Office Manager

The role

This is a broad-based role to provide a full administrative support service to ensure the smooth running of the Casablanca office, and HR administration support as required.

As part of the Property & Workplace team, the role of the Office Manager is to help provide a first class professional service for DLA Piper, which is client and commercially focused and supportive of the firm’s business needs and vision.

The split of responsibilities will be very much dependent upon the day to day operational requirements of the Casablanca office.

The job holder will be proactive and capable of working unsupervised. They must possess excellent organisation and communication skills, and a positive, mature and agile approach to work.

This job description is not exhaustive and the job holder may be required to undertake additional duties from time to time to ensure the smooth running of the department.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Office Administration & management (some duties may be delegated as appropriate)

Work with the Country Managing Partner as required to provide premises and office services including the coordination and maintenance of the firm’s leased offices, and business administration services. This includes:

• Arranging, renewing and terminating the office leases and the payment of rent etc
• Take responsibility to ensure that outstanding works on the office following the recent move, are completed in a timely fashion; assist with facilitating any office moves as may be required from time to time  
• Ensuring the office is kept clean, tidy, well-decorated and professional and in appearance
• Managing the contract cleaners
• Instructing the landlords’ maintenance team to fix any repairs
• Addressing issues affecting health and safety or working conditions in the office
• Reviewing the need for off-site storage or alternative office space
• Overseeing the filing system and maintaining any filing room
• Providing and maintaining all necessary office furniture and equipment
• Providing a complete set of desk stationery to each new member of staff, and regularly checking that all staff have all the necessary stationery
• Maintaining an adequate store of firm letterhead and general office stationery
• Obtaining and maintaining all office registrations
• Work with the central risk team in making all regulatory filings for the office whether it be for the office licenses or for the individuals performing the offices controlled functions in a timely manner
• Providing administrative support to DLA Piper lawyers and staff visiting the Casablanca office from other jurisdictions
• Maintaining a valid power of attorney and other forms of signing authority for the CMP and other Partner(s) if required, as required by local authorities or banks
• Acquiring books and other resources for the Library, as requested
• Maintaining office refreshments and snacks, laundry and plants
• Keep securely all essential office administration records and files
• Manage car parking arrangements pursuant to Lease
• Oversee security card access and programming including access card database and security system
• Allocate and manage Fire Wardens and First Aid officers
• Ensure the reception and meeting room areas are maintained, kept tidy at all times and in excellent condition.  Report any maintenance or related problems to the appropriate department immediately as they become apparent.  Work in co-operation with colleagues in the Property & Workplace department and in other departments to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the reception and meeting room areas
• Assist with maintaining, in an efficient and timely manner, all reception and meeting room related documentation.  Ensure any brochure stands, newspapers and magazines etc are kept tidy and up to date
• Ensure any reception and meeting room service level agreements are adhered to and attend staff meetings as appropriate 
• Manage the New Starter requirements including conducting day 1 induction of Property & Workplace overview and Environmental briefing and office and building tour and team introductions
• Respond effectively, promptly and reliably to general enquiries from internal and external contacts.  Recognise issues arising from disability and special needs of visitors, recognise impact of cultural differences and expectations of different culture, appreciate the role of others in the Property & Workplace team, and in the organisation in general

HR Administration

• Take responsibility for the provision of comprehensive local HR administration services, whilst working closely with the HR Business Partners (based in South Africa) and Head of HR (based in Dubai)
• Manage the local onboarding processes including recruitment approvals, data management, offers, references, assistance with induction planning and delivery, administration of work permits (if required) and providing general guidance to new joiners, including completion of new starters checklists 
• Manage the local leavers process including working closely with Finance to ensure exit terms and final payments are accurate, as well as completing departure checklists
• Maintain accurate absence records for self-employed lawyers
• Maintain local filing system for all people records
• Support the HR team in implementation of new processes and other annual People activites in the HR calendar
• Other general ad hoc HR administration as required
• Line management and day to supervision of Receptionist

Information Technology
Working with the IT team, provide support on site and assistance with:

• Assisting as necessary with IT upgrades and IT training
• Provide on-the-ground support, at the direction of a member of the IT Team, for IT hardware and server room issues, including liaising with external third party providers where necessary and setting up laptops and mobile phones for new joiners and collecting kit from leavers
• Provide on-the-ground troubleshooting support to fee earners in the office and working from home on a daily basis
• Local supplier management of 3rd parties

ABOUT YOU

• High school graduate or higher
• Relevant experience of running an office with circa 10-40 people
• Must be fluent in French and English (both written and conversationally), Arabic would be advantageous
• A proactive self-starter with a mature and pragmatic attitude towards work
• Previous experience in a professional services organisation
• Strong communication in both French and English and inter-personal skills
• Excellent and accurate typing and document skills
• Excellent accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to work at both strategic and operational levels, undertaking a high degree of administrative activities
• Strong organisation and time management skills
• Ability to use initiative and take ownership of tasks
• Responsive and effectively prioritises workload; a problem-solver
• Confident and trustworthy and able to work with sensitive information with discretion
• Able to work as an active team member
• Takes pride in providing a first class service
• Willing to be flexible on working hours
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• HR Information Systems experience, ideally SuccessFactors, or other SAP-based product

ABOUT US
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers and business service professionals located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.

OUR VALUES
In everything we do connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

• Be Supportive – we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and acting thoughtfully
• Be Collaborative – we are proactive, passionate team players investing in our relationships
• Be Bold – we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
• Be Exceptional – we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do. We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.

Diversity of perspective, thought, background and culture combine to make us the leading global law firm; that’s why we actively seek to build balanced teams. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

HYBRID WORKING
We recognise that people have responsibilities and interests outside of their career and that as a business, we all benefit from working flexibly. That’s why we are open to discussing with candidates the different ways in which we are able to support requests for agile working arrangements.

PRE-ENGAGEMENT SCREENING
In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits and where relevant, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and work-related references.