Chief Operating Officer

Chaffin Luhana LLP•Pittsburgh, PA

2d•$200,000 - $250,000•Onsite

About The Position

Chaffin Luhana is seeking a full-time Chief Operating Officer to serve as the firm’s senior-most business leader and EOS Integrator, reporting directly to the two founding partners. The COO will run the business across marketing, intake, client experience, finance, people, and technology, translating the partners’ vision into priorities and execution while providing recommendations on firm operations, investment, and strategy. The role has authority, within an agreed operating plan and approved budget, to allocate resources, make hiring and firing decisions, change leadership, and direct marketing execution. Attorneys retain responsibility for legal judgment and litigation strategy. The COO will complete the firm’s reporting and analytics buildout, establish a dependable scorecard and monthly business review, and connect acquisition, intake, case inventory, staffing, and financial data to decision-making. The role will oversee acquisition economics, budgets, forecasting, cash visibility, client-experience improvements, and technology and AI pilots. It will lead department heads, develop managers, and ensure commitments and operating plans are carried through. The position is in person in Pittsburgh, Stamford, or New York City, with regular travel among offices and attendance at quarterly and annual planning sessions, as well as mastermind groups in the field. The anticipated base salary is $200,000–$250,000, plus an annual performance bonus tied to agreed operating and firm results. Benefits include health insurance with dental and vision options, generous PTO and holidays, a 401(k) with discretionary firm match, executive coaching, an annual charitable donation through the Chaffin Luhana Foundation, and relocation assistance for the right candidate.

Requirements

Proven experience successfully running a business or substantial division, with responsibility for financial performance, department leaders, staffing, and execution across multiple functions.
Ability to explain decisions personally owned and the results delivered.
Evidence of personally building or materially improving an operating capability and measuring its results.
Commercial and financial fluency, including experience with acquisition and conversion, budgets, forecasts, labor models, and variance analysis.
Understanding of the distinction between projected value and cash in the bank.
Direct and compassionate leadership, including addressing difficult conversations early, developing people, following through, constructively challenging founders, building trust, and executing agreed decisions.
Ready to lead at the COO level; a prior COO title is not required.
Ability to work in person in Pittsburgh, Stamford, or New York City and travel regularly among the offices.

Nice To Haves

Plaintiff personal injury or mass tort experience is strongly preferred.
Exceptional operators from other legal or consumer-service businesses may be considered if they can learn contingency-fee economics.
EOS Integrator experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Translate the partners’ vision into an annual plan and quarterly Rocks; recommend priorities, identify capacity constraints, and maintain focus.
Run leadership meetings that produce decisions, owners, and deadlines, and follow up to ensure work is completed and department leaders are accountable for results.
Complete the business reporting and analytics buildout with Finance and Technology, including consistent KPI definitions, reliable data, named owners, and useful dashboards.
Determine the expertise and resources needed for reporting and analytics, including whether to hire an analyst or use outside support, and drive the work to completion.
Analyze business performance, challenge assumptions, explain changes, and recommend action by connecting marketing, intake, case inventory, staffing, and financial information.
Own case acquisition economics across spend, lead quality, conversion, cost per qualified signed case, and expected case value by market, practice area, and channel.
Hold Marketing and Intake leaders accountable for case quality and signed-case targets; assess spending and strategy, monitor leading indicators, and make adjustments before shortfalls affect revenue.
Partner with Finance on the operating budget, compensation and staffing models, forecasting, and monthly variance reviews; resolve variances with responsible department leaders.
Maintain a rolling view of cash and case inventory that links expected fee timing to spending and hiring decisions, and make assumptions and uncertainty visible.
Implement the client journey vision by setting priorities, assigning owners, and measuring improvements from intake through resolution.
Work with legal leaders to remove operational barriers to case progress, settlement, and trial readiness.
Evaluate technology, AI, and process changes through focused pilots; measure service or team-effectiveness outcomes, protect confidential information, and embed successful changes into everyday work.
Lead department heads, address missed commitments, develop managers, and partner with People Services on hiring, onboarding, development, and performance management.
Create an environment that supports and challenges employees, combining compassion and candor with high expectations.
Bring significant issues to the partners promptly, with recommendations whenever possible, and keep them informed about performance and significant decisions.
Attend quarterly and annual planning sessions and mastermind groups, and travel regularly among the firm’s offices.