Japanese Bilingual Office Administrator#13184

Position Overview
Japanese Law Office is seeking a highly organized and proactive Office Administrator to oversee the day-to-day operations of our Dallas office and ensure its smooth and efficient functioning. The successful candidate will play a key role in managing office administration, coordinating operational activities, supporting attorneys, and serving as a liaison between Dallas office and our Tokyo office. This position requires strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a growing office environment.

Key Responsibilities
1. Human Resources and General Administration

• Coordinate with the landlord, building management, cleaning providers, and other vendors; welcome office visitors.
• Provide remote administrative support for the Houston rental office.
• Track paid time off and assist with HR administration, including visa-related coordination with appropriate professionals.
• Support onboarding and relocation arrangements, including assistance with banking and other practical setup needs.
• Develop and maintain operational manuals and procedures to ensure continuity of operations and facilitate smooth handovers to successors.

2. Accounting and Payroll Administration

• Perform bookkeeping and maintain financial records using accounting software (Quickbooks).
• Liaise with external accountants on monthly and annual closing processes.
• Monitor/manage bank account activity, including incoming and outgoing payments.
• Coordinate payroll administration and review information prepared by external accountants; specialized payroll calculation expertise is not required.
  

3. IT Coordination

• Liaise between Tokyo-based IT team and U.S. vendors by telephone and email; technical IT expertise is not required.
  

4. Business Development and Client Relations

• Coordinate chamber of commerce memberships, event registrations, and seminar logistics.
• Research market developments and competitors' activities.
• Support client communications and vendor relationship management.
  

5. Legal Secretarial Support

• Manage calendars, appointments, and meeting arrangements.
• Prepare and organize documents and presentation materials.
• Assist with communications involving clients, attorneys, and vendors.
  (Provide supplemental administrative and secretarial support to attorneys as needed, particularly during hours when the Tokyo-based secretarial team is unavailable due to time zone differences. Primary secretarial support will continue to be provided by the Tokyo office.)

Required Qualifications

• Authorized to work in the United States.
• Professional fluency in Japanese (including the ability to communicate effectively with Japan-based colleagues) and business-level English, both written and spoken.
• Strong organizational, communication, and time-management skills; ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and ability to work independently.
  
  
  
• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working for a Japanese company or in a Japanese business environment.
• Basic accounting or bookkeeping knowledge; payroll expertise is not required.
• Experience in office administration or professional services, ideally in a law firm.
  

Employment Details
Employment type: 

• Full-time, indefinite-term employment
  

Location : 

• Plano, TX. Office opening anticipated March 2027

Anticipated start: 

• January 1, 2027 (no later than February 1, 2027)

Schedule: 

• Monday–Friday, generally 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., with flexible scheduling subject to operational needs and applicable timekeeping requirements. Core time 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., 1 hour lunch time.
  

Work arrangement: 

• Fully remote until the anticipated March 2027 office opening; thereafter hybrid, with up to two remote days per week, subject to business needs.
  

Compensation: 

• Hourly rate: USD 25 per hour (equivalent to an estimated annual base salary of USD 52,000, based on 2080 paid hours per year, excluding overtime pay and bonus. Bonus: A fixed annual bonus equivalent to one month's base pay, payable in March. Overtime eligibility and pay will be determined in accordance with applicable law.
  

Paid time off: 

• Vacation leave : 14 paid days per year Sick leave : 7 paid days per year
  

Benefits: 

• Insurance: The firm will provide a monthly allowance of up to USD 700 toward premiums for individual Silver-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage obtained through insurance providers designated by the firm. Fitness Facility: Complimentary access to the on-site fitness gym.
  

Business trip: 

• No regular business trip anticipated. If required, reasonable transportation and lodging expenses will be reimbursed under firm