Operations Assistant

Position summary

This role is responsible for providing high-level, confidential administrative and operational support to the global Chair of the Private Equity group (“PE Chair”) of the U.S. Corporate Department of Reed Smith. The role supports a high-volume, fast-paced, client-facing practice and requires polished executive communication, strong follow-through, sound judgment, and close collaboration with administrative, business development, project management, billing, and other support team members.

Job duties and responsibilities

• Heavy calendar management. Run PE Chair's calendar and schedule with meticulous attention to detail, including organizing high-volume internal and client meetings and related events, creating invitations with all pertinent details (Zoom links, locations, contact information, attendees, timing notes, and access instructions), liaising across time zones and multiple busy calendars, and maintaining disciplined meeting planning, scheduling, and related logistics.
• Liaise with internal and external clients, support services (e.g., IT, Travel, Office Services, Business Center resources), shared administrative specialists, and external vendors on behalf of the PE Chair as it pertains to scheduling, meetings, events, travel, and related logistics.
• Proactively manage the schedule and calendar of the PE Chair with a forward-thinking approach. Exercise judgment as to priorities, use discretion and diplomacy to manage requests for the PE Chair's time, flag conflicts or risks early, confirm direction and completion, and help increase the PE Chair's effectiveness through judicious calendar management and status reports.
• Organize the PE Chair's activities to ensure high levels of productivity and effectiveness. In doing so, strategically consider the PE Chair's objectives as well as a broad range of internal and external factors, and communicate and collaborate with the PE Chair's other team members. Maintain visibility into open workstreams, manage constantly shifting priorities and competing interests for the PE Chair's time, and adjust decisions and actions accordingly.
• Run point on PE Chair's domestic and international travel arrangements, coordinating with the Firm's Travel Department while overseeing travel planning, logistics, and details, including PE Chair's preferences, business development campaigns, client meetings, conferences, hotels, car service, itineraries, and related follow-up. Coordinate logistics with international clients, internal stakeholders, service providers, and support teams across multiple time zones.
• Track and close the loop on all follow-up requests (meetings, materials, deliverables, confirmations, decisions, and open questions) following travel, meetings, and campaign activity.
• Approach all client and executive interactions, either in writing, by telephone, by video, or in person, with the utmost professionalism, polish, responsiveness, and sound judgment, as a representative of the PE Chair and the Firm.
• Contribute as an active team member to the PE Chair's support team, working particularly closely with the Senior Manager, Projects & Practice Operations and collaborating with business development, project management, billing, administrative, and other support team members.
• Prepare and/or disseminate schedules, notifications, agendas, minutes, and meeting materials. Post information as needed to intranet sites used by the PE Chair's team; carry forward action items as needed and provide timely confirmations, next steps, and reminders to appropriate stakeholders.
• Process New Business Intake forms promptly, ensuring timely follow-up, assignment, and communication of matter numbers. Maintain an ongoing status list of NBIs and new matters opened.
• Provide daily action item reports and administrative status updates. Contribute administrative-related items to the weekly report, highlighting the following week's priorities for PE Chair. Must maintain a high level of attention to PE Chair's workstreams, calendar, open requests, and priorities.
• Work independently and as a highly effective member of the PE Chair's team. Build and maintain effective working relationships with personnel at all levels. Effectively manage communications with high-level internal and external constituents, including executive-level stakeholders, clients, partners, administrative specialists, vendors, and support teams.
• Contribute to the success of PE Chair's financial, client growth, and relationship-management goals.
• Independently prioritize, research, and follow up on multiple high-volume incoming issues and concerns addressed to the PE Chair, including those of a sensitive and/or confidential nature; recommend an appropriate course of action, referral, response, or escalation, and drive items through completion.
• Maintain the PE Chair's Outlook contacts list and related contact-management records, promptly adding new contacts upon introduction to the PE Chair, updating contacts when they change firms, adding contacts from business cards upon the PE Chair's return from travel, and coordinating with business development team members to support data integrity and campaign readiness.
• Manage annual holiday card, client gift, and related relationship-management distributions, ensuring accurate and up-to-date recipient contact information is maintained throughout the year.
• Ensure prompt processing and tracking of all expenses utilizing the ChromeRiver system, including timely follow-up on receipts, approvals, open items, and any potential backlog.
• Process PE Chair's timesheets daily, drafting entries and following up as appropriate, including using available source materials and Firm-approved tools to support timely and accurate time entry.
• Provide extended-hours support as needed during high-volume periods, campaigns, travel, client events, and other time-sensitive business needs.
• Maintain and update administrative guidelines, checklists, templates, tracker processes, coverage notes, and documented PE Chair preferences to support continuity and consistency across the administrative function.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job duties and responsibilities included are not exhaustive and may be supplemented as Reed Smith reserves the right to revise or modify job duties and responsibilities at any time. 

Requirements

Education: Two years of college or equivalent experience.

Experience:Five years' experience in a high-level administrative support or management position, preferably supporting a senior executive, partner, chair, or C-suite leader in a high-volume law firm or other professional services environment. Experience coordinating across administrative teams or shared service resources preferred.

Skills:

• Expert organizational skills; top-notch time management skills; polished executive communication style; strong client-service orientation; sound judgment; problem-solving orientation; ownership of the role and the responsibilities; accountability for follow-through and closing the loop; meticulous attention to detail; ability to prioritize high-volume requests, coordinate across stakeholders, and remain calm and poised in times of high stress.
• Additionally: Mastery of Microsoft Office suite, including ability to create PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, trackers, and status reports. Advanced Outlook skills including the calendaring and task functions. Facility with Zoom and MS Teams. Ability to learn and use Firm-approved workflow, collaboration, and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, quality control, and status tracking.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters professionally and with discretion.
• Ability to resolve issues quickly, effectively, and diplomatically, communicate recommendations clearly, and escalate or redirect requests appropriately. 
• Good decision maker, strategic thinker, and proven ability to manage time, people, and resources in order to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, manage projects, coordinate with shared administrative specialists, delegate and track workstreams when appropriate, and handle multiple competing priorities. Flexibility and ability to adapt to constantly changing priorities. 
• Project management skills/training, a plus.
  

Additional information

Supervisory responsibilities: None; however, the role is expected to coordinate workflows, handoffs, and coverage with shared administrative specialists, vendors, and other support resources.

Equipment used: Personal computer and other office equipment such as telephone, calculator, copier, scanner, etc.

Essential job functions

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and perform tasks requiring prolonged and/or extensive computer use.
• Ability to use computers, telecommunications, and digital collaboration tools to perform core job responsibilities.
• Ability to communicate effectively, professionally, and with appropriate executive presence.
• Ability to maintain meticulous attention to detail while analyzing complex information, managing multiple priorities, and applying sound judgment to decisions.
• Ability to work extended hours as required to meet project, client, or business needs.

Working conditions

Though hybrid, this role is primarily remote-flexible, with occasional in-office attendance required based on business, team, client, or practice needs. The candidate should be NY-proximate and available to work from the office as needed. The role may occasionally require hours in excess of the normal daily schedule.

Pay ranges

This is a non-exempt position. The hourly wage range for this role is $68.68 to $82.42 per hour, with an estimated annual compensation range of $125,000 to $150,000, based on a 35-hour workweek. This represents the presently anticipated pay range for this position. Actual pay may vary based on various factors, including but not limited to location and experience.

Employee benefits overview

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Medical Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Virtual Health Services
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Coverage
• Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Lyra Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Family Leave (for eligible Exempt and Non-Exempt staff)
• Transportation Benefit
• Back-up Child Care Services
• College Coach Program
• Pet Insurance
• Paid Sick Time (for Exempt staff)
• Paid Time Off (available to all full-time, non-temporary employees)

Reed Smith offers a challenging work environment, business casual dress code and a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, flexible benefits program, tuition assistance, and generous 401(k) plan.

Reed Smith is an Equal Opportunity Employer with Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork & Respect, Innovation, and Impact. Reed Smith also provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with law, including in the application and interview process.

Qualified candidates only. No search firms.