Operations and Project Assistant

About the role

Fenwick & West is seeking a proactive Operations and Project Assistant to support the firm's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO).

The CCO leads three interconnected functions — Risk, Information Governance, and Partner Recruiting — each operating at a high pace with significant strategic and operational complexity.

Responsibilities

• Manage the CCO's calendar, scheduling, and meeting logistics with care and precision, anticipating conflicts and proactively resolving them
• Prepare briefing materials, agendas, presentations, and follow-up summaries for internal and external meetings
• Track open action items, deadlines, and deliverables across the CCO's portfolio; surface risks and status updates proactively
• Draft correspondence, memos, and communications on behalf of the CCO with an understanding of tone, audience, and context
• Serve as a liaison between the CCO and internal stakeholders across the firm, building credibility and trust at every touchpoint
• Maintain organized systems for documentation, files, and information flow across all three departments
• Aid in the development and drafting of presentations and slide decks on a wide range of topics, ensuring content is clear, well-structured, and tailored to the intended audience
• Provide general administrative support on an as needed basis, including assisting with the coordination, tracking, and facilitation of firmwide compliance initiatives, such as required trainings and policy acknowledgments
• Use Technology tools thoughtfully to produce higher-quality work more efficiently, applying sound judgment about when and how to apply them
• Partner Recruiting Support
• Candidate pipelines, including outreach scheduling, interview logistics, and follow-up communications
• Maintain accurate candidate records, activity logs, and status tracking in the firm's recruiting systems
• Support the preparation of candidate materials, meeting packets, and evaluation documentation
• Liaise with candidates, search firms, and firm leadership with professionalism and discretion
• Affirmative action and equal employment opportunity statements are included in this job description. Fenwick & West is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• Risk & Information Governance Support
• Project coordination support for compliance, risk, and information governance initiatives, including tracking workstreams and milestones
• Aid in the preparation of reports, training materials, and communications for internal audiences
• Support the firm's compliance programs, policy rollouts, and training logistics
• Assist with research, data gathering, and analysis on risk-related topics as needed
• Affirmative action and equal employment opportunity statements are included in this job description. Fenwick & West is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in an administrative, operations, or executive support role — ideally in a professional services, legal, or corporate environment
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders or managing complex, multi-stakeholder workflows
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to tailor messaging for different audiences
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (CoPilot, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel); familiarity with project management or recruiting platforms a plus
• Track record of thriving in fast-paced, high-volume environments while maintaining quality
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience
• Prior exposure to legal, compliance, risk, or recruiting functions is a plus but not required

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• Proactive by nature — you spot what needs to happen before being asked, and you make it happen
• Detail-oriented with zero tolerance for your own errors; you double-check everything
• A strong communicator — clear in writing, poised in conversation, and a genuinely active listener
• Relationship-first — you invest in people, build trust quickly, and understand that relationships are the infrastructure of every institution
• Intellectually curious — you ask good questions, dig below the surface, and learn the business deeply
• Calm under pressure — you manage competing priorities without losing quality or composure
• Discreet and trustworthy — you understand the confidentiality requirements of a law firm environment and conduct yourself accordingly
• Collaborative — you default to partnership and are generous with your time and knowledge

Benefits And Compensation Details

At Fenwick, we believe that our partners and employees are our most important asset. Helping you and your families achieve and maintain good health - physical, emotional, and financial - is the reason we offer a comprehensive benefit program. We provide benefits to eligible employees under plans such as Healthcare, Life Insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Wellbeing. Except as otherwise required by law, temporary employees are generally not entitled to these benefits. The Anticipated Range For This Position Is $84,000 - $120,000 Depending on the role, the actual base salary offered may depend upon a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. A discretionary bonus for eligible employees may also be available based on performance. Additional information about employee eligibility for benefits and discretionary bonus will be made available upon request.