Lall & Sethi (an IP boutique law firm) is looking for a Chief Operating Officer.

About the Position

As the senior-most non-legal member on the team, the COO will be THE key point of leadership to all staff members and work closely with the owner of an early-stage, but rapidly-growing, a law firm on strategy, systems development, and HR issues. The COO will be involved in all phases of administration, personnel, finances, facilities, technology, and security and will be responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the day-to-day operations of the Firm.

An ideal candidate will have at least ten years of experience in a COO-level role and will have experience helping mid-level enterprises navigate the complexities of rapid growth. Below are the typical job responsibilities in greater detail for this position.

Key Success Factors

The COO must establish and maintain productive, cooperative, and mutually respectful relationships with the partners and be perceived as a credible and trustworthy colleague whose judgment is respected.

The COO must understand and be comfortable in a professional services environment. Experience and skill in managing all levels of human resources are of key importance. He or she will value and respect the contributions made by all employees and will encourage personal and professional development at all levels of the Firm.

The COO must be a forward-looking professional who can think strategically to ensure the Firm has the resources and business discipline necessary to grow and prosper. They must be comfortable in implementing and executing decisions of the Partners and formulating and suggesting strategic and tactical issues.

Responsibilities  

General Management

• In cooperation with the Partners, develops strategies to manage and support the growth and success of the Firm.
• Ensures the Partners have all the necessary information to make effective decisions in a timely fashion.
• Develops and maintains all operating and administrative procedures and policies of the Firm.
• Coordinates (and attends if necessary) all meetings involving the full Partnership, lawyers, and various Firm committees, including agenda preparation, minutes, and follow-up.
• Administers the Firm’s various professional liability insurances etc.,
• Oversees all office administration, including records management, space utilization, facilities, maintenance, office services, insurance, purchasing, mail and messenger services, and special projects.
• Supports all the Firm’s marketing and business development activities, including website, advertising, events, newsletters, and communication.
• Manage the digital assets of the Firm
• Filing and Docket Management through Firms proprietary SAAS Tool ClickIPR and work towards continuous improvement of the same

Technology

• Oversees all technology including hardware, software, telecommunications, and other tools that provide the necessary information and technical support to meet the Firm’s business needs.
• Ensures that new and emerging technologies are assessed to determine their potential value to the Firm.
• Supervise staff training (including lawyers) on using the Firm’s technology and its applications most productively.

Financial Management

• Plan and implement the Firm’s annual marketing and operations budgets.
• Collaborate with Partners and CFO to improve financial controls and analyze key financial reports to identify inefficiencies in the Firm and spot opportunities for improvement to the Firm’s bottom-line.
• Coordinate with CFO and supervise the bookkeeper on general ledger and trust accounting.
• Manage the Firm’s billing functions (e.g., monitoring work in process, creating systems to ensure that completed work gets billed timely, etc.).
• Working with Accounts & Billing teams to help streamline the accounting practices and the billing issues raised by partners/ attorneys in the ordinary course.
• Provide strategic interface between Finance, Admin & HR on various overlapping policies

Human Resources

• Manages all staff recruitment and hiring activities including interviewing, selection, onboarding, and training.
• Coordinates all staff performance reviews and salary reviews.
• Coordinate staff vacation schedules, supervise the payroll function and administer the Firm’s benefit plans.
• Evaluate all non-legal staff around defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and make recommendations to Partners regarding their work assignments, salaries, bonuses and discipline.
• Manages the employee health and benefits plan.
• Participates and supports the Personnel Committee.
• Ensures the human resource policy manual is developed, maintained, and followed

Systems & Operational Process Refinement

• Create, implement and maintain the Firm’s policies & procedures.
• Train staff on all policies and procedures, linking compliance with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a job performance review process.
• Create an internal audit system to trigger red flags when policies and procedures are not followed to catch any errors before the client or anyone else does.
• Define and implement productivity metrics whereby we can more accurately measure and improve Firm efficiency.
• Refine and maintain the Firm’s technology infrastructure to minimize waste and maximize internal efficiencies within the Firm.

Facilities Management

• Liaison with IT, professional service, and other vendors to facilitate the smooth operation of the back-end operations of the Firm.
• Approve the purchasing of office equipment and supplies.
• Ensure emergency protocols are in place, with staff trained on the same when needed.

Marketing Management & Public Relations

• Collaborate with the partners on the Firm’s overall Business Plan and Marketing Plan and help strategize opportunities to improve the sales and marketing departments of the Firm to help grow the Firm’s top-line revenue.
• Coordinate and handle the arrangements for the Firm’s events and assist the Partners with marketing activities.
• Manage the Firm’s relationships with current clients, former clients, and outside referral sources.
• Manage Social Media presence of the Firm and managing its various digital handles including Facebook & LinkedIn etc.,
• Keep the Firm’s websites updated
• Manage Publications, Awards & Advertisements for the Firm

About the Person

At a minimum, the COO must have previous knowledge of legal or other professional service organizations and have significant experience managing business operations such as human resources, technology, facilities, finance, and marketing. Experience in operational process refinement, budgeting, and HR is of the highest importance.

It is anticipated that the successful candidate will possess the following personal characteristics and capabilities:

• Strong administrative, management, and leadership abilities.
• Ability to work with limited direction and provide direction and guidance to other staff.
• Capable of handling multiple priorities.
• Must be able to analyze issues, anticipate consequences, make decisions, and initiate action.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively, both orally and in writing, to all levels of the Firm.
• Able to build consensus and work collaboratively.
• Capable of dealing with difficult situations and people.
• Ability to encourage and motivate employees while maintaining consistent office practices and procedures.
• Must be highly organized and self-directed in approach to work.
• Must be able to manage administrative support staff to accomplish their objectives and goals.

Skills & Ability

• Analytic Thinking: Ability to structure and process qualitative or quantitative data and draw insightful conclusions from it.
• Organization and Planning: Ability to plan, organize, schedule, and budget efficiently and productively keeps the big picture in clear view.
• Leadership: Can confidently manage support staff and delegate as necessary, maintaining good interpersonal relations and communications with lawyers and support staff, and helping to safeguard and cultivate the Firm’s corporate culture.

The successful candidate should have significant experience in a financial or general administrative role in a professional services firm and be comfortable working in a law firm environment. An MBA and professional certifications like PMP, six sigma, etc., are preferred for this position.

Please send an email with your resume and a cover letter specifying why you are the right fit for this role to  [email protected] .

Original Post: https://www.indiaip.com/opportunities