About Powell Litigation
Powell Litigation is a civil litigation firm serving clients across the Greater Toronto Area in complex, high stakes disputes, typically involving $250,000 or more at risk. We are courtroom tested trial lawyers focused on serious civil cases, not general practice. The firm has 20 team members and is growing.
We are looking for a Director of Operations who will run the internal machine so the managing lawyer can focus on business development and high value cases.
Role Summary
Your mission is simple:
Run the firm’s operating rhythm and reporting so that lawyers are fully utilized, intake is tight, and the owner only touches operations through a small number of structured meetings each week.
You are the point person for making sure the right meetings happen, the right numbers are tracked, and the right problems get surfaced early.
Key Responsibilities
Run the management cadence
- Lead and complete weekly one on one meetings with lawyers and key staff.
- Arrange and coordinate a different lunch and learn presenter each week (internal or external).
- Be the first point of contact for routine accounting and status questions from the team (e.g., confirming whether payments have landed) by ensuring information is organized and visible.
Own intake execution and pipeline visibility
- Oversee the intake system to ensure daily follow ups are completed and retainers are sent on the same day to clients who decide to proceed.
- Monitor lead handling quality and escalate breakdowns early.
Own firm reporting and finance coordination
Produce a weekly run chart that clearly shows:
- Number of new leads
- Number of new consultations
- Number of new retainers
- Utilization rate for each lawyer
- Caseload for each lawyer
- List of major upcoming litigation events with projected cost and currently available funds in trust.
Coordinate preparation of the monthly profit and loss statement with external bookkeeper and ensure it is delivered on time.
What Success Looks Like
Within your first 3 to 6 months:
- Weekly one on ones and lunch and learns happen consistently and on schedule.
- Intake follow up and same day retainer standards are being met and tracked.
- The weekly run chart is delivered on time, accurate, and used in decision making.
- The monthly P&L is consistently prepared and reviewed on a clear timeline.
- The owner spends the vast majority of their time on business development and key cases, not day to day operations.
Qualifications
- 5+ years in operations or firm management, ideally in a law firm or professional services environment.
- Demonstrated experience running recurring management meetings and enforcing operational rhythms.
- Strong analytical and reporting skills; comfortable building and maintaining simple dashboards and reports.
- Familiarity with basic accounting concepts and working with P&L statements.
- Excellent communication and people skills; able to hold others accountable in a professional, respectful way.
- Highly organized, detail oriented, and comfortable working in a fast moving, litigation focused environment.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining:
- An example of a management or reporting cadence you have previously implemented or owned.
- A specific situation where your operational leadership freed up a business owner or managing partner to focus on growth.
We will review applications on a rolling basis and contact selected candidates for interviews.
Pay: $105,000.00-$130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Vision care
Application question(s):
- How many years have you been the primary operations leader (not just support) for a professional services firm with 10+ staff?
- This role is in-office in Toronto, Monday to Friday. Are you able to work on-site?
- Describe a recurring management and reporting rhythm you've owned. Include size of team, what meetings you ran each week, what metrics you reviewed weekly and monthly, and one concrete improvement that came from that rhythm.
Work Location: In person
