Operations and Project Assistant

Fenwick & West; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Life Insurance

Health Savings Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts

Wellbeing programs

Discretionary bonus based on performance

Job summary

Fenwick & West is seeking a proactive Operations and Project Assistant to support the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer in Palo Alto, California. This pivotal role involves managing priorities and building efficient workflows across various departments. The ideal candidate will have 3–5 years of administrative experience, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative mindset.

The position offers a hybrid work arrangement and competitive salary, making it an ideal opportunity for someone looking to advance in operations management within a leading technology law firm.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in an administrative, operations, or executive support role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders or managing complex workflows.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with project management or recruiting platforms is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage the CCO’s calendar and meeting logistics with precision.
• Prepare briefing materials, agendas, and follow-up summaries for meetings.
• Track action items and deliverables across the CCO’s portfolio.
• Draft correspondence and communications on behalf of the CCO.
• Serve as a liaison between the CCO and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain organized systems for documentation and information flow.
• Assist in developing presentations and slide decks.
• Support coordination of firm-wide compliance initiatives.

Skills

Proactive nature

Attention to detail

Strong verbal communication

Written communication skills

Relationship building

Intellectual curiosity

Calm under pressure

Trustworthiness

Collaborative mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Description Summary

Fenwick & West is seeking a proactive Operations and Project Assistant to act as a right hand to the firm's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The CCO leads three interconnected functions – Risk, Information Governance, and Partner Recruiting – each operating at a high pace with significant strategic and operational complexity. This is not a traditional administrative role. We are looking for someone who anticipates needs before they’re voiced, brings intellectual curiosity to every challenge, and thrives in an environment where no two days look the same. You will be embedded at the center of the CCO’s world: managing priorities, enabling workflows, and building the connective tissue that allows three departments to run smoothly and in sync. This role is an outstanding opportunity for an early‑career professional who wants to grow into an operations manager or senior business services function within a leading technology law firm. This position can be based in our Silicon Valley (CA) or San Francisco (CA) office locations and offers a hybrid work arrangement, allowing you to work both from home and at your designated Fenwick office. The frequency of in‑office work will be determined by business needs and guided by your department’s directives.

What You’ll Do

CCO Operational Support

• Manage the CCO’s calendar, scheduling, and meeting logistics with care and precision, anticipating conflicts and proactively resolving them


• Prepare briefing materials, agendas, presentations, and follow‑up summaries for internal and external meetings


• Track open action items, deadlines, and deliverables across the CCO’s portfolio; surface risks and status updates proactively


• Draft correspondence, memos, and communications on behalf of the CCO with an understanding of tone, audience, and context


• Serve as a liaison between the CCO and internal stakeholders across the firm, building credibility and trust at every touchpoint


• Maintain organized systems for documentation, files, and information flow across all three departments


• Assist in the development and drafting of presentations and slide decks on a wide range of topics, ensuring content is clear, well‑structured, and tailored to the intended audience


• Provide general administrative support on an as needed basis, including assisting with the coordination, tracking, and facilitation of firm‑wide compliance initiatives, such as required trainings and policy acknowledgments


• Use technology tools thoughtfully to produce higher‑quality work more efficiently, applying sound judgment about when and how to apply them

Partner Recruiting Support

Partner recruiting at Fenwick is a high‑stakes, relationship‑intensive process that requires discretion, precision, and strong organizational execution. You will play a meaningful role in supporting this pipeline end‑to‑end.

• Coordinate and track all aspects of partner candidate pipelines, including outreach scheduling, interview logistics, and follow‑up communications


• Maintain accurate candidate records, activity logs, and status tracking in the firm’s recruiting systems


• Support the preparation of candidate materials, meeting packets, and evaluation documentation


• Liaise with candidates, search firms, and firm leadership with professionalism and discretion


• Assist with scheduling lateral partner interviews across multiple offices and time zones


• Ensure a seamless candidate experience at every stage of the process

Risk & Information Governance Support

• Provide project coordination support for compliance, risk, and information governance initiatives, including tracking workstreams and milestones


• Assist with the preparation of reports, training materials, and communications for internal audiences


• Help coordinate firm‑wide compliance programs, policy rollouts, and training logistics


• Support research, data gathering, and analysis on risk‑related topics as needed


• Assist with vendor relationships, contract tracking, and committee meeting logistics

Who You Are

• Proactive by nature — you spot what needs to happen before being asked, and you make it happen


• Detail‑oriented with zero tolerance for your own errors; you double‑check everything


• A strong communicator — clear in writing, poised in conversation, and a genuinely active listener


• Relationship‑first — you invest in people, build trust quickly, and understand that relationships are the infrastructure of every institution


• Intellectually curious — you ask good questions, dig below the surface, and learn the business deeply


• Calm under pressure — you manage competing priorities without losing quality or composure


• Discreet and trustworthy — you understand the confidentiality requirements of a law firm environment and conduct yourself accordingly


• Collaborative — you default to partnership and are generous with your time and knowledge

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in an administrative, operations, or executive support role — ideally in a professional services, legal, or corporate environment


• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders or managing complex, multi‑stakeholder workflows


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to tailor messaging for different audiences


• High proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (CoPilot, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel); familiarity with project management or recruiting platforms a plus


• Track record of thriving in fast‑paced, high‑volume environments while maintaining quality


• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience


• Prior exposure to legal, compliance, risk, or recruiting functions is a plus but not required

Why Fenwick

Fenwick & West is a premier technology and life sciences law firm with a singular focus on the innovation economy. We work with companies and investors shaping the future — and we hold ourselves to the same standard of excellence we help our clients pursue. Our people are collaborative, intellectually engaged, and deeply committed to doing great work. This role offers meaningful exposure to firm leadership, a high‑visibility portfolio of work, and real opportunity to grow. If you are someone who wants to build skills, take on responsibility, and be trusted from day one, this is that job.

Benefits And Compensation Details

At Fenwick, we believe that our partners and employees are our most important asset. Helping you and your families achieve and maintain good health — physical, emotional, and financial — is the reason we offer a comprehensive benefit program. We provide benefits to eligible employees under plans such as Healthcare, Life Insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Wellbeing. Except as otherwise required by law, temporary employees are generally not entitled to these benefits. A discretionary bonus for eligible employees may also be available based on performance. Additional information about employee eligibility for benefits and discretionary bonus will be made available upon request.

The Anticipated Range For This Position Is

$84,000 - $120,000

Depending on the role, the actual base salary offered may depend upon a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.