Contract Administrative Assistant

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is seeking an administrative assistant through the firm's alternative-track contract attorney and staffing program, DWTSurge. The selected administrative assistant will support the DWTSurge Operations Team with daily program operations and recruiting needs. This position is ideally suited for a junior-level professional who is interested in law firm operations, legal recruiting, and innovation in the delivery of legal services. This role is an opportunity to be involved with a dynamic and lean team that works across the firm's practice groups and supports the firm's work with global, industry-leading clients. The selected candidate will be part of a tight-knit team and will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a supportive and collaborative environment.

The DWTSurge Administrative Assistant will work closely with and support other members of the DWTSurge Operations Team and will report to the DWTSurge Program Director. Primary responsibilities include completing data entry and maintaining up-to-date program dashboards, internal trackers, and systems; analyzing data to provide operational metrics; supporting the employee life cycle of program participants; and facilitating communication between cross-functional teams about DWTSurge program participants. The DWTSurge Administrative Assistant will also support the recruiting efforts of the program by uploading and tracking candidate documents in a timely manner, reviewing applicant submissions, scheduling interviews, and tracking candidate progression. Close attention to detail, sound judgment, excellent communication skills, and strong organizational skills are required.

This contract position offers the flexibility of remote work and full-time hours; 37.5 hours per week is generally anticipated. The amount of work may vary from week to week and a minimum number of hours of work per week is not guaranteed. While the selected candidate will primarily work remotely, occasional on-site meeting and training needs in the firm's offices may be required. Candidates must be willing to accommodate a West Coast business schedule. Candidates located near Seattle, WA and who are able to work from DWT's Seattle office as needed are preferred. The initial engagement will be for a six-month term, but there is a strong potential for renewal for successful candidates, although any renewals are not guaranteed.

Responsibilities

• Update and monitor the DWTSurge Operations Team's requisition management system.
• Provide administrative support to the DWTSurge Program Operations Manager and Director as needed
• Monitor and maintain program dashboards, OneNote, and other platforms and data sets.
• Provide operational metrics using program data sets.
• Upload and maintain applicant submission data in the firm's recruiting database and applicant tracking systems.
• Perform initial applicant resume review for required skillsets and qualifications.
• Assist with candidate interview scheduling and collecting interview feedback.
• Provide administrative support to the DWTSurge Program recruiting team as needed.
• Conduct reference checks and assist with other candidate due diligence requirements.
• Assist with onboarding and offboarding processes of program participants.
• Assist with the new hire conflicts check process, conflicts communication, and the management of clearance records.
• Provide support in managing, reviewing, and updating employment contracts for program participants.
• Monitor contract renewal dates and terms, monitor attorney compliance requirements for renewal, track benefits eligibility and compensation adjustments, and coordinate with other departments as needed to facilitate adjustments to contract terms.
• Escalate Help Desk requests and support program participants with technology requirements, including escalations for approvals and coordinating between stakeholders.
• Support expense submission and resolution.
• Support billing rate discussions and facilitate billing rate adjustments.
• Monitor utilization, billing, and timekeeping practices for program attorneys and staff.
• Provide utilization metrics and other requested reports to supervising partners as needed on a weekly basis
• Draft correspondence to program participants and supervising partners.
• Serve as a resource to internal and external stakeholders for DWTSurge Program data. Assist with information gathering for various reporting initiatives as needed.
• Assist with additional projects as assigned by the DWTSurge Operations Team.

The ideal candidate will have:

• 2+ years of legal administrative support, recruiting support, or human resources experience preferred, preferably in a law firm or legal department.
• An interest in law firm operations, human resources, onboarding, and talent acquisition.
• Experience with applicant tracking systems (ATS or CRM) is preferred; experience with viRecruit or Jobvite is a plus.
• Knowledge of, or exposure to, time keeping systems and legal billing software is a plus.
• Experience collecting and reporting on data sets.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with all levels of a professional services organization.
• Prior experience working with a virtual and distributed team.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining strong internal relationships with cross-functional teams.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, high level of responsiveness, and the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work with confidential, sensitive information.
• Excellent computer skills with strong proficiency in MS Office products, including but not limited to Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook and utilizing OneDrive. Experience with sorting and manipulating data in Excel is particularly helpful.
• Ability to work independently, as well as in a team setting.

Please note that this is a temporary contract position managed by DWT's flexible attorney and professional staff program, DWTSurge. Compensation will be paid on an hourly basis, commensurate with experience and skill level (see below). This role is eligible for benefits. Due to the structure of the DWTSurge program, DWTSurge employees are not eligible for the firm's pro bono, DEI, and other activities or opportunities outside of the above stated scope of work. We are interested in candidates electing to pursue a more flexible way of providing continuous, high-value legal services to the firm and our clients. If you are interested in a more traditional law firm position, please check the DWT careers page for lateral and staff opportunities.

Salary Range
The hourly range for this position in CA, IL, MD, MN, NY, OR, WA, and WDC is $24 to $31 per hour. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law.

Additional benefits include:

• First Stop Health Telemedicine: Speak with a licensed physician or mental health counselor 24/7, covered by the firm
• TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program: Receive support with mental, financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing
• Voluntary Pet Insurance
• Milk Stork: Virtual lactation consulting, breast milk shipping and nutritional testing covered by the firm

Wellness Benefits:

• Peloton App
• Headspace App

WASHINGTON STATE
Paid sick leave is accrued on a biweekly basis at a rate of 1 hour per 30 hours worked.

To apply, send your resume and cover letter to DWTSurge Recruiter, Zo Melcher, at zoemelcher@dwt.com. We are currently not accepting third party submissions for this opportunity.

We are an AmLaw 100 law firm with eleven offices nationwide. We are relentlessly committed to client service and look for candidates who share that commitment. At DWT, client service means having empathy for each client's and each lawyer's work and personal pressures, business objectives, and legal needs; anticipating their needs; and having the capabilities and commitment to deliver what matters most to them.

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. It brings out the best of what each individual has to offer and inspires us to build strong and lasting connections with each other, our clients, and our communities.

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP fosters a culture where all talented individuals-including those who are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession-can have, and can see, paths to success. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion sits on four pillars: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement. Learn more about the firm's commitment to DEI here: www.dwt.com/dei.

In order to support our effort to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive law firm, we request that you voluntarily provide demographic data. All self-reported demographic information is stored securely in a manner that is compliant with DWT's privacy and security policies and is only accessible by authorized members of the Talent Acquisition and HR Departments; it is not shared with any of the hiring decision-makers.

It is our policy to hire, promote, transfer, terminate, and make all other employment-related decisions without regard to an employee's sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religious creed, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, medical condition, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable local, state, or federal laws. To review our Anti-Harassment Policy, click on this URL, https://www.dwt.com/-/media/files/policyagainstharassmentdiscrimination.pdf?la=en&hash=66A1B0095748A5E76B0B8A00773F5246.

As an equal opportunity employer, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP values the diversity of our work force and the knowledge of our personnel. Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) for specialty occupation petitions are displayed electronically in accordance with notice requirements pursuant to U.S. Department of Labor regulations, and public access files are available pursuant to regulation. See 20 CFR * 655.734, 655.760.

Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email HumanResources_Confidential@dwt.com.