Head of Shared Services Operations

Powering Global Legal Excellence Through High-Performing Shared Services

This role represents a long-term global career with Emapta, offering top 1% talent leadership responsibility, global exposure, and meaningful impact.

Snapshot

Shift: Midshift, Weekends Off, 9:00AM-6;00PM UK Time

• Day 1 HMO coverage with free dependent
• Competitive Salary Package
• Prime office location in Makati (Easy access to MRT stations, restaurants, and banks)
• Fixed weekends off
• Salary Advance Program through our banking partner (Eligibility and approval subject to bank assessment. Available to account holders with minimum of 6 months company tenure.)
• Unlimited upskilling through Emapta Academy courses (Want to know more? Visit: https://emapta.com/training-calendar/)
• Free 24/7 access to our office gyms (Ortigas and Makati) with a free physical fitness trainer!
• Exclusive Emapta Lifestyle perks (hotel and restaurant discounts, and more!)
• Unlimited opportunities for employee referral incentives across the organization
• Standard government and Emapta benefits
• Total of 20 annual leaves to be used on your own discretion (including 5 credits convertible to cash)
• Fun engagement activities for employees
• Mentorship and exposure to global leaders and teams
• Career growth opportunities
• Diverse and supportive work environment

Qualifications

• 5 to 7 years of relevant experience in shared services, business operations, business support, or professional services roles
• Proven experience leading shared services, business operations, business support, or professional services teams.
• Experience managing multi-functional teams in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Strong operational leadership experience, including service delivery, people management, performance management, governance, and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead teams in a start-up, scale-up, transformation, or high-growth environment.
• Strong stakeholder management experience, including working with senior leaders across multiple regions.
• Ability to operate with structure, pace, judgement, and credibility in a professional services or regulated environment.
• Strong communication, influencing, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Comfortable being hands-on in the early stages while building capability, structure, and leadership depth over time.

• Experience within a law firm, legal services organisation, legal outsourcing provider, professional services partnership or financial services environment.
• Strong understanding of how business services functions operate in a law firm or similar professional services firm.
• Experience building credibility with senior stakeholders in a partner-led or senior relationship-driven environment.
• Experience establishing or scaling a shared services centre, offshore operation, or multi-functional delivery team.
• Experience supporting international stakeholders across regions, especially the UK.
• Experience working with local employment partners, offshore delivery models, or outsourced support arrangements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the establishment and day-to-day operation of the Manila Shared Services Centre.
• Act as the senior site leader for Manila, with accountability for local operational performance, service quality, team effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Build and embed the operating rhythm for the centre, including governance, reporting, service management, escalation handling, and performance monitoring.
• Ensure service delivery consistently meets agreed standards for quality, turnaround time, reliability, professionalism, and stakeholder experience.
• Build a disciplined, well-controlled operating environment appropriate for an international law firm and professional services setting.
• Help establish Manila as a high-quality, trusted, and scalable extension of the firm's global business services model.

• Build, lead, and develop Manila-based teams as the centre scales.
• Establish a local reporting structure across offshore teams, with all Manila-based roles ultimately reporting through this position.
• Lead day-to-day coaching, feedback, performance management, and development of team members and team leads.
• Create a high-performance culture based on accountability, service quality, collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Support employee engagement, retention, succession planning, and leadership development as the centre grows.
• Ensure Manila-based teams remain connected to the wider firm and operate as an integrated extension of global business services.

Stakeholder Management

Operate with professionalism, confidence, and a strong client-service mindset in all stakeholder interactions to:

• Build strong, credible relationships with global functional leaders, senior stakeholders, and partners where required.
• Work in close partnership with onshore managers, recognising the matrix model between Manila-based teams and global functional leadership.
• Help stakeholders understand how to work effectively with the Manila centre and how to get the best value from offshore service delivery.
• Act as a trusted operational partner to senior stakeholders, providing clear updates on performance, risks, issues, and improvement opportunities.
• Play a key role in building confidence across the firm in the quality, professionalism, and long-term value of the Manila Shared Services Centre.

• Be accountable for the successful transition of services into Manila, working closely with a dedicated Transition Manager.
• Ensure each service is properly documented, resourced, trained, transitioned, stabilised, and embedded into business-as-usual operations.
• Work with global functional leaders to confirm service expectations, roles and responsibilities, handover points, and success measures.
• Identify and resolve transition risks, operational gaps, and adoption challenges.
• Ensure new services are not only moved to Manila, but are operating effectively and trusted by stakeholders post-transition.

• Monitor service performance and use data, KPIs, and stakeholder feedback to demonstrate the value and effectiveness of the centre.
• Drive continuous improvement across processes, service standards, documentation, and ways of working.
• Ensure SOPs, process maps, training materials, controls, and operational documentation are maintained and improved over time.
• Support standardisation and consistency across services while recognising the needs of different business functions and regions.
• Promote a strong service mindset and ensure the centre operates as an integrated extension of the global firm.

• Partner closely with Emapta and local support teams across recruitment, HR administration, facilities, engagement, and site operations.
• Ensure operational issues and blockers are identified early and resolved in a structured and timely way.
• Support employee engagement and local office initiatives, ensuring the Manila team feels connected to the wider firm.
• Maintain effective working relationships with both local support teams and global business stakeholders.

• Establish Manila as a high-quality, trusted extension of the firm's global business services model.
• Build confidence among senior stakeholders that services can be transitioned and delivered offshore without compromising quality, responsiveness, or professionalism.
• Deliver successful service transitions that are stable, embedded, and performing to agreed standards.
• Demonstrate strong stakeholder satisfaction across functions and regions.
• Maintain clear visibility of performance through practical, compelling KPIs and service reporting.
• Create a professional, engaged, and accountable team culture.
• Provide the operational foundation for future growth of the Manila centre and, potentially, wider shared services capability.

About the Client

With a strong international presence and deep industry expertise, they play a critical role in enabling strategic growth, managing risk, and driving successful outcomes for clients operating in today's most demanding markets.

Join the Top 1% Talent. A better career. A better life.

Collaborate with global teams, build meaningful expertise, and grow in a culture that prioritizes both performance and well-being.

Apply now and experience the difference!