Chief of Staff

Job Description

Job Description

Our client seeks an Operations & Work Production Manager to lead the firm's internal operations and the operating systems that keep matters moving on time, clients consistently supported, and deadlines controlled. This is a senior leadership role for an experienced, results-driven operator with the judgment, presence, and discipline to translate firm priorities into execution, coach high standards across teams, and drive measurable performance.

Reporting directly to the Managing Partner and working closely with firm leadership, you will run the operational engine of a fast-paced, growing practice. You will own the firm's work production cadence across matters, strengthen accountability rhythms, elevate administrative and cross-functional coordination, improve timekeeping and billing hygiene, and ensure a polished, predictable client experience from intake through closeout.

This role requires prior operations leadership in a professional services environment, the ability to lead through influence and standards, and the maturity to make firm, fair decisions in real time.

Core Outcomes for This Role:

• Maintain firmwide control of deadlines, calendars, and commitments by implementing proactive workflow triage, risk escalation, and consistent internal service levels across all active matters.
• Establish a reliable work production engine that drives matters forward with predictable cadence, clear ownership, and disciplined follow-through from intake through closeout.
• Build and enforce the firm's operating system, including SOPs, templates, document and data standards, and platform adoption, so execution is consistent regardless of who is working the file.
• Create operational clarity for leadership through concise reporting, metrics, and accountability rhythms that surface bottlenecks early and convert decisions into action with named owners and deadlines.
• Strengthen operational judgment and professionalism across the firm by setting clear expectations, intervening early when standards slip, and making firm, fair decisions in real time to protect clients and the business.
• Improve firm's financial performance through timekeeping compliance, WIP hygiene, billing cycle accuracy and timeliness, and disciplined collections coordination that protects cash velocity and realization.

Core Responsibilities:

Operations Oversight and Systems Leadership

• Own day-to-day operational problem-solving, cross-team coordination, and resource allocation.
• Maintain firmwide systems for scheduling, communication, data management, document standards, and workflow discipline.
• Own SOPs, checklists, templates, and version control so the team can find and use the right tools consistently.
• Facilitate and ensure staff's best use of practice management and related platforms; run periodic audits to confirm adoption and quality.
• Lead regular operations reviews with leadership and drive follow-through with clear owners, deadlines, and status reporting.

Work Production, Workflow, and Quality Control

• Monitor the workflow pipeline daily to ensure matters progress within prescribed timelines and service levels.
• Identify bottlenecks early, clear blockers, and escalate risks with options and recommendations.
• Strengthen calendar and deadline management, including court dates, filings, discovery milestones, internal deadlines, and client commitments.
• Enforce standardized meeting and documentation habits that improve clarity, next steps, and client confidence.
• Oversee clean matter closure procedures, including completion checks, final confirmations, and archiving standards.

Financial Operations, Billing, and Collections Support

• Implement and track A/R and collections workflows, including client follow-up cadence, escalation paths, and coordination with attorneys on client communications that protect relationships while enforcing payment expectations.
• Produce concise monthly financial operating reports for leadership that highlight drivers and blockers of cash velocity, realization, write-offs, and collections performance, with recommendations and action plans.
• Identify and execute improvements to engagement-to-billing workflows, including retainer replenishment controls, trust and payment tracking, and process fixes that prevent revenue disruption.
• Partner with leadership on basic reporting rhythms that track cash velocity, realization, and write-offs.

People Leadership, HR Coordination, and Performance Follow-Through

• Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and role mastery for administrative and support positions.
• Coach and manage administrative and support staff with clear standards for responsiveness, accuracy, and follow-through.
• Support performance conversations and documentation, including coaching plans and corrective action tracking as needed.
• Diagnose root causes of performance issues and recommend corrective paths that protect clients and the firm.

Client Experience and Front-End Operational Excellence

• Own the end-to-end client experience operating system, including intake handoffs, scheduling discipline, status updates, and service-level standards across the lifecycle of a matter.
• Coordinate closely with legal, paralegal, intake, and marketing functions to ensure the client journey is operationally sound, handoffs are explicit, and work production is supported by the right information and timing.
• Implement a client feedback and issue-escalation loop so concerns are captured early, triaged appropriately, and resolved without disruption to legal work.
• Set clear expectations for newly hired staff behavior and responsiveness in client-facing settings, and coach to those standards as a core operational responsibility.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in business, legal administration, or a related field
• 7 to 10 years of progressively responsible experience in law firm operations, litigation support, or professional services management, including at least 2 years leading people or workflows.
• Demonstrated success building repeatable systems, enforcing process discipline, and sustaining performance in a deadline-driven environment.
• Strong command of practice management workflows, calendaring, document systems, and reporting.
• Working knowledge of billing operations, timekeeping compliance, and collections coordination.
• High judgment, discretion, and professionalism with the ability to coach firmly while maintaining trust and respect.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a calm, solutions-oriented presence under pressure.
• Residency in or near Upstate New York or a strong willingness to relocate.

Preferred:

• Experience in a litigation environment and managing fast-moving calendars and deliverables.
• Experience implementing or optimizing systems and training teams to adoption.
• Experience coordinating with payroll and HR vendors and maintaining compliance documentation.

Compensation

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Benefits and role details will be shared with qualified candidates.

Strong understanding of law firm organizational structures, workflows, and administrative systems

Proficient in legal technology platforms, billing software, and HR/payroll systems

Technologically confident and comfortable navigating multiple programs, databases, and case management systems

Proactive, analytical, and results-oriented mindset Positive, high-energy attitude with a focus on consistent performance and follow-through

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven professional environment

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Professional, client-centered demeanor with a welcoming presence

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport and collaborate across varying roles and authority level