Assistant, Professional Development

Assistant, Professional Development

The Assistant, Professional Development provides administrative and operational support to the Specialist Group Professional Development Manager and assigned practice groups, as well as assisting with other Professional Development department initiatives as needed.

Typical responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Professional Development & Administrative Support

• Manage calendars and coordinate meetings, including scheduling, conference room reservations, catering, audiovisual needs, invitations, and RSVP tracking.
• Assist with attorney rotations, lateral onboarding and integration, and professional development programs, including rotator training, practice group meetings, and office hours.
• Prepare, revise, format, and distribute correspondence, presentations, annual review materials, and other departmental documents.
• Maintain associate and counsel vacation calendars, internal distribution lists, and practice group email groups.
• Assist with updates to the Firm's intranet pages to ensure content remains current and accurate.

Reporting & Administration

• Prepare and distribute weekly and ad hoc reports, including attorney hours, staffing, utilization, and other practice group metrics.

Lateral Integration & Attorney Arrivals

• Track attorney arrivals and coordinate onboarding activities, including scheduling arrival meetings and follow-up check-ins for Professional Development Managers during attorneys' first four months at the firm.
• Add new attorneys to relevant internal distribution lists and communication groups.

Events & Program Coordination

• Coordinate logistics for practice group meetings, trainings, networking events, receptions, and social gatherings in partnership with the Events team.
• Prepare event materials, including name badges, place cards, table tents, attendee lists, and coordinate holiday and appreciation gifts.
• Attend events as needed to provide on-site support.

Staffing & Operational Support

• Assist with staffing junior associates when Professional Development Managers are unavailable.
• Conduct ad hoc research and support special projects and other departmental initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications/Position Requirements

• Highly motivated, responsive and conscientious, with a commitment to delivering excellent client service.
• Strong time-management skills and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks quickly and efficiently.
• Detail-oriented, organized and driven, with the desire to take ownership of projects and responsibilities, but to also work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to proofread documents for typographical, spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors.
• Ability to work collaboratively with lawyers and business services professionals while maintaining a positive, team-oriented approach.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of Firm and client information.
• Ability to maintain professional composure in high-pressure situations and a fast-paced, multi-authority environment.
• Availability during standard office hours and the ability to respond to email promptly outside of standard office hours and on weekends is essential.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, InterAction, Zoom, Adobe Acrobat, and other business applications as needed.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• One or more years of relevant administrative or professional services experience preferred.

Compensation

The expected base salary for this position ranges from $65,000 - $75,000. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including relevant skills, training, experience, education, anticipated assignment, and, where applicable, licensure or certifications obtained. Market and organizational factors are also considered. Davis Polk offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP