Chief Operating Officer

The Chief Operating Officer ("COO") will provide firm-wide leadership and manage all firm functional areas and business operations as an extension of the Managing Partner. The COO will collegially partner with firm leadership on firm-wide strategy and complementary projects to lead the firm through its growth and expansion. Central to the COO's activities will be shaping the fast-growing firm's direction and functional support areas. Key anticipated projects include: supporting the firm's exponential growth in all geographies and practices areas, bolstering the firm's physical and technological infrastructures, improving communications, and augmenting benchmarking and service excellence in all functional areas.

The San Diego-based COO will collaborate with the firm's partners, lawyers, and senior executives while also overseeing daily operations in San Diego, New Mexico, and other strategic geographies. The approachable COO will directly supervise employees responsible for Human Resources, Information Technology, and Office Operations.

The COO will also:

• Collaborate with the firm's partners and executives to advance the firm's vision, mission, and values to guide current and future strategies and planning.
• Cultivate an environment of teamwork, communication, and internal client service that prioritizes collaboration, communication, and professional development.
• Understand the core practice areas of the firm and its competitive positioning to similar and larger firms to enhance firm's marketability, performance, and growth.
• Implement project management and technology to facilitate, administer, drive, and measure key firm initiatives and client service.
• Create practical policies and procedures for risk management, regulatory compliance, and general operations.
• Collaborate with the firm's Managing Partner and CFO on firm financial performance and planning including corrective or improvement opportunities.
• Stay abreast of legal and professional service firm trends to improve the firm and its support of clients.
• Suggest improvement opportunities, propose recommendations, and inspire progress with the firm's professional staff resources.

• A minimum of 10 to 15 years of well-rounded operational leadership in law firms, professional services firms, or similar entities.
• Broad and deep experience advancing firm programs, processes and performance in a fast-paced "sink or swim" environment without overly inefficient analysis.
• Ability to independently conceptualize objectives, plans, and action steps with minimal direction.
• Capable of leading organizational growth as an enthusiastic well-reasoned leader, but also flexible and adaptable to changes and feedback as a team member.
• Focus, organization, and calm composure to drive multiple competing firm projects and initiatives forward at the same time.
• Leadership experience shaping strategic and tactical plans from broad objectives and vision.
• Strong business, problem solving, financial management, decision-making, and analytical skills.
• Superior interpersonal skills and the ability to credibly lead through influence and consensus-building.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Experience leading successful teams, delegating, and teammate development toward greater responsibility and personal growth.
• Exhibit confidence from experience but resiliently understand that progress toward firm's vision is the goal and not commitment to own plans or ideas.
• Operate with a high level of professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, diplomacy, judgment, and discretion based on the firm's atmosphere and clients.
• Skilled at developing trust with firm stakeholders and professional staff.
• Willingness to travel to regional offices up to 25% of the time.
• An undergraduate degree in business administration or a related field is required; MBA or other advanced degrees preferred.