Director of Administration

Plona Partners; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Plona Partners is seeking a seasoned Director of Office Administration to lead operations for its Northern California offices, with hybrid work in Palo Alto. You will oversee personnel, facilities, and financial oversight while driving strategy and service excellence across regions.

This senior role requires 8+ years of leadership in law firm administration, strong people management, and the ability to partner with HR, IT, and finance to deliver high-quality administrative support.

Qualifications

• Eight years of relevant professional experience.
• Recent experience as a Director of Administration, Office Administrator, Office Manager, or comparable senior administrative leader within a law firm or professional services organization.
• Strong background in personnel management, employee relations, and professional development.
• Experience overseeing facilities operations, office budgets, vendor relationships, and administrative services.
• Working knowledge of law firm billing procedures, financial reporting, and practice management systems.

Responsibilities

• Direct the daily operations of the Palo Alto office and coordinate with other regional locations.
• Manage business services personnel including legal administrative support, reception, and facilities teams.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, and professional development.
• Manage employee relations, performance improvement, compensation administration, and staff resource allocation.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented workplace culture.
• Serve as the primary liaison between attorneys, administrative staff, and firm leadership.
• Partner with Human Resources on staffing strategies and organizational effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with office safety, security, and operational procedures.

Skills

Leadership

Personnel management

Employee relations

Professional development

Strategic planning

Analytical

Communication

Organizational

Project management

Education

Bachelor's or Associate's degree in Business Administration/Management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Practice management software

Job description

Work Arrangement: Hybrid | Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:30 PM PT

Travel: San Francisco (Minimum 4 Times Monthly) and Utah (Quarterly)

Experience: 8+ Years

Plona Partners is representing a premier AmLaw firm seeking an accomplished Director of Office Administration to oversee operations across its Northern California offices.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced law firm administrator with a strong background in personnel management, facilities operations, financial oversight, and strategic office administration. The Director will serve as a key liaison between attorneys, business services professionals, and firm leadership, ensuring operational excellence, employee development, and consistent delivery of high-quality administrative support.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the daily operations of the Palo Alto office, with additional oversight and coordination involving other regional locations.
• Manage business services personnel, including legal administrative support, secretarial services, reception, and facilities teams.
• Oversee recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, and professional development.
• Manage employee relations, performance improvement, compensation administration, and staff resource allocation.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented workplace culture.
• Serve as the primary liaison between attorneys, administrative staff, and firm leadership.
• Partner with Human Resources on staffing strategies, employee development, and organizational effectiveness.

Office Operations & Facilities

• Oversee facilities management, office services, space planning, and workplace operations.
• Manage vendor relationships, service agreements, purchasing, inventory, and office-related expenditures.
• Coordinate with landlords, external service providers, and internal departments.
• Ensure compliance with office safety, security, and operational procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, resource utilization, and operational efficiency.
• Coordinate office infrastructure and technology requirements with IT and other internal departments.

Financial Management & Budgeting

• Develop and manage office operating budgets, forecasts, and capital expenditure plans.
• Monitor spending, financial controls, and cost-management initiatives.
• Oversee local accounts payable processes and other administrative financial responsibilities.
• Support billing operations, including workflow management, client billing requirements, special rates, and billing deadlines.
• Partner with attorneys, billing personnel, and centralized Finance teams to facilitate timely and accurate billing.
• Assist with local financial reporting, banking relationships, and related administrative functions.

Strategic Planning & Practice Support

• Partner with firm leadership on office strategy, resource planning, and operational priorities.
• Evaluate administrative procedures and recommend improvements to enhance productivity and service delivery.
• Support attorney and practice group needs through effective staffing and resource management.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, and other business services departments to implement firmwide initiatives.
• Assist with organizational change management, operational risk assessment, and quality control.
• Ensure consistent administrative standards and practices across supported offices.

Required Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree required; degree in Business Administration, Management, Human Resources, or a related discipline preferred.
• Minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience.
• Recent experience as a Director of Administration, Office Administrator, Office Manager, or comparable senior administrative leader within a law firm or professional services organization preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing multidisciplinary administrative teams.
• Strong background in personnel management, employee relations, and professional development.
• Experience overseeing facilities operations, office budgets, vendor relationships, and administrative services.
• Working knowledge of law firm billing procedures, financial reporting, and practice management systems.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and strategic planning capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and manage competing priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and standard law firm financial or practice management applications.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.