Head of Peerpoint - UK

PEERPOINT BY A&O SHEARMAN
With the full backing of A&O Shearman and its global network, Peerpoint finds bespoke talent solutions that drive meaningful impact – for people’s careers and businesses alike. Our comprehensive understanding of each is our differentiator, enabling us to deliver outcomes that are unrivalled.

Industry recognised, we are proud to be the leading platform for self-directed consultants, those seeking to develop a portfolio of experiences by taking on challenging roles working in-house with clients, A&O Shearman practice groups and select private practices.

A dynamic, autonomous and significant business within A&O Shearman’s Advanced Delivery & Solutions (AD&S) portfolio, Peerpoint is a fun and rewarding place to work and is leading the way in introducing real change and opportunity for legal professionals and clients alike. The Head of Peerpoint - UK has responsibility for driving the sustainable growth of Peerpoint in the UK. You will lead the development and implementation of business growth strategies to align with Peerpoint’s vision and brand proposition.

As a senior member of Peerpoint’s global leadership team, you are visionary, adaptable and team-oriented. At a high level, this involves:

• being accountable for setting the strategic direction of the UK business as agreed with Peerpoint’s Chief Executive Officer and the Head of Advanced Delivery & Solutions;
• being the face of Peerpoint with clients, consultants, our team, A&O Shearman partners and the media;
• providing overall leadership to the UK businesses.

You will be an excellent communicator and hugely motivated by coaching and developing the team. You thrive at bringing together people and are an inspiring person to work for and with. Reporting to Peerpoint’s Chief Executive Officer, the Head of Peerpoint - UK, is responsible for leading all aspects of the business’ continued growth in these markets, including in the areas below.
Developing and implementing strategy

In conjunction with the Chief Executive Officerand the Head of Strategy, Growth and New Business Acquisition, this post holder is responsible for ensuring the UK business pursues Peerpoint’s vision of “being the leading, talent-led global platform for high quality legal resourcing solutions – connecting clients, with legal professionals and helping to future-proof their careers”. This involves a focus on the UK and in the future potentially European markets:

• analysing macro-economic trends, regulatory changes and competitor behaviours to identify opportunities for Peerpoint to grow and innovate
• creating a clear strategic and tactical plan for the team to execute against
• taking responsibility for setting and agreeing with direct reports on business, team and individual metrics.

Consultant sourcing and management
Peerpoint’s viability and continued growth depends on attracting and engaging top-tier legal professionals. The market for interim lawyers is competitive and nuanced, and the individual in this role is responsible for overseeing the team who develop and implement resourcing and talent management strategies. With Peerpoint’s Resourcing and Talent Management team, this person:

• actively participates and represents Peerpoint in developing strategic talent attraction and development partnerships
• leads and guides the abovementioned team to design and execute recruitment campaigns through multiple channels and evaluate their ROI
• in conjunction with A&O Shearman, sets and ensures the expectations as to professional conduct and performance are communicated to our consultants, and non-compliance addressed
• ensures that the delivery of Peerpoint’s consultant management proposition to legal talent is consistent, individually tailored and market leading.

Marketing, client development and service delivery
Critical to Peerpoint’s growth is new client acquisition and client management aligned with A&O Shearman’s priority sectors. We benefit from being part of the A&O Shearman ecosystem, but equally, we take our responsibility to originate work for the firm seriously. With Peerpoint’s local Client Development and global Marketing teams, this role holder:

• actively uses their networks and connections to engage with senior clients for the purposes of relationship development, securing Peerpoint as their preferred legal resourcing partner and generating relevant opportunities for A&O Shearman
• represents Peerpoint with senior clients and the media, as per A&O Shearman’s media policy
• identifies and develops strategic partnerships for marketing campaigns to support business growth
• supports the team to work closely with A&O Shearman partners, other AD&S businesses, and the CRM team to ensure Peerpoint is part of the wider A&O Shearman relationship. This involves working closely with A&O Shearman lawyers to identify new client opportunities, share client insights and cross-sell to existing and potential clients.

Operations, governance and contracts
A&O Shearman is regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and the firm has built its reputation as a global elite firm through years of the highest professional conduct. Supported by the Chief Operating Officer, the person in this role is responsible for:

• staying up to date with legal and regulatory developments impacting the structure of Peerpoint
• ensuring that Peerpoint’s legal documentation accounts for regulatory requirements, manages risk and enables the business to meet the evolving needs of talent and clients
• managing all other commercial and operational matters relating to financials, invoicing and collections (with the support of the Finance team), onboarding and offboarding of consultants, consultant placements, and Law Society and other regulatory compliance.

Team management
Peerpoint leaders lead with their head and heart. We lead by being curious, engaging with evolving market trends and continually questioning how our business can be better. Equipped with these insights, and embracing our team's diverse skills and experiences, you set the vision and direction of travel. You enable your team to deliver exceptional experiences for legal talent and clients alike. You engage bravely, and courageously communicate the business’ expectations around high performance, address misalignment promptly, and focus on developing Peerpoint’s next generation of leaders.

This role will have several direct reports responsible and accountable for the functional areas and geographies mentioned above. The Head of UK and Europe will support their direct reports to set the culture of Peerpoint in the UK and European business.

• experience in all/most of the areas above within a professional services firm or similar resourcing business, coupled with a mature understanding of the legal market and a strong sense of how the interim legal market is evolving
• tertiary education ideally with a masters or further study in the fields of business management, leadership and strategy
• a proven track record in cultivating strong professional relationships and building trust with senior internal and external stakeholders
• hustle, a love of new business development and a proven history of ethically generating revenue
• exceptional communication, collaboration and organisational skills
• an inspirational team player, showing authenticity, vulnerability and high emotional intelligence
• the ability to adapt and prioritise in a scale-up, hands-on business environment, delivering a distinctive and high quality professional service.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.

A&O Shearman is a global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 28 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.