Secretary

Buss Murton Law
Cranbrook, Kent
£ Competitive
Part-Time / Permanent

Job Information

Secretary

· Part-time experienced secretary
· Department: Residential Property
· Location: Cranbrook
· Hours: to be agreed
· Competitive salary, pension and company benefits

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced secretary to join our friendly team at our busy office in Cranbrook. Buss Murton Law is a well-established law firm providing highly experienced solicitors to Kent and the South East with offices in Tunbridge Wells, Cranbrook and East Grinstead.

Buss Murton Law is a great place to work. We work in harmony with our clients, our work colleagues and our business associates to create lasting relationships by delivering a high-quality service and communicating in an open and straightforward way.

Some key responsibilities include:

· To act as a point of contact for the property department.
· To provide direct support to your department to enable the fee-earners to operate at optimum efficiency. This will include but will not be limited to the key tasks given below.
· In addition to providing support to the department, you will be required to provide support for other departments as and when required.
· To supervise temporary secretarial staff and work experience students as and when required.
· Managing incoming and outgoing post
· Answer telephone calls promptly in a polite and confident manner, taking clear and precise messages for timely submission to the relevant fee-earner.
· Administering filing which will include daily filing and the opening, closing (including client balances), storage and retrieval of client files in accordance with the firm’s procedures and Lexcel compliancy, along with photocopying and scanning.
· Diary management; making appointments face-to-face and remotely
· Providing conveyancing quotes to prospective clients when required.
· Using the Land Registry Portal for ordering documents and making applications to register transfers/mortgages etc
· Initial letters on sales and purchases to all applicable parties
· Drafting and sending Sale Contracts together with appropriate documentation, requesting leasehold packs where applicable following dispatch of contract packs and requesting redemption statement where there is a mortgage on the property, along with leasehold/freehold management packs where applicable.
· Competent to deal with basic additional enquiries
· Once file exchanged, preparing for completion – leasehold and freehold completion statements, pre-completion Land Registry searches, checking on funds release with mortgage lenders on purchases, preparing completion letters, stamp duty returns, draft transfer where not already prepared, preparing Completion Information and Undertakings forms (replies to requisitions on sales) and checking replies on purchases.
· Dealing with matters on the day of completion - funds in and out, phone calls to all applicable parties, and for purchases submitting stamp duty return and payment, notices and other completion formalities for leasehold/managed freehold properties along with certificate of compliance formalities, submitting registration to Land Registry – portal or hard copy - and dealing with requisitions if arising.
· Prepare mail and enclosures for despatch.
· Make appointments, arrange meeting rooms and maintain an up-to-date Calendar for your fee-earner(s)
· To act as first point of contact for all clients who either telephone into your department or come into the office in person, taking relevant information and passing promptly to the Department Manager.
· Undertake any specific training when required to do so and overall to have a responsibility towards self-development.
· Ensure the confidentiality of all the firm’s and client documentation and information.

Who we are looking for:

· Ideally someone with experience working in a similar role, in a professional environment
· Excellent telephone manner
· High level of IT skills in all areas of Word, Outlook and Excel and other packages relevant to the role.
· Able to demonstrate their ability to use their own initiative working effectively with minimum supervision
· Highly organised with the ability to work calmly and accurately under pressure
· Enjoy working as part of a team and independent enough to work alone

Benefits of the role:

· Competitive rate of pay with 21 days holiday (prorated for part-time staff) plus Christmas Eve and Bank holidays
· 5% of your salary employer contribution to the pension plan
· Life Assurance
· Employee Assistance Programme – accessible to employees, partner/spouse and dependants