Director of Operations and Technology

WHO WE ARE

The Estate Lawyers is a growing estate planning and administration firm built on a simple belief: families deserve clear guidance and exceptional service during some of the most important moments of their lives. We take that seriously — in how we practice law, how we treat each other, and how we build our firm.

We operate on EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), which means we run on clear priorities, honest conversations, and measurable results. Our core values aren't wall décor — they show up in how we make decisions, how we hold each other accountable, and who we hire.

We're at an inflection point. The firm is growing — in clients, in people, and in locations — and we need the operational foundation to match. That's why this role exists.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

This is a builder role for a firm that is ready to scale.

As Director of Operations & Technology, you own the roadmap for how this firm grows — operationally, technologically, and structurally. You identify what's holding us back before it becomes a problem, design the fix, and see it through to measurable results.

You sit on the Leadership Team and report directly to the CEO/Integrator. You're not here to coordinate for other leaders — you're here to raise the standard of how the whole firm operates, and you have the authority to do it.

This role is right for someone who wants real accountability, not just responsibility. You will assess, prioritize, build, and measure. If something isn't working, you'll say so — and fix it.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

You're drawn to complexity, not intimidated by it. You see operational gaps as problems worth solving, not someone else's mess to manage.

You set a high bar — for yourself and for the work around you. You don't need consensus to move, but you know how to bring people with you. You communicate directly and earn trust through follow-through, not charm.

You think in systems. When something breaks, you don't just fix the symptom — you find the pattern and design the solution that holds. You're comfortable presenting a recommendation to leadership and defending it with evidence.

You've built operational infrastructure before. You know what a 12-month roadmap looks like when it's real versus vanity metrics. You can evaluate a technology investment in business terms and explain your reasoning to someone who isn't technical.

You don't need the spotlight. You need the work to be right.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Build and Maintain the Operations and Technology Roadmap

• Regularly assess the firm's operations with department leaders — staffing, processes, software, reporting, office infrastructure, and capacity gaps.
• Build and maintain written 12–24 month roadmap: each initiative states the problem, expected benefit, proposed owner, estimated cost, dependencies, and timing.
• Rank priorities by client impact, employee impact, cost, risk, and growth needs. Recommend what to approve now, defer, or stop.
• Review the roadmap with the Leadership Team quarterly. Update it as projects close, conditions change, or new offices or acquired teams come online.

Turn Approved Priorities into Finished Work

• For each approved initiative, confirm the project owner, scope, budget, milestones, due date, and definition of done.
• Maintain master shared project list. Require regular updates from owners; track progress, costs, risks, and results.
• Hold project owners to their commitments. When a deadline or budget is at risk, require a recovery plan. Escalate unresolved failures to the CEO/Integrator with a clear recommendation.
• Keep leadership updates tight: progress, exceptions, recommended action, and decisions needed.

Raise the Standard of Everyday Operations

• Work with HR, Finance, Legal Production, Revenue, and Administration leaders to find delays, duplicate work, unclear handoffs, and gaps between departments.
• Set the standard for how processes are documented, responsibilities are assigned, and work moves between departments — then hold department leaders accountable for implementing it.
• Require each department leader to name an owner who maps current steps, improves the process, writes SOPs and checklists, and trains the team. Review the approach; hold the leader accountable for completion and adoption.

Plan and Manage Technology That Actually Works

• Maintain an inventory of all software tools: costs, contract renewal dates, business owners, and actual use. Identify duplicates, unused licenses, and unnecessary subscriptions.
• Build and maintain a rolling technology plan tied to the operations roadmap. Plan capacity, replacements, integrations, automation, and AI needs before growth creates pressure.
• Apply consistent vendor evaluation standards: business need, compatibility, security, reliability, ease of use, and total cost of ownership. Document every recommendation.
• Oversee approved integrations and automation projects. Confirm testing, user training, and appropriate security review before launch.
• Hold outside IT providers and technology vendors to agreed scope, cost, service standards, and timelines.

Measure What Changes and What It Costs

• Before any major project launches, establish baseline data: current costs, error rates, time spent, and performance benchmarks.
• Estimate full project cost, ongoing costs, expected savings, and return on investment. Compare options — including improving what already exists before buying something new.
• After launch, require project owners to measure results against the starting point and approved goals. Work with Finance to verify actual financial outcomes.
• Report results plainly: what changed, what it cost, how it compares to the estimate, and what to do next.

Prepare New Offices and Acquired Teams for Day One

• Build and maintain a reusable integration plan covering physical infrastructure, staffing, systems, billing, files, and training — with a department owner and deadline for each component.
• Coordinate HR, Finance, Legal Production, IT, and Revenue so every leader knows what must be ready, who owns it, and how success is confirmed.
• Conduct 30, 60, and 90-day reviews of new offices and acquired teams. Create SOPs and automations for future acquisitions. Require responsible leaders to close remaining gaps and confirm that operating standards are being followed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of experience leading business operations, setting improvement priorities, and delivering major projects across departments
• Demonstrated success helping a business grow — in staff, clients, locations, or acquisitions — with a clear record of assessing gaps, building a roadmap, and delivering results through others
• Experience planning and implementing business technology: vendor evaluation, system integrations, automation, and AI assessment (coding not required)
• Experience managing budgets, evaluating ROI, identifying cost savings, and measuring financial results with Finance
• Experience leading cross-department change: securing commitments, clarifying ownership, resolving disagreements, and holding owners accountable through adoption and measurable results
• Law firm or professional services experience strongly preferred
• Experience integrating acquired teams is a plus
• Familiarity with EOS and Ninety.io is helpful

BENEFITS

• Job Type: Full-Time
• Pay Range: $175,000-$220,000
• Work Location: Irvine, California – Hybrid
• Other Benefits:
• 401(k) with matching
• Paid time off
• Medical insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of operations leadership experience
• Experience delivering cross-department projects with measurable outcomes
• Experience planning or managing business technology

SKILLS

• Operations strategy and roadmap planning
• Cross-functional project leadership and accountability
• Business process improvement and SOP development
• Technology evaluation, vendor management, and system integration
• ROI analysis and cost-benefit measurement
• EOS / Ninety platform familiarity
• Change management and cross-department alignment
• Budget management and financial reporting
• Legal or professional services operations
• Acquisition and new office integration
• AI and automation assessment (business application)
• Clear written and verbal communication to senior leadership