Senior Director of Administration

Department:
Administration
Job Number: 100579
Offices:
Washington, D.C.;
Boston;
Chicago;
New York;
Los Angeles
With eleven offices across the United States, 450+ attorney and consulting professionals and 350+ business and administrative professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the firm to provide a unique and compelling value proposition.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP is seeking a highly qualified Senior Director of Administration. Reporting to the Firm’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and serving as a key member of the Firm’s Business Professional Leadership Team, this role is responsible for leading the Firm’s real estate portfolio and firmwide administrative operations.

The Senior Director of Administration will provide strategic oversight of all office locations, including real estate, facilities, space planning, and office administration, while directly managing and developing the Firm’s Directors of Administration across all offices, who supervise the Firm’s administrative professionals, including secretarial and administrative assistants. This leader will drive operational excellence, consistency, and alignment with the Firm’s overall strategy, ensuring a high-performing, service-oriented administrative function across the enterprise.

• Provide leadership, direction and support to Directors of Administration across all office locations, ensuring consistency in operations, service delivery, and alignment with Firm standards.
• Partner with the CFO and Firm leadership to develop and implement consistent, efficient and right-sized administrative strategies, policies and best practices.
• Foster a unified, high-performing administrative culture aligned with the Firm’s “One Manatt” approach.
• Evaluate and optimize administrative structures, workflows and service models to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

• In partnership with the Firm’s CFO and external brokers, oversee assist with oversight of the Firm’s national real estate portfolio, including lease negotiations, renewals, and long-term occupancy strategy.
• Lead Oversee all aspects of facilities management, including space planning, office utilization, renovations, maintenance, and capital projects.
• Partner with external brokers, landlords, architects and vendors to execute real estate transactions and office buildouts.
• Ensure all offices meet the Firm’s operational, security, and client-service standards.

• Oversee procurement related to facilities and administrative operations, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with Firm needs.
• Manage key vendor and contractor relationships across all offices.
• Develop and monitor budgets related to real estate and administration, ensuring fiscal discipline and transparency.

• Lead and execute firmwide projects related to office openings, closures, relocations, and redesigns.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement solutions to enhance operational performance across offices.
• Manage complex, multi-office initiatives, ensuring timelines, budgets and deliverables are met.

• Serve as a primary liaison between Firm leadership, administrative teams and business professionals to ensure alignment and communication.
• Provide regular reporting and insights to the CFO and leadership on real estate strategy, administrative performance and key initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in administration, real estate and/or facilities management within a legal, consulting or professional services environment.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing multi-location office operations and leading distributed, large…