Executive Assistant and Operations Manager for a DC Consulting Firm

The New York Times named him one of Washington’s most influential dealmakers. His firm, headquartered in Washington, DC, specializes in advising clients on legal strategy and political communications. The Chairman leads on client relationships and heads a small, senior team. In order to operate at this level of government affairs, you need people who understand how Washington really works. Two senior hires were required for this brief: one to run the Chairman’s office, and one to run the advocacy teams. Both searches were exclusive to Keller Executive Search and based in Washington, DC.

To find the right Executive Assistant for the Chairman involved more than just being able to run an office efficiently. Some candidates dropped out after looking into the company and finding the political environment did not align with their own values. This meant that the candidate pool was harder to work with than the role brief initially indicated. The Operations Manager position required an individual who could lead teams of lobbyists and lawyers in state and federal campaigns, had experience in government affairs, and the ability to multitask on different campaigns at once. The two searches had to be run at different speeds and both took time to close.

The Executive Assistant search opened first, then the Operations Manager role as soon as the first placement was locked. For the Executive Assistant position, they requested candidates with senior-level experience in legal or government environments. Candidates’ backgrounds were thoroughly investigated and an assessment on whether the candidate’s politics aligned with the firm’s was also completed. The search for the Operations Manager was targeted at people who had direct experience managing lobbying teams on state and federal projects. Candidates were rated for operational experience in advocacy campaigns and team management. Both searches produced hires, with the Operations Manager search being the longer of the two.

The first position to be filled was the Executive Assistant, who started as a contractor in April. Following the first interview, the Chairman’s feedback was straightforward: he was impressed and wanted to move to an offer. That placement led directly to the Operations Manager role which the Chairman opened up shortly afterwards. The incoming Operations Manager has hands-on experience managing lobbying and government relations teams at both state and federal levels. Both appointments were made under exclusive engagement of Keller Executive Search.