Office Administrator

DLA Piper; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

401(k)

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

DLA Piper in New York seeks an Office Administrator to lead the NY and Short Hills offices, advancing administrative excellence and a positive work environment while collaborating with senior leadership, clients, and external stakeholders.

The role covers strategic partnership, HR and talent development, space planning, budgets, and firm-wide initiatives, with a hybrid work arrangement and opportunities to influence firm operations.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in a professional services environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication and client service.
• Knowledge of local and national labor laws and HR practices.
• Basic accounting and budgeting understanding.

Responsibilities

• Directs and oversees daily administrative functions of the NY office.
• Supports firm decisions, and manages through change.
• Prepares agendas for partner meetings and budget materials.
• Mentors direct reports, including onboarding and performance reviews.
• Plans monthly one-on-one meetings with direct reports.
• Collaborates with senior leadership to drive operational excellence.
• Manages billing/collections and office budgets.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Client service

Discretion

Negotiation

People management

Budgeting

Accounting basics

MS Office

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance or related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let’s see what we can achieve. Together.

Summary

The Office Administrator, working in collaboration with and in support of the firm’s strategic initiatives, serves as an essential leader within DLA Piper, overseeing the New York and Short Hills offices, driving administrative excellence and fostering a positive work environment. The Office Administrator embodies the core values of boldness, exceptional service, collaboration, and support, serving as a cornerstone of the firm's operational and strategic goals. The Office administrator will be engaging directly with senior leadership, clients, and external stakeholders, this role serves as a key connector between strategic vision and day-to-day execution. The Office Administrator is instrumental in translating organizational goals into actionable outcomes, championing continuous improvement, and cultivating a high-performance culture that reflects the firm’s values and priorities.

Location

This position is located in our New York office, with occasional travel to the Short Hills office, and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities

• Leadership
  • Directs, manages, and oversees the daily administrative business functions of the office.
  • Represents and supports firm decisions and initiatives, managing through change.
  • Plans and facilitates office core management team meetings to ensure collaboration on operational excellence.
  • Manages, advises, and mentors direct reports, including compensation planning, performance evaluations and onboarding.
  • Holds individual meetings with each direct report for at least 30 minutes every month.
  • Reports and communicates with Director of Administration, relaying information and escalating office needs, employee relations, or other issues/challenges in a timely manner.
  • Influences across departments and senior staff.
• Lawyer Engagement & Support
  • Regularly interacts and engages with office lawyers to ensure strong practice support and proactively identify and address needs, sharing feedback across departments for continuous improvement.
  • Manages, facilitates, and supports lateral integration ensuring effective collaboration of firm resources for successful practice integration into the firm.
  • Plans, attends, and prepares agenda and materials for partner meetings, presenting on business and financial matters, as needed.
  • Partners with talent acquisition, practice group, and/or local office partners for lateral recruiting efforts and initiatives and onboarding of new associates.
• Strategic Partnership
  • Collaborates with OMP and marketing and business development on office marketing budget and client-facing and business development opportunities, which may include managing contracts for strategic utilization of sports tickets to maximize ROI.
  • Partners with various departments on office events and initiatives to maximize engagement and build/maintain a positive office culture.
  • Helps improve the firm's brand recognition in the community through civic involvement and local networking and collaborating with the firm’s Alumni team.
  • Partners with the firm's Real Estate leadership team and Operations on space planning to include refurbishing projects, moves, subleasing, space layout, plan review, construction RFPs and construction management and external use of office space.
  • Participates in firmwide initiatives with department leadership and senior management.
  • The OA will serve as a key partner to the Director of Administration, contributing to one or more strategic functional areas within the department, which may include:
    • Attorney & Business Professional Relationship Management.
    • Process Improvement & Technology (AI).
    • Communications & Leadership Liaison.
    • Talent Management: Recruiting, Training & Development.
    • Manages complex workflows and broader impact.
• Financial Responsibility
  • In alignment with firm initiatives, supports and drives efforts around billing and collections to optimize cash conversion and meet office goals.
  • Works collaboratively with Practice Group Directors to partner with lawyers to ensure the implementation of best practices in fiscal management.
  • Prepares, analyzes, and maintains accurate office administration and related office budgets for all areas of responsibility.

Desired Skills

Demonstrated ability to assume a leadership role and make decisions while fostering a teamwork environment. Ability to adapt to changing priorities and maintain a productive and committed work effort, meeting deadlines and managing workload. Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and professionally, both orally and in writing. Demonstrated ability to provide quality client service to both internal and external contacts regarding administrative matters of a complex nature. Requires patience, creativity, discretion, and the ability to negotiate and influence change. Demonstrated ability to effectively supervise others, including hiring, training, assigning work, managing performance, and counseling. Ability to lead others in the development of a cohesive, effective work unit. Basic understanding of local and national labor laws, HR practices, and legal requirements. Possess knowledge of basic accounting and budgeting principles and the ability to track, organize, analyze, and report financial data clearly. Elevated level of knowledge of MS Suite to prepare a variety of business communications.

Minimum Education

• High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or related field.

Minimum Years Of Experience

• 6 years’ management experience in a professional services or law firm environment, preferred. Experience with project management a plus. Knowledge of basic accounting principles to include budget management required.

Essential Job Expectations

All DLA Piper employees are expected to demonstrate excellence in how we serve our clients and develop our people, upholding our firm values as part of our culture. Specific expectations include:

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and external audiences.
• Produce high-quality work and respond to correspondence in an efficient, timely, and professional manner.
• Meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and commit to meeting high standards.
• Comply with firm policies and procedures.
• Maintain confidences as required in a law firm environment.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: This is primarily sedentary work, requiring occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects. The role involves sitting for extended periods, with occasional walking and standing, and occasional travel, both domestic and international.

Work Environment

The individual selected for this position may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement combining remote and in-office work. The specific arrangement will be determined at the time of hiring and may be modified at the firm's discretion.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm’s discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position or participate in the selection process. For accommodation requests, please contact [e-mail].

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position.

The firm’s expected hiring range for this position is $171,668 - $227,465 per year depending on the candidate’s geographic market location.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k).

Applicants who are not based in the jurisdiction in which this position is posted and who apply for this role are doing so voluntarily and are not eligible for relocation assistance. Any relocation benefits, if any, are provided only where a relocation is required at the firm’s direction and in accordance with applicable policy and law.

DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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