Administrative Assistant

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us.  Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant to join the Charleston office.  The administrative assistant is responsible for providing administrative and clerical support for a variety of individuals or departments.  Based on office/department specific needs, this may include typing correspondence, reports, or other documents; maintaining files; distributing mail; proofreading; copying; faxing; distribution; maintaining calendars; scheduling meetings; making travel arrangements; completing reception/switchboard activities; maintaining conference or other facilities; maintaining records, etc.  Also performs various projects and duties to assure continuity of office support for the location.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• The daily make up of tasks changes depending on departmental needs
Using various software types, edits, proofreads, copies, and distributes various documents and maintains various internal databases
• Maintains calendars
• Schedules and coordinates meetings, including room requirements, refreshments, catering, audio visual coordination, invitee lists, etc.
• Answers telephones, directs appropriately, and greets visitors
• Distributes and screens correspondence
• Makes travel arrangements and submits expense reimbursement reports
• May assist or provide back up support for reception/switchboard, office services, conference center, records, or library
• Provides assistance for a variety of location meetings and initiatives, including partner meetings, employee meetings, charitable events, firm gathering, educational meetings, client meetings, business development initiatives, etc.
• Supports the firm on various functions, including timekeeping requirements, ordering/inventory of supplies, resolving billing issues, and completing check requests
• This position may serve as a confidential secretary for an administrative department
• Performs all other duties as required and assigned

ADDITIONAL DUTIES
• May be required to enter, edit, and track daily time in Elite according to deadline
• Responsible for any other duty that would ensure efficient support to the lawyers and clients of the firm
• Provides assistance on projects that may involve the operation of the office
• Ability to proofread typed material for grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and complete numerous tasks by deadline dates
• Excellent interpersonal skills required to work with a variety of personalities (both internal and external) to achieve successful collective outcomes
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all contacts
• Ability to function effectively in confidential situations, think clearly, maintain complete confidentiality, and utilize prudent judgement and tact
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions
• Must possess a flexible approach to the work environment and be fully reliable both during and outside normal business hours to ensure functions of position are met

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS REQUIRED
• High School diploma or General Education Degree (GED), Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Administrative experience working in professional services or related office preferred
• Requires Internet and personal computer proficiency with intermediate Microsoft Office 2010 and Outlook skills
• Accurate typing of no less than 50 wpm

ADDITIONAL ABILITIES REQUIRED
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to communicate requests and instructions effectively to employees and clients
• Frequently work in a fast paced environment with unscheduled interruptions
• Responsibilities may require adjusted work schedules, overtime and evening/weekend hours in order to meet firm needs
• Mobility within the office, including movement from floor to floor
• Carries out responsibilities in an honest, ethical, and professional manner
• This job operates in an office setting and is largely sedentary, requiring the routine use of a computer and other standard office equipment.  The ability to open file cabinets, lift files, bend, and stand on a stool may also be required.

Compensation Salary is $52,000 - $78,000

The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.

ABOUT THE FIRM

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world.  We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world. 

The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.

Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

BENEFITS

K&L Gates offers our personnel a comprehensive suite of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time personnel include:

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other category protected by law (including the categories listed above). The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR@klgates.com.