Manager of Administrative Support

Ropes & Gray; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ropes & Gray is seeking an exceptional Administrative Support Manager in New York to lead and elevate our administrative support function. This strategic role combines experience in professional services with confidence and talent for building trust with partners and senior leaders.

The successful candidate develops people, influences outcomes, and uses technology and AI thoughtfully to improve support. The role emphasizes partnering with executives, mentoring a team of administrative

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in administrative operations or support management within a law firm, professional services organization, or other complex client-focused organization (law firm experience a plus)
• Demonstrated confidence and executive presence with senior leaders, partners, or C-suite executives
• Proven track record of developing and promoting talent; experience managing teams of 15+ preferred
• Demonstrated track record of leading change, modernizing processes, and adopting technology; familiarity with AI-enabled productivity tools strongly preferred
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, and communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership
• Ability to learn law firm culture and the unique demands of partner-level support quickly
• Global or multi-office experience a plus

Responsibilities

• Partner & Senior Leader Relationships: Serve as a trusted advisor and primary point of contact for partners and senior leaders on administrative and executive support, aligning service with firm priorities
• Talent Development & Team Leadership: Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of legal secretaries, executive assistants, and administrative professionals
• Change Leadership & Technology Adoption: Lead change by building coalitions, earning buy-in, and challenging traditional administrative support models; modernize workflows and leverage technology and AI to improve service delivery
• Operational Excellence: Oversee daily administrative operations, staffing models, coverage plans, and workload distribution across practice groups and offices

Skills

Executive presence

Talent development

Leadership

Change leadership

AI tools familiarity

Discretion

Relationship management

Strategic advisory

Tools

AI-enabled productivity tools

Job description

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the 'best of the best' law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

We are seeking an exceptional Administrative Support Manager to lead and elevate our administrative support function. This is a strategic leadership role-not a traditional operations role-for someone who combines experience in professional services or another complex, client-focused organization with confidence and a talent for building trust with partners and senior leaders. The successful candidate develops people, influences outcomes, and uses technology and AI thoughtfully to improve support.

Responsibilities

Partner & Senior Leader Relationships

• Serve as a trusted advisor and primary point of contact for partners and senior leaders on administrative and executive support, aligning service with firm priorities
• Anticipate the needs of high-performing, high-demand stakeholders and solve problems before they surface
• Build credibility through discretion, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through
• Navigate competing priorities and personalities with diplomacy, influence outcomes, build consensus, and advance firm objectives

Talent Development & Team Leadership

• Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of legal secretaries, executive assistants, and administrative professionals
• Create individualized development plans that stretch team members beyond their current capabilities and prepare them for greater responsibility
• Foster a culture of accountability, excellence, and continuous growth
• Identify high-potential talent and create pathways for advancement within the firm
• Provide real-time coaching and constructive feedback; address performance issues promptly and fairly

Change Leadership & Technology Adoption

• Lead change by building coalitions, earning buy-in, and challenging traditional administrative support models
• Modernize workflows and enhance service delivery through technology, AI, innovation, and people-centered approaches
• Lead adoption of new tools and platforms through empathy and clear communication, bringing skeptical stakeholders along
• Partner with IT and Innovation teams to pilot and scale technology solutions
• Continuously benchmark against industry best practices and competitor firms to keep the support model ahead of the curve

Operational Excellence

• Oversee daily administrative operations, staffing models, coverage plans, and workload distribution across practice groups and offices
• Partner with HR on workforce planning and talent strategy

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in administrative operations or support management within a law firm, professional services organization, or other complex, client-focused organization; law firm experience is a plus, not required
• Demonstrated confidence and executive presence with senior leaders, partners, or C-suite executives
• Proven track record of developing and promoting talent; experience managing teams of 15+ preferred
• Demonstrated track record of leading change, modernizing processes, and adopting technology; familiarity with AI-enabled productivity tools strongly preferred
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, and communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership
• Ability to learn law firm culture and the unique demands of partner-level support quickly
• Global or multi-office experience a plus

What Success Looks Like

Partners and senior leaders view the administrative support function as a genuine competitive advantage and regard the manager as a trusted strategic advisor

Team members feel challenged, supported, and see a clear path for growth

The firm has visibly modernized its support model through innovative