Administrative Assistant (Pathway to Office Manager)

Gear and Co Lawyers; City of Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 58,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Gear & Co Lawyers, a boutique litigation and insolvency firm in Brisbane, is seeking an Administrative Assistant to be the operational backbone of our Queen Street office. This full-time, primarily in-office role offers a pathway to Office Manager with flexibility for occasional work from home once you are across the role.

You will manage front-of-house and client relations, assist solicitors with documents, diary management, and billing, and learn Actionstep to keep files, deadlines and

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of administrative or office support experience.
• Prior legal office experience is a bonus — strong capability and adaptability matter more.
• Exceptional attention to detail and polished written and verbal communication.
• High digital literacy and confidence with MS Office. Experience with practice management platforms (Actionstep highly regarded) and comfort with basic accounting tools such as Xero is an advantage.
• A self-starter who can work autonomously, manage competing priorities, and take pride in a well-run office.
• Ambition to grow into leading office operations — not someone looking for a holding-pattern admin job.

Responsibilities

• Front of house and client relations: welcome clients, answer phone inquiries, manage mail.
• Direct inquiries to the appropriate solicitor and coordinate with building management, couriers, and suppliers.
• Provide legal administrative support: document formatting, client intake, file setup, archiving, and diary management.
• Learn and use Actionstep to keep files, deadlines, and workflows on track.
• Assist with billing, invoicing, disbursements and coordinate with accountants and auditors.
• Path to Office Manager: grow into office-management responsibility over time.

Skills

Administrative experience

MS Office

Digital literacy

Client relations

Tools

Actionstep

Xero

Job description

Gear & Co Lawyers is a specialist litigation and insolvency firm. We punch above our weight for a boutique practice: high-stakes work, a small team, and a culture that keeps things simple. Our clients and staff are not just another number.

We are looking for a sharp, organised Administrative Assistant to become the operational backbone of our Queen Street office. This is a full-time, primarily in-office role with an opportunity to learn, and a pathway to Office Manager. We can be flexible on occasional work from home once you are across the role, depending on the person and their commitments.

If you take pride in keeping a professional office running seamlessly, enjoy being the face of a firm, and want more than a static support job, we want to hear from you.

What you will actually be doing

This is a hands-on role. You will own the day-to-day running of the office and grow into full office-management responsibility over time.

Front of house and client relations

Be the welcoming face and voice of Gear & Co — reception, phone inquiries, and mail.

Manage incoming inquiries professionally and direct work to the right lawyer.

Coordinate with building management, couriers, and suppliers.

Legal administrative support

Assist solicitors with document formatting, client intake, file setup, archiving, and diary management.

Learn and use our practice management system (Actionstep) so files, deadlines, and workflows stay tight.

Provide high-level administrative support to a small specialist legal team as required.

Financial administration (not bookkeeping)
We have accountants who handle financial reporting and bookkeeping, and an external auditor. You will not be the firm’s bookkeeper. But you will still play an important supporting role:

Assist with billing and issuing invoices using our document management system (Actionstep).

Process disbursements and support basic accounts processes.

Help keep trust and office processes audit-ready, working with our accountants and external QLS auditor as needed.

Operations and the path to Office Manager

Learn vendor relationships, office systems, supplies, and workflow so you can take ownership of office management over time.

Act as the central point of contact for administrative needs across the firm.

Assist with coordination of team meetings and events.

What we are looking for

1–3 years of administrative or office support experience. Prior legal office experience is a bonus — strong capability and adaptability matter more.

Exceptional attention to detail and polished written and verbal communication.

High digital literacy and confidence with MS Office. Experience with practice management platforms (Actionstep highly regarded) and comfort with basic accounting tools such as Xero is an advantage.

A self-starter who can work autonomously, manage competing priorities, and take pride in a well-run office.

Ambition to grow into leading office operations — not someone looking for a holding-pattern admin job.

The arrangement

This is a full-time role based in our Brisbane CBD office (Level 1, 371 Queen Street). We expect you in the office as the default — reception, files, and the rhythm of a small firm work better that way. But we are not rigid about it. Once you are across the role, we can discuss occasional work from home arrangements depending on the person and their personal commitments. Tell us what you need in your application.

A defined pathway from support staff to Office Manager — real responsibility, not a title for the sake of it.

Direct access to partners in a small, high-performing boutique. Your work is visible and it matters.

A culture that keeps things simple. We value competence, plain speaking, and a workplace that supports life outside work.

Competitive package: $58,000 – $68,000 base + 12% superannuation, commensurate with experience.

Autonomy. Once you have earned it, we will trust you to own the role.