Global Assistant Director of Legal Innovation

A rare opportunity to join this forward-thinking, diverse, inclusive, and prestigious law firm.

 This role can be based out of any of 8 offices in the US in Salt Lake City, San Francisco/Palo Alto, Los Angeles, CA, Chicago, DC, NYC, Charlotte, NC, Houston, TX and working a current hybrid model of 3 days in the office and 2 days remote

 This award-winning leading global law firm with offices in 27 key business centers across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. They are a collegial, collaborative and diverse firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential.

Do you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are achievement, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability? Then join their Legal Innovation and Strategy department in any of 8 US offices as the Global Assistant Director of Innovation – Americas.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with lawyers, clients, and professional business departments to understand how process improvement and technology can enhance efficiencies as well as the overall experience and services the firm delivers
• Designs, develops, and implements an effective governance structure to intake, score, and prioritize new ideas from all areas of the firm, with special emphasis on offices in the Americas region, to ensure the Legal Innovation & Strategy department focuses on projects aligned with the Firm/department strategy and achieve the optimum utilization of department’s time and resources
• Works with the Legal Innovation & Strategy and Knowledge Management Department leadership teams to develop, implement, and promote a global innovation strategy and prioritize initiatives, focusing on Americas region’s constituents.
• Identifies opportunities to leverage existing and emerging technologies and processes that could help various practice groups in the Americas region
• Creates and manage vendor relationships as they pertain to practice-related technology solutions
• Communicates with third-party vendors to foster strong relationships and ensure ongoing information exchange related to new and existing products and services
• Works with IT Department, especially closely with the IT Practice & Client Solutions team, to accomplish mutual goals, with specific emphasis on adoption and change management related to key projects and transformations, and monitor and drive adoption by the lawyers and business professionals
• Leads journey maps, pilots, evaluations, product selections, management of the process, and technology rollouts
• Stays informed of legal innovation trends and legal tech start-ups that may improve or impact the delivery of legal services
• Provides thought leadership and strategic direction related to emerging technologies and industry trends to the Firm and its practice leadership
• Leads and liaises with counterparts in the global Legal Innovation & Strategy Department to ensure consistent approaches are taken concerning recruitment, career development, training, and remuneration of all group members
• Take primary responsibility for overall Americas operations of the Legal Innovation & Strategy Department and prepare the annual budget for the department in the Americas region
• Oversees junior members of the Legal Innovation & Strategy Department
• Represents the firm at external events and conferences to keep up-to-date with relevant developments relating to legal innovation
• Aligns working hours as necessary to support global teams and business partners
• Handles other tasks as may be assigned by the Global Chief Innovation Officer

Management Responsibilities:

• Assist in forecasting future recruitment needs, as well as hiring, induction, training, optimum utilization, management & mentoring of current and future staff of the Legal Innovation & Strategy department in the Americas
• Responsible for annual performance management via the firm’s software
• Lead performance feedback, counseling, disciplinary actions when applicable
• Contribute recommendations to and executes annual merit-based compensation strategy for salary increases and bonuses
• Conduct analysis of staffing levels and requests for assistance
• Operational budget analysis and recommendations

Required Qualifications:

• Legal degree with at least 3 years of practice experience or equivalent graduate (e.g., MBA) degree with relevant professional services industry (e.g., consulting, accounting, etc.) is required
• At least 10+ years of experience working in a global law firm or corporate/financial institution with exposure to operations and project management is required

Technical Skills: 

•  Strong ability to engage in systems/design thinking, conceptualize and implement a project from end-to-end, and know which skills and techniques are required for a particular situation.
• Excellent drafting and research skills with proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite required
• Understanding of learning processes and different methods of training
• Familiarity and comfort with technology tools typically used in law firms such as AI platforms, Luminance, eBrevia Neota Logic, Bryter and data-visualization platforms; Microsoft Power BI
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5 + years of experience leading strategic legal technology-related projects in a large law firm or corporate/financial institution legal department strongly preferred

They offer an excellent salary of up to $200,000 based on education, skills, and years of experience. Comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous vacation and personal/sick plan, discretionary bonus, and opportunities for professional development and growth