Resource Manager

Location:

Belfast

Workplace:

Hybrid

The opportunity:

The Resource Manager will effectively manage all aspects of resourcing within the Department to achieve business goals while balancing client needs and individual career aspirations. This role involves collaboration with the Department Manager, Group Leaders, and Business Manager to support the firm’s commitment to enhancing organizational performance and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.

This role is focused on people and supports the entire department. It is built on establishing strong working relationships with staff at all levels. The role-holder will be a proactive self-starter who can develop and execute new initiatives while fully managing resources, with a keen attention to detail.

Working at Baker McKenzie:

Baker McKenzie is the world’s leading law firm with offices all over the world. Our Belfast Centre is home to over 400 colleagues in both legal and professional services.

We offer one of the best workplace benefits packages in the business with comprehensive private health cover, income protection, life assurance and a full employee assistance plan. These and a host of other benefits make us one of the most desirable companies to work for in Belfast.

We are committed to promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity for all and are confident we can provide a career as individual and as exceptional as you.

About the role:

As part of this role, the successful candidate will:

Responsibilities:

• Build and demonstrate detailed knowledge of the department and its work requirements
• Proactively liaise with partners and associates to understand client requirements and the wider needs of the business, to facilitate effective resourcing decisions
• Acquire knowledge of individual skills, development needs, experiences, and personal/professional aspirations and apply this knowledge in resourcing decisions
• Responsible for all work allocation across the department, on behalf of the Partners
• Allocate work fairly and consistently, reflective of our diversity objectives
• Apply commercial considerations to work allocation as required, encouraging appropriate staffing leverage, and alternate delivery options for work such as the use of our low-cost centers
• Develop and manage work allocation tools. Ensure accurate forecasting of individual activity by tracking activity data and analyzing this against actual time recording, flagging any discrepancies to individuals, and escalating where required

Productivity

• Monitor chargeable hours figures and utilization by individual/grade/team. Work with individuals to improve their productivity and highlight potential shortfalls / over-utilization to Partners and management as required
• Manage the timesheet policy enforcement within the department - encouraging best practice, raising awareness, and training
• Work with HR and other stakeholders, coordinate absences including holidays, special leave, and unpaid leave - ensuring awareness across the department and resourcing requirements can be fulfilled at all times
• Work on initial ATP requests and work with Talent/BD leads to form an initial business case before informing the Business Manager.
• Work with Partners and other stakeholders to coordinate non-billable commitments
• Support the joiner/leaver/returner process, supporting work reallocation, and onboarding
• In conjunction with the Business Manager, assess and plan future resource requirements based on projected workflows and wider needs of the business
• Business forecasting e.g. chargeable hours, utilization, and headcount against budget and driving actions and behaviours accordingly
• Ensure the appropriate utilization and performance drivers are fed into the business’ performance management process, working with HR and other stakeholders

Other

• Be visible and accessible to the department, allowing for constant communication and a 'live' accurate view of activity and capacity across the group - the 'go-to' person for all things work allocation and resourcing, including systems and process expertise
  Produce accurate and commercially focused Management Information (MI) for the Department, identifying trends, opportunities, and risks
• Strive for continuous improvement and innovation - playing a pivotal role in delivering the departments' performance
• Work collaboratively with other key functions - i.e. Finance / HR / Business Development / etc. in the development of business performance and business cases for recruitment
• Develop systems, tools, and processes that are transferable, efficient, replicable, and scalable across the department and wider office
• Encourage and champion mobilization across the regional workforce
• Share knowledge and best practice across the department and wider business

Skills and Experience:

Essential

• Prior experience in resource management, manpower/workforce planning, or similar role is critical - ideally within a large professional or corporate environment
• Extensive experience with established resource management across one or more professional services organizations
• Strong IT skills – including data analytics in Excel. Experience working with resource management/manpower planning software would be advantageous
• Comfortable launching a new role and service, drawing on best practice, and operating without an existing structure
• Motivated by the day-to-day 'doing' of resource management, covering all levels of detail, and making a continuous positive difference to the business performance
• An interest in innovation, and exploiting technology to keep the focus on leading the field, not following
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement skills at all levels, the ability to build relationships quickly and flex approach to be credible to a variety of audiences
• Good problem solver and decision maker - exercises good judgement, knows when to flag issues and when to deal with them independently
• Able to work with tight deadlines in a fast-moving environment - balancing competing demands
• Trusted advisor who provides balanced, pragmatic advice around manpower planning and resource management to the business
• Proactive with a positive, flexible, assertive attitude