everyone can progress on merit, give something back to the communities in which we work; and protect the environment.