Charles Russell Speechlys
Research and Information Services Senior Manager
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Research & Information Services Manager
The Research & Information Services Manager leads the Research & Information Services team of five. This is a hands-on role, ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal, business and market research services across the firm. The role sits within the Firm’s Knowledge Function and reports to the Associate Director of Knowledge.
The role is responsible for delivering the elements of the firm's Knowledge Strategy that relate to research, information resources and research capability, helping to ensure that the firm continues to provide lawyers and business services teams with access to relevant, high-quality and commercially valuable information and insight. Working closely with colleagues across Knowledge, Client Development & Marketing, the Family Office, Procurement and other business services teams, the role combines people leadership, service development, innovation and supplier management within a rapidly evolving legal and technology landscape. Basic service delivery elements of the team’s work includes watchlist lists, enquiries, investigating new tools and nurturing vendor relationships. The person in this role will undertake some of these day-to-day tasks.
The successful candidate will bring fresh ideas and identify opportunities to enhance the firm's research and information services in support of changing business and client needs.
Key Relationships
Key relationships include Knowledge Development Lawyers, Director of Client Development & Marketing, Head of Client Development, Senior Client Programme Manager, Private Capital Intelligence Researcher, Head of Procurement. The ability to work collaboratively, influence stakeholders and build trusted relationships across a diverse range of teams will be critical to success in the role.
Roles and Responsibilities
Team Leadership
- Lead, develop and support the Research & Information Services team, fostering a collaborative, innovative and client-focused culture.
- Create an environment which encourages openness, continuous learning and high performance.
- Support the team through change, ensuring services evolve in response to business and market developments.
- Working alongside the team in daily tasks and more complex pieces of work.
Strategy and Service Development
- Deliver the elements of the firm's Knowledge Strategy that relate to research, information services and research capability.
- Identify opportunities to enhance, modernise and develop research and information services in line with business priorities.
- Ensure that services remain responsive to the changing needs of lawyers, clients and business services teams.
- Bring forward new ideas and recommendations which improve the effectiveness, accessibility and value of research and information services.
Research and Information Services
- Oversee the delivery of high-quality legal, business and market research services across the firm.
- Ensure research outputs are relevant, timely and aligned with the needs of internal stakeholders.
- Promote best practice in the provision and use of research and information services.
- Lead the onboarding and offboarding of joiners and leavers.
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Innovation and Technology
- Champion innovation within research and information services, identifying opportunities presented by AI-enabled research tools and emerging technologies.
- Support the effective, responsible and value-driven use of AI and related technologies across the firm's research and information activities.
- Work with Knowledge and other colleagues to evaluate and implement new solutions where appropriate and provide input into policies and guidance related to responsible use.
- Ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements related to information management, identifying potential risks and implement measures to mitigate them.
Training and Capability Development
- Lead the development and delivery of programmes for research skills training and guidance for lawyers at every level.
- Help build research capability across the firm, supporting both assisted and self-service approaches to information retrieval and intelligence gathering.
- Ensure training and support materials remain aligned with evolving technologies and business requirements.
Stakeholder Management and Collaboration
- Develop strong relationships with Knowledge Development Lawyers and key business stakeholders to understand business requirements.
- Work closely with Client Development & Marketing and Family Office colleagues to support intelligence, market insights and client-related initiatives.
- Collaborate effectively with Procurement and other business services teams in relation to the management of information resources, supplier relationships and investment in research technologies and services.
- Act as a trusted and approachable point of contact for research and information-related matters.
- Engage directly with internal clients to understand their research needs and provide practical solutions.
- Maintain effective communication to ensure responsiveness and adaptability to changing requirements.
- Serve as the primary contact/escalation point for resolving technical and content-related issues with R&IS resources, ensuring wherever possible, swift and seamless access for the Firm.
Resources and Supplier Management
- Oversee the firm's portfolio of research and information resources.
- Support the effective management of supplier relationships and resource investments, working collaboratively with Procurement and other stakeholders to ensure resources remain relevant, cost-effective and aligned with business needs.
- Monitor market developments and identify opportunities to enhance the firm's research offering.
- Manage and monitor the library budget.
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Continuous Improvement
- Monitor the team’s KPIs, using stakeholder feedback, service data and market intelligence to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Drive continuous enhancement of services, processes and user experience.
- Help ensure that the Research & Information Services function remains innovative, responsive and aligned with the firm's future direction.
Insights
- Leverage data, management information and service metrics to generate reports and actionable insights, support informed decision-making, identify opportunities for improvement and demonstrate the contribution of research and information services to client service and business performance.
Other
- Comply with all relevant legal and regulatory obligations including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, and Principles.
Person Specification
Essential
- Significant experience within legal, professional services or comparable research and information environments.
- Experience of leading, developing and motivating teams.
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams and disciplines.
- Strong communication and influencing skills.
- Experience of delivering training and developing capability in others.
- Commercial awareness and experience of managing supplier relationships and information resources.
- Ability to identify opportunities, introduce new ideas and drive service improvement.
- Ability to operate effectively within a fast-paced and evolving business environment.
- Ability to synthesise data and research findings into clear, commercially relevant insights that support strategic and operational decision-making.
- Experience in implementing AI-enabled research tools and familiarity with emerging information technologies.
Desirable
- Experience of supporting international teams and offices.
- Understanding of intelligence gathering, market insight or business research within a professional services environment.
- Professional qualification in Information, Library, Knowledge or a related discipline.
- Experience of managing change and driving the adoption of new technologies or ways of working.
Competencies
- Working together
- Integrity and respect
- Inclusive
- Personal impact and growth
- Driving high standards
- Commercial mindset
- Client-centric
- Responsible Business
Hybrid working - We adopt a hybrid and flexible working approach, dependent on the requirements of the role and subject to manager approval.
For a detailed specification please download the job description in the documents section of this page.
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