Director of Administration

About the Firm

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. Founded in 1884, the Firm has over 2,000 lawyers and is headquartered in New York, with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. Through this global platform, the Firm delivers coordinated legal advice and transactional capabilities to clients worldwide.

Working closely with the Managing Partner of the new Chicago office and the Firm’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Director of Administration is responsible for developing and implementing an efficient and effective operating model for the Chicago office and ensuring exemplary client service across all functions, including both Legal Talent and Professional Staff.

This role presents a significant opportunity for a highly motivated business leader with a strong operational focus to play a key role in establishing and developing the Firm’s newest office. The Director will work directly with the Managing Partner of the Office and CAO on short- and long-term strategic planning for the Chicago office.

The Director will report directly to the Managing Partner of the Chicago Office and the CAO. A key early priority for the Director will be to build out the Professional Staff function that will support the office.  

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead all areas of business operations; collaborate on and drive strategic and operational planning and implementation; develop a comprehensive understanding of the Chicago office’s practices, market, and competitive position; and anticipate and advise on the Firm’s future operational needs in Chicago.

• Manage, mentor, and develop the business professional team, including human resources, information technology, legal talent and recruiting, paralegal, operations, office services, and other functions; foster a high-performance, team-oriented culture committed to professional excellence and the highest levels of client service; and ensure alignment across all functional areas with the Firm’s near- and long-term plans and business objectives.

• Drive financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning and analysis; develop and implement financial reporting metrics, analytics, and KPIs; and enable more effective, data-driven strategic planning and decision-making.

• Assess the workforce model, including staffing ratios; introduce new functional capabilities as needed; and drive related organizational transformation, the deployment of outsourcing services, continuous improvement, and productivity optimization.

• Manage leasing, space planning, renovation and construction projects, and other aspects of real estate strategy and operations for the Chicago office in coordination with the Firm’s Head of Real Estate.

• Direct the planning and coordination of internal and client events in coordination with the Client Development and Engagement function; partner on the development of concepts, itineraries, and requirements; manage associated vendors; coordinate event activities; and oversee post-event wrap-up and feedback.

• Direct strategic planning, program development, and implementation for risk management, business continuity, disaster recovery, and emergency management.

• Monitor trends and best practices in legal and professional services strategy and management; communicate the impact of emerging innovations, developments, and regulations; and recommend appropriate action.

Skills and Experience

• At least 15 years of experience in business operations leadership roles at a major law firm or another sophisticated professional services or financial services firm.

• Demonstrated success in managing, mentoring, and developing a team of highly qualified professionals; leading all functional areas of business operations; and driving continuous improvement, innovation, and optimization.

• Strong business acumen; well-developed financial and analytical skills; and the ability to develop short- and long-term strategic and operational plans from broadly stated objectives.

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple operational initiatives simultaneously, including business transformation and service-model changes, as well as significant real estate and construction projects.

• Outstanding interpersonal skills, including the ability to lead through influence rather than control, champion new ideas and approaches, and build consensus around business strategies and decisions.

• Experience planning and coordinating internal and client events, including developing concepts, itineraries, and requirements; managing vendors; and overseeing post-event wrap-up and feedback.

• Superior presentation, writing, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interact credibly and diplomatically with individuals at all levels of the organization and with members of the external community and to tailor communications to different groups and stakeholders.

• Broad experience with technology and the application of technology solutions within the professional services industry.

Education

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field is required.

Preferred

• An MBA or other advanced degree is preferred.

IL Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $300,000 to $350,000 at the time of posting.