Skip to Main Content

Job Title


Head of Client Operations - Legal


Company : Wotton Kearney


Location : Melbourne, Victoria


Created : 2026-03-07


Job Type : Full Time


Job Description

Being the best isnt just about being the best professionals. Its about being the best place to work, grow, be yourself. Wotton Kearney (WK) has proudly served the insurance and risk sector for over two decades. Established in 2002 with a founding partnership of two individuals, WK has rapidly evolved to become Australasias leading specialist insurance and risk law firm. Our commitment to excellence has been consistently recognised, consistently ranked as a band 1 insurance firm in Legal 500 and acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing law firms in Australia. The opportunity Were seeking an accomplished leader to establish and drive WKs new Client Operations function, shaping how we deliver for our clients. As a newly established leadership role, the Head of Client Operations is a critical hire designed to strengthen operational excellence across Wotton Kearneys national client base. Our business model is built on deep, enduring relationships where service consistency and compliance with SLAs are non-negotiable. You will lead and inspire a high-performing team to transform client onboarding into a streamlined, systemised experience, ensuring that this function acts as the firms operational gateway for all new panel appointments. This is a high-impact, handson role where you will oversee the entire matter lifecycle - from executing cost agreements and rate reviews to driving the MI reporting cadence that keeps both clients and leadership informed. You will leverage and optimise our core platforms, including Aderant , our CRM , and OSCAR (our new Appian-based case management tool), to ensure systems reflect accurate and compliant client requirements. This is an ideal opportunity for a builder ready to set the standard for operational innovation and excellence in a fast-growing firm. Youll be responsible for... Own Client Onboarding & Governance Act as the operational gateway for all client and panel onboardings. Ensure signed agreements are translated into compliant operational setups ensuring smoothness across rates, SLAs, reporting obligations, and workflow standards. Ensure everyone involved (Finance Ops, Admins, Practice Groups) is across client-specific instructions and BAU readiness. Partner with BD, Risk & Compliance, Finance, and Practice Group leadership to ensure all new clients transition smoothly into business as usual. Lead Systems Stewardship Oversee the execution of WKs rate review cycle and ensure cost agreements are updated and aligned with pricing strategy. Champion adoption of OSCAR, our new Appian-based case management tool, ensuring SLAs and operational requirements are captured, workflows followed, and data quality enables highconfidence MI. Maintain CRM as the single source of truth drive data accuracy, segmentation, relationship mapping, and adoption. Drive Reporting & Insights Provide oversight and quality assurance for all MI and client reporting, tracking valueadd commitments (training, secondments, insights, innovations) and embedding our service charter in client touchpoints. Continuous Improvement & Quality Control Identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and duplication across client operations; harmonise templates, lift governance, and standardise performance metrics. Conduct SLA and operational audits as part of reviews or panel preparations. Lead projects to streamline workflows, harmonise templates, and improve operational consistency. Strategic Enablement with OSCAR Leverage OSCAR for endtoend matter lifecycle management. Ensure data accuracy and reporting consistency across matters and portfolios. Act as the liaison between legal teams and clients to unlock systemdriven insights and continuous service improvement. Lead and Collaborate Coach and develop a small, highimpact team (Client Reporting Manager, National Finance Ops Manager, CRM Analyst) to deliver on all the above. Cascade operational expectations across Practice Ops Managers, Admin teams and Practice Group leadership; build a culture of transparency, consistency, service excellence and accountability. What youll bring 5-8 plus years experience in operations, finance operations, client service operations or business process leadership (legal or insurance preferred). Handson experience with Aderant, casemanagement platforms, and CRM stewardship. Strong analytical capability and comfort with datadriven decisionmaking; MI/reporting oversight. Proven process improvement and change management expertise, able to harmonise workflows and raise operational standards. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills; confident partnering with Client Relationship Partners (CRPs) and senior leadership. High attention to detail and operational discipline; a passion for consistency and service excellence. Experience leading and developing teams in multioffice environments. Why Wotton Kearney? At Wotton Kearney, were not your typical law firm. We are forwardthinking pioneers, creative strategists, and genuine professionals reshaping insurance law. We thrive on collaboration, bold ideas, and unwavering support. Heres what sets us apart: Industry Leaders & Innovation Pioneers We dont just keep up with change; we drive it. We were the first Australian law firm to launch Cicero, the countrys first AI product built for legal professionals. Recognised Excellence Ranked Australias best insurance law firm (Best Lawyers 2026) and consistently ranked Band 1 across legal directories. FLEX for all We care about client outcomes, quality, and business and cultural contributions. If you can make that work by working parttime, working irregular hours or working from home then so can we. Growth & Mentoring We invest in you with handson mentoring, training, and career development, keeping you ahead in the legal and insurance industries. A Culture That Sets Us Apart Open, collegiate, and passionate about everything we do. We dont just talk about culture ;we live it. Giving Back From building homes in Cambodia to fun runs and bake sales, there are plenty of ways to make an impact beyond the office. Leaders of the Pack As one of Australias fastest-growing law firms, we know where were headed and we want you on the journey with us. Putting People First We offer generous parental leave up to 26 weeks, purchased annual leave, home office allowances, health and wellbeing benefits, education assistance and more. How to apply Please navigate via the apply now link. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace at Wotton Kearney. As part of our dedication to accessibility, we strive to support candidates with disabilities throughout the interview process. If you require any accommodations or assistance during the application and interview stages please contact us at [email protected] Were doing this recruitment in-house! We are not accepting submissions from recruitment agencies for this role. Wed love to hear from you directly! Any CVs sent to Wotton Kearney by a recruitment agency will be treated as unsolicited and fees will not be payable. #J-18808-Ljbffr