Executive Assistant

Clifford Chance•New York, NY

19d•Hybrid

About The Position

Clifford Chance is seeking a full-time Executive Assistant in the New York office. The Executive Assistant (EA) will provide strategic, proactive, and highly trusted support to a Global Practice Head(s)/Senior Partners, enabling senior leadership to operate with maximum effectiveness. This role goes beyond traditional administrative support and functions as a business partner, responsible for anticipating needs, driving follow‑through, and ensuring disciplined execution across leadership, client, and business development activities. The EA plays a critical role in enhancing global leadership impact and strengthening client service by acting as an extension of the Global Practice Head(s) and/or Senior Partner. This position will report to the Regional Secretarial Manager.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree preferred
10+ years of Executive Assistant experience in a law firm or professional services environment
Demonstrated ability to support senior leaders operating at scale
Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills
Strong commercial awareness and understanding of business and sales operations
Experience with budgeting, financial oversight, and general accounting procedures
Exceptional organizational, prioritization, and judgment skills
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft products and AI tools
High degree of discretion, professionalism, and emotional intelligence
Compliance with the firm's policy requiring office presence at least three days per week
Must be independently and legally authorized to work in the United States

Responsibilities

Proactively and expertly manage principal's workload to enable them to meet client and global managerial expectations
Serve as a trusted partner to the Global Practice Head(s), proactively managing priorities, workflows, and follow‑through
Anticipate issues and surface risks or conflicts early, proposing solutions where appropriate
Flagging key correspondence or messages which require response and/or follow-up
Act as a gatekeeper for time, inbox and commitments to ensure leadership focuses on high-value activities
Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
Act as a key point of coordination between the Global Practice Head(s) and internal stakeholders across regions
Support consistent, high‑quality client engagement through preparedness, responsiveness, and follow‑through
Represent the Practice Head(s) professionally with internal and external stakeholders when directed
Monitor key deadlines, governance requirements, and sensitive communications
Meet with the principals at their preferred cadence to review upcoming meetings, engagements or points of decision from a range of stakeholders
Ensure timely progression from work performed to billing and collection, supporting improved AR velocity and reduced time to collect
Reduce execution risk by ensuring nothing “falls through the cracks” across global and cross‑regional activity
Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in all interactions
Support business development activity by coordinating client meetings, events, and follow‑ups
Track opportunities, action items, and commitments to ensure momentum and conversion
Engage with clients and client contacts directly to facilitate meetings or delivery of services
Liaise with Business Development, Finance, and Practice Management to support pricing, pitches, billing readiness, and client communications
Contribute to increased matter openings, new client intake, and healthy pipeline (WIP) growth through disciplined execution