Manager, Legal Support

Dentons•Edmonton, AB

5d•CA$95,000 - CA$115,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Legal Support is responsible for the strategic direction, operational effectiveness, and long-term development of the Legal Assistant (LA) function across all practice areas in the Edmonton office. Acting as the primary architect of legal support delivery, the Manager translates firm priorities into actionable team strategies, drives change management initiatives, and builds organizational capacity through succession planning, cross-training, and continuous improvement. The Manager provides direct oversight of Team Leads and, through them, the broader LA team — setting the standard for service excellence, professional conduct, and operational consistency. Operating with a forward-thinking mindset, the Manager anticipates shifts in business needs, practice group demands, and workforce dynamics, proactively aligning team structure and resources in response. This role serves as a trusted advisor to firm leadership on all matters relating to legal support and plays a meaningful part in shaping the experience of legal support professionals in the Edmonton office.

Requirements

Demonstrated senior leadership capability with a collaborative, team-oriented approach and a genuine commitment to developing others.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage credibly and effectively at all levels of the organization.
Strategic and forward-thinking, with the ability to anticipate organizational needs, navigate ambiguity, and translate direction into team action.
Skilled at managing competing priorities, leading change, and influencing outcomes diplomatically and with sound judgment.
Foundational data literacy and comfort working with workforce metrics, staffing data, and budget information to inform decisions.
High ethical standards, integrity, objectivity, and an unwavering commitment to confidentiality.
A positive role model who demonstrates initiative, professionalism, and a consistent commitment to service excellence.
Legal Assistant Diploma or equivalent combination of post-secondary education and relevant experience in a legal services environment.
Minimum 7–10 years of progressive experience in a legal support or legal operations environment, including demonstrated people leadership experience.
Knowledge of budgeting principles and workforce planning practices.
Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and legal practice management tools, with the ability to learn and champion new technology platforms.
Business management, operations, or Human Resources coursework or experience is a strong asset.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop Team Leads and LAs, establishing clear performance objectives, identifying skill gaps, and providing constructive feedback to drive engagement, growth, and accountability.
Build and maintain succession plans for key LA roles and champion cross-training initiatives to strengthen team resilience and ensure continuity of service.
Partner with the National Learning Team to develop and maintain a learning curriculum for LAs; identify training needs and coordinate in-house training with IT, Finance, and Talent as required.
Facilitate regular Team Lead meetings to address process and technology changes, best practices, training needs, and team engagement.
Manage performance improvement processes in conjunction with the Talent team, maintaining consistent follow-up with staff and their lawyers to support sustained improvement.
Assess and determine successful completion of probationary periods for new hires.
Manage employee lifecycle processes — including onboarding, performance management, and offboarding — in coordination with the Talent team and Director of Operations, ensuring continuity of service and a professional experience at every stage.
Support employee recognition initiatives including Long Term Service Awards and articling student engagement activities.
Model a commitment to ongoing personal and professional development.
Oversee LA resources across practice areas to ensure appropriate workload distribution and efficient service delivery; collaborate with Practice Group Leads on share changes and staffing ratios to maintain balanced and sustainable workloads.
Partner with Talent to recruit, interview, select, and onboard new hires; coordinate LA practicum placements including mentoring and supervision.
Proactively build and maintain a pipeline of future legal support talent through practicum partnerships, professional networks, and relationships with legal assistant programs and educational institutions; anticipate hiring needs and position the firm as an employer of choice in the Edmonton legal support market.
Monitor workflow, staffing ratios, coverage, absences, overtime, and vacation usage in accordance with firm policies; approve overtime and leave requests.
Prepare and maintain the monthly FTE budget for the LA team.
Hold regular meetings with the Director of Talent to discuss lawyer changes and their implications for legal support resourcing and planning.
Liaise with practice group and business services leads on LA matters including coverage for extended absences, share arrangement changes, and performance concerns.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with the Office Managing Partner, lawyers, and professionals across the firm; serve as the primary point of contact on all legal support matters.
Manage the operational and financial activities of the LA team, providing input to the Director of Operations – Edmonton; contribute to team compensation discussions in collaboration with the Director of Operations, OMP, and Talent.
Lead the implementation of new firm directives and initiatives, adapting team activities and procedures as required.
Support lawyer offboarding in coordination with the Executive Assistant to the OMP, managing task completion.
Manage vendor relationships to ensure service quality in accordance with applicable service level agreements.
Oversee RRD queries, billing reviews, and follow-up on billing items.