COO of a small law firm

The Firm

We are a founder-led law firm with a diverse, client-facing practice. The work is fast-paced, people-driven, and high-touch. Clients come to the firm during stressful, high-stakes moments, which makes strong internal leadership, clear expectations, and consistent execution critical.

As the firm grows, leadership is looking for a senior operator who understands the numbers as well as they understand people, someone who has run a business end to end and has the instincts to lead, build, and scale a high-performing professional services firm with intention.

The Role

This is a seat for someone who has held the keys before.

The Chief Operating Officer serves as the firm's senior business leader, partnering directly with the firm owner to run the internal business. You will own operations, people, performance, culture, and financial oversight. You are not a department head. You are the operator responsible for the firm functioning at a high level across every dimension, and you bring enough financial fluency to hold the business accountable to its numbers.

This is a FULLY ON-SITE ROLE for a hands-on leader who thrives in the day-to-day, is comfortable being the internal authority, and knows what it takes to build and sustain a high-performing team inside a professional services environment.

What You'll Own

Business Operations

• Run the day-to-day operations of the firm with full ownership and accountability
• Identify gaps across people, process, and systems and drive them to resolution
• Build and maintain the operational infrastructure that supports firm growth
• Ensure workflows, communication, and internal systems are consistent and scalable

Financial Oversight

• Partner with the firm owner on budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance
• Monitor cash flow, operational expenses, and revenue cycle performance
• Hold the business accountable to financial targets and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and margins
• Ensure financial controls and reporting are accurate, timely, and actionable

People, Talent, and Performance

• Lead and manage staff across legal support and operational roles
• Set clear expectations, KPIs, and performance standards across the firm
• Own recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding
• Write, maintain, and enforce clear job descriptions and role clarity
• Coach, develop, and hold team members accountable
• Address performance issues directly, fairly, and consistently

HR and Compliance

• Oversee payroll, benefits administration, and HR compliance
• Ensure policies, processes, and employment practices are clear and followed
• Serve as the go-to internal leader for all people-related issues and decisions

Leadership Partnership

• Act as a trusted second-in-command to the firm owner
• Take ownership of internal challenges and follow them through to resolution
• Represent the firm's standards internally across every function

Who This Role Is For

You are likely a fit if:

• You have served as a COO, General Manager, or equivalent senior operator with full business responsibility
• You are financially fluent and comfortable owning budgets, reading financials, and holding a business accountable to its numbers without needing a dedicated finance team to do it for you
• You have managed people, finances, and operations simultaneously, not in silos
• You are highly organized and hold yourself and others to a high standard
• You are comfortable being the internal authority and do not need someone else to make decisions for you
• You have direct experience in a law firm or professional services environment
• You prefer being on-site and visible rather than remote or purely strategic
• You believe strong businesses are built through clarity, accountability, and consistent follow-through

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a COO, General Manager, or equivalent senior operating role required
• Prior law firm or legal industry experience strongly preferred
• MBA or advanced degree highly preferred; CPA or financial certification a plus
• Demonstrated experience managing people, performance, and financial operations
• Experience overseeing HR systems and compliance
• SHRM certification preferred

Work Environment

• Fully on-site role
• High visibility, high trust, high responsibility
• Opportunity to truly own operations, culture, and firm performance as a genuine second-in-command