Executive Law Firm Operations & People Leader

GHJ; Canada; On-site; CAD 350,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

GHJ, a well-established national accounting and advisory firm’s law division, seeks an experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to be the firm’s senior business executive and partner to the Managing Partner. Focus on human resources, recruiting, people management and practice operations.

Not a CFO role; Controller handles accounting while COO drives operations and growth. The COO will align across attorneys, staff and leadership, shaping succession planning and operational excellence with

Qualifications

• Significant progressive leadership experience within a law firm, accounting firm, or professional services environment.
• Strong background in HR, recruiting, employee relations and people leadership.
• Demonstrated success improving operations, workflows, and organizational processes.
• Experience managing and negotiating significant vendor relationships.
• Familiarity with legal or professional services technology and business systems.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to partner with finance leadership.
• Executive presence with credibility across partners, leadership, and staff.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, or related field

Responsibilities

• Lead HR, recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, and retention initiatives.
• Oversee benefits strategy and renewals, including relationships with brokers and providers.
• Lead firmwide administrative operations and establish scalable procedures.
• Evaluate staffing needs, resources, workflows, and operational efficiency.
• Serve as trusted advisor to the Managing Partner and support leadership on strategic initiatives.
• Partner with Controller on budgeting, KPIs, and business performance.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture and mentor administrative teams.

Skills

Leadership

HR

Recruiting

People management

Operations

Vendor negotiations

Strategic initiatives

Business systems

Executive presence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Management/Finance/Accounting/Human Resources

Tools

Legal tech knowledge

Financial planning tools

Job description

GHJ, a well-established national accounting and advisory firm’s law division, seeks an experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to be the firm’s senior business executive and partner to the Managing Partner. Focus on human resources, recruiting, people management and practice operations.

Not a CFO role; Controller handles accounting while COO drives operations and growth. The COO will align across attorneys, staff and leadership, shaping succession planning and operational excellence with