Legal Operations Manager

We are currently seeking an experienced operations professional to take on the role of Legal Operations Manager within the Legal function.

The Legal function is an integral part of the Bank, with the goal of leading our stakeholders through a complex and dynamic legal and regulatory environment.  The Hong Kong based Legal Operations team supports the Regional and Local General Counsels in driving the legal strategic priorities, working in collaboration with the Regional Leadership teams, Hong Kong Extended Leadership, Global Legal COO teams and various functions across the Bank.

Joining our team in the role of Legal Operations Manager, you will be taking on an important, diverse and enriching role providing management support to Asia-Pacific Legal in the domains of External Law Firm Engagement, Third Party Management, Change & Innovation, Cost and Budget Management & Controls, with a focus on the Hong Kong market. You will provide direct support to the HK General Counsel, including the coordination and running of Extended Leadership and other team events and meetings. You will also be managing and ensuring the administrative support team is working effectively.

In this role you will:

• Providing management support to the Legal function, facilitating the effective management and coordination of day-to-day operational activities within the department.
• Supporting the HK General Counsel with internal communications and coordinating HK-based events to enhance staff engagement and cultivate a positive and collaborative working environment.
• Managing the HK Legal Operations team, including the line management of the onshore and offshore administrative support team members, and maintaining the operational Playbook to ensure continuity of support for the HK-based function.
• Supporting the Legal function’s transformation by identifying opportunities for process simplification and control improvements, driving global and regional change initiatives, and project managing locally impactful programmes to deliver timely outcomes for the Hong Kong team.
• Actively managing the financial and headcount plans for the HK General Counsel, including forecasts and actuals, to support data-driven management decisions in resourcing and investment prioritisation.
• Managing third party relationships with local law firms and vendors, including contract negotiations for renewals following guidelines and with support from the regional COO team.
• Maintaining and executing the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for the HK-based function, managing operational risk and controls in adherence to the Bank’s and Department’s risk framework, and ensuring compliance with relevant policies, procedures and regulatory requirements within daily operations, including third party management and information risk management.
• Maintaining records management control for the department, including external storage units, ensuring Legal holds and document retention schedules are accurately maintained and adhered to.

To be successful you will need:

• Strong knowledge and experience in Operations or Business Management domains.
• High degree of drive and motivation to ensure delivery of objectives in a timely, efficient and effective manner.
• Aptitude to analyse complex issues, assess their impact on the Bank, department operations and its stakeholders and translate findings into actionable goals.
• Curiosity and drive to challenge the status quo, with the ability to streamline processes and focus on impactful improvements.
• Experience in adopting AI tools and promoting their use within the COO function to drive efficiency and innovation.
• Excellent relationship management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage senior Legal and non-Legal stakeholders across a matrix organisation.
• Strong and effective communications skills in English and Cantonese, with the ability to communicate complex issues concisely.
• Attention to detail combined with strong delivery focus, ability to coordinate tasks and stakeholders across multiple workstreams, and meet aggressive timeframes with quality results.
• Strong understanding of risk management, with awareness of operational risk principles and controls within a legal operations environment, and the ability to incorporate risk consideration into all activities.
• Adaptability, flexibility, and a self-initiated approach to change, with the ability to support change management initiatives and demonstrate resilience in a dynamic environment.
• Being a positive role model, exemplifying the HSBC values in conduct and behaviour.

No legal background or qualifications are required for the role, preferring candidates with the right attitude and solid background in operations, cost management, risk & controls, and change. 

To be considered for this role, the relevant right to work in Hong Kong is required.