The Resource Manager is a key member of Business Transactions Group ("BTG"), responsible for managing and optimising the allocation of client work across lawyer teams to ensure matters are staffed effectively, profitably and fairly.
This is a standalone role within BTG and will suit someone who is keen to establish and implement a professional, transparent approach to resource management, managing capacity data efficiently and using insights to support delivery success, career development, fair and inclusive work planning and allocation and a positive team culture.
Working closely with Partners, Service Line Leaders, Delivery Leads, Project Managers, Practice Leads and team members, you will act as a trusted advisor on resourcing. You will build strong, trust-based relationships and use your gravitas and understanding of the work to make informed resourcing decisions that balance client needs, individual workloads, skills, interests and development goals. Over time, the role is expected to evolve and expand to support resource allocation across all service lines. The postholder will work closely with the Commercial and FIG partners to design and implement an effective resourcing model as appropriate and will engage with all service lines to understand, pilot and refine resourcing models that meet their needs, contributing to a consistent work allocation approach across the BTG Practice Group.
The BTG is a core part of Osborne Clarke, accounting for around a third of our business. It brings together three service lines: Corporate, Commercial and our Financial Institutions Group.
The Corporate team advises on the full spectrum of corporate work, including mergers & acquisitions, private equity, emerging company/venture capital, equity capital markets, corporate governance and reorganisations/simplifications, with a focus on Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Energy & Energy Transition, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Financial Services, Infrastructure, Mobility, Retail & Consumer and The Built Environment
The Commercial group provides leading-edge business solutions for clients ranging from high-growth start-ups to major multinationals, covering the full range of commercial activity, including strategically important and cross‑border projects.
The Financial Institutions Group focuses on clients across the financial services sector, combining deep regulatory expertise with strong transactional and commercial capability.
This is a permanent role that can be based out of our Bristol or London office.
Key responsibilities
1. Work allocation and utilisation
- Allocate client work across BTG to ensure effective staffing, fair workloads, and optimised productivity and profitability.
- Maintain an up‑to‑date view of lawyers’ skills, interests, experience and utilisation to provide swift, options‑based resourcing recommendations.
- Monitor hours, utilisation and pipeline to identify over‑ and under‑utilisation, flag issues early and recommend solutions, including alternative resourcing options (e.g. LPMs, OC Solutions, technology, contractors).
2. Capacity planning and workflow management
- Monitor resource requirements and anticipate busy/quiet periods across individuals, service lines and locations.
- Support forward planning by working with BTG leadership on client demand, pipeline and priorities, proactively resolving resourcing conflicts and escalating only where necessary.
- Manage holiday and leave requests from a resourcing perspective, especially around peak periods, balancing client delivery with wellbeing and work‑life balance.
3. Supporting career development and team culture
- Build trusted relationships with lawyers at all levels and locations to understand workload, skills and career aspirations (with regular travel across offices).
- Align work opportunities with development goals and support secondments and stretch roles in collaboration with HR, Knowledge and other teams.
- Promote a positive, inclusive culture through fair, transparent work allocation and open dialogue about capacity, while maintaining an objective, business‑focused approach.
4. Data, systems and continuous improvement
- Use and help optimise resourcing tools and systems (e.g. Retain or similar), ensuring accurate, timely and useful data.
- Analyse resourcing and performance data to identify trends, risks and opportunities, and present clear insights and recommendations to BTG leadership and other stakeholders.
- Contribute to best practice and process improvements in resource management, including use of new technology and alignment with approaches in other practice groups.
5. Stakeholder engagement and influence
- Build strong, trust‑based relationships with Partners, Service Line Leaders, Delivery Leads, Project Managers, Practice Leads and Business Services teams.
- Act as a visible, credible point of contact for resourcing within BTG, confidently influencing and, where needed, challenging senior stakeholders in the interests of client delivery, fair allocation and wellbeing.
- Manage expectations across multiple stakeholders and locations, handling competing priorities professionally and transparently.
Skills and experience
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Resource management expertise
- Experience in a similar resource management/work allocation role within a law firm
- Experience introducing or working with structured work allocation systems and processes
- Experience of building or helping to build a resource management capability or team
Commercial and operational understanding
- Aptitude to quickly learn the nature of the client‑facing services provided across BTG and considerations for resourcing these.
- Strong commercial and business awareness, including how resourcing decisions impact profitability, client satisfaction and team performance.
Data and systems
- Knowledge of IT tools and systems used for work allocation (e.g. Retain or equivalent), and confidence in adopting new technology.
- Strong ability to analyse resourcing and performance data and present insights clearly to senior stakeholders.
Stakeholder management and communication
- Strong stakeholder management skills, including experience dealing with senior people (e.g. Partners, Practice Leads) and delivering change.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to make and stand by difficult resourcing decisions, manage stakeholder expectations, and explain those decisions clearly and sensitively.
Organisaton and delivery
- Proven experience working autonomously with minimal direction; responsiveness is critical to the role.
- Ability to handle multiple and sometimes conflicting priorities and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
- Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
Behaviours and attributes
- Professional presence, confidence and ability to build credibility quickly when dealing with senior stakeholders.
- Ability to influence, negotiate and handle challenging conversations constructively, including communicating non‑negotiable resourcing decisions, while remaining impartial and fair.
Relationship‑builder
- Ability to build strong, trust‑based working relationships at all levels, investing time to understand individuals and teams.
- A collaborative and approachable style, working as a key member of BTG and the wider management team.
Balanced and fair
- Commitment to fair, transparent work allocation that supports diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and high performance.
- Ability to balance business needs with individual development goals and personal circumstances.
Analytical and solutions‑focused
- Strong critical thinking skills, able to assess complex resourcing scenarios at pace and find pragmatic solutions.
- Innovative mindset, open to change and continuous improvement; able to identify and implement creative resourcing solutions.
Team‑oriented and resilient
- A good team player, comfortable working cross‑functionally and sharing best practice.
- Resilient under pressure, remaining calm and professional when priorities conflict or change at short notice.
Salary and benefits
We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.
Our recruitment process
Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.
We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.
