Office Manager

We are working with a people first Wealth and Estate Planning practice seeking an experienced Office Manager to take full operational ownership of their Southampton (Droxford) office.

This is a senior leadership role within a family owned but highly professional firm, supporting advisers and leading a team of circa 20 across administration and client services.

The position sits at the centre of the business, acting as the operational bridge between leadership, advisers and support teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the administrative, client service and operations teams, setting clear standards and driving accountability.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, training and performance reviews, building a high performing and values aligned culture.
• Act as the primary operational partner to advisers, coordinating workloads, priorities and workflow distribution.
• Own day to day office operations, ensuring service levels, response times and quality standards are consistently met.
• Review, refine and implement internal processes and systems to improve efficiency and reduce friction.
• Monitor team capacity, reallocating work where needed to maintain performance and client experience.
• Handle escalated or complex client matters, ensuring issues are resolved professionally and promptly.
• Maintain strong communication between leadership and the wider team, ensuring clarity when senior leadership is absent.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience managing teams of circa 15 to 25 staff within a professional services environment.
• Strong people leadership capability, with a minimum of 5 years experience in management and performance reviews.
• Experience supporting fee earners, advisers or consultants in a structured, client facing business.
• Highly organised and operationally focused, comfortable managing workflows and office based teams.
• Confident addressing people challenges, coaching individuals and maintaining high standards.
• Comfortable working full time on site in a fast paced office environment.
• Experience within financial planning, legal, accountancy or regulated professional services advantageous but not essential.

Summary

Position: Office Manager

Location: Southampton (Droxford)

Duration: Permanent

Salary: £40,000 to £45,000 Plus Benefits

Start: ASAP

A genuine leadership elevation opportunity to take ownership of a growing professional practice and shape its operational future from the centre of the business.

Apply now or contact the Kiota team for more details.