Client Partnerships Administrator / Paralegal

South East London · Full-time, permanent · Four days a week in the office · Reporting to the Head of Client Partnerships · £30,000-£40,000

About the business

Our client provides independent assessment and training services to the luxury hospitality industry internationally. Its consultants carry out assessments at client locations, and the business has several thousand scheduled at any one time.

The Client Partnerships team manages each client relationship from contract through to delivery: agreeing terms, scheduling assessments and keeping clients informed throughout.

The role

The role combines contract work with client-facing coordination. Around 30% of the role involves reviewing, drafting and negotiating contract amendments with clients, working from the company's approved templates. The remainder covers scheduling assessments, managing client correspondence and maintaining the team's records alongside the Operations and Finance teams.

You will deal with clients directly, including video meetings, and will manage correspondence on behalf of senior management. There is occasional travel to international company events and the opportunity to accompany consultants on client visits.

There is a route to progression within Client Partnerships, and senior members of the team have progressed from this position to leadership roles in the company.

What you will do

• Review client contracts for accuracy, consistency and alignment with approved wording, and make agreed amendments without changing the legal intent.
• Negotiate contract terms directly with clients, escalating to senior management where proposed changes fall outside approved positions.
• Prepare final contracts in line with approved templates and formats.
• Schedule client assessments and coordinate key dates across internal teams and client calendars.
• Monitor upcoming deadlines, identify assessments at risk of delay and follow up with clients to keep them on track.
• Manage personal and shared inboxes, responding to client queries and escalating to the management team where required.
• Manage internal and external correspondence on behalf of senior management, handling matters directly where appropriate.
• Maintain the Client Partnerships masterlist and related databases with current client and assessment information.
• Work with the Operations and Finance teams to keep financial records accurate, including tracking pre-payments and assessments on hold or in debt.

Your profile

• A legal background gained through study or work - for example a law degree, or experience as a legal assistant, paralegal or legal secretary. Two years' experience in a legal role is preferential.
• Looking for a long-term career in a client-facing commercial role that draws on legal skills, rather than pursuing qualification as a lawyer.
• Experience reviewing contracts or legal documents, and comfortable drafting amendments and discussing terms with clients.
• Clear, professional written communication, and comfortable dealing with clients and senior management.
• Accurate and organised, able to manage a high volume of scheduling and records and prioritise competing deadlines.
• Sound judgement about when to resolve a query directly and when to escalate it, and discretion when handling correspondence on behalf of senior management.
• Able to work collaboratively across Client Partnerships, Operations, Finance and senior management.