Attorney Development Manager – International

Business Professional and Paralegal Job Openings

Job Description – Attorney Development Manager – International (1678)

Position OverviewWith the goal of retaining and managing associate talent, the Attorney Development Team works in collaboration with Practice Group Leaders (PGLs), Talent/Diversity (T/D) Leads, Practice Management, and the Talent Department to lead firmwide talent initiatives for their practice group(s).

With a consistent focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and wellbeing, Attorney Development Professionals (ADPs) support strategic talent and development efforts across the associate lifecycle to enhance the overall associate experience as it relates to:

• Onboarding and integration
• Training and skills development
• Mentoring and coaching
• Performance management and career transitioning

Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Attorney Development Manager – International collaborates with the central attorney development team to support the international attorney development function which includes a focus on the feedback/performance management process, work assignments, coaching and development plans, workforce planning, training, onboarding/integration, employee relations, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and metrics review and reporting for associates across the international offices.

Primary Responsibilities:

• General ExpectationsDevelop strong relationships with T/D Leads and Partners and serve as trusted advisors on talent initiatives and risk mitigation for the Practice Group (PG).
• Meet regularly with T/D Leads (by office and as a PG), PGLs, and Practice Management to share practice-specific and firm-wide talent information and feedback.
• Have regular check-in meetings with associates to hear about their experiences and coach them through next steps of their development. Travel for in-person meetings regularly.

Talent Processes and Administration

• Attorney Movement in collaboration with Human Resources (HR):
  • Work with Attorney Recruitment on trainee, first year and lateral associate onboarding processes.
  • Monitor lateral associate integration, including facilitating work and networking opportunities.
  • Facilitate flexible and remote work arrangements, and PG and/or office transfer requests.
  • Coordinate with HR regarding associate leaves of absences (parental, bar, medical) and support pre-leave transition and post-leave integration.
  • Facilitate associate departure process, including report out of associate trends from exit interviews with HR Managers.
  • Support counsel out/exit decision making process with T/D Leads. Coach departing attorneys on career transitioning and outplacement. Circulate job opportunities as appropriate.
• Data, Reports, and Presentations:
  • Provide analysis of headcount, utilization, and attrition data on a regular basis.
  • Review and report on metrics to identify gaps and opportunities for associate development.
  • Facilitate talent pipeline discussions.
  • Prepare talent-related international office talking points and information for recurring associate, partner, and all attorney PG meetings.
  • Coordinate PG recruiting and onboarding presentations for vacation schemes, new trainees, and new attorneys.
  • Create women and diversity pipeline review presentations in collaboration with DE&I and Talent/AD Operations teams.
• Feedback Programs:
  • Coach partners and associates to provide and request real-time feedback to ensure associates are receiving clear and actionable feedback on a regular basis.
  • Coordinate with the Talent/AD Operations teams regarding the annual and mid-year performance evaluation process:
    • Manage timely completion of self-evaluations and evaluations.
    • Review and proof evaluations for quality of content and follow up as needed.
    • Coordinate scheduling evaluation delivery meetings.
    • Provide evaluation data and analysis of trends as requested.
  • Facilitate career path decisions and discussions for senior associates with T/D Leads. Coordinate feedback communications and assist with building business plans and drafting partner or counsel memos as appropriate.
• Recommend associate mentor assignments and monitor the success of the pairings.
• Coordinate cross-office mentoring and buddy schemes connecting international associates with US offices.
• Training:
  • Work with Learning and Development (L&D) team to coordinate the international curriculum, schedule practice-specific trainings (depending on PG needs) and advise on curriculum design and PG benchmarks.
  • Periodically check-in with partners and associates to see if there are special trainings that would be beneficial to the PG based on evolving associate needs.
• Special Projects:
  • Manage or assist with special projects and initiatives such as supporting goal planning summaries, and coordination of relationship building initiatives within the PG. Advise on and implement firm-wide associate engagement and retention efforts.
• Work Allocation:
  • Regularly track associate availability and utilization information to:
    • Facilitate equitable distribution of work,
    • Monitor high/low hours, and
    • Reduce the workload gap between highest billing and lowest billing.
  • Make strategic staffing recommendations based on knowledge of associate skills, interests, development goals, and workload.
• Professional Skills Coaching:
  • Provide associates with individualized professional development coaching on work, career obstacles, and strategies for success. Examples of coaching topics include:
    • Workload management
    • Navigating challenging situations and relationships
    • Delegation and people management
    • Strategies for giving and receiving feedback
    • Goal setting and regular check-ins on goal progress
    • Leadership and executive presence
• Navigating the Culture:
  • Monitor associate morale and trends, for the international offices, Firm and PG, and make recommendations to address questions and concerns with T/D Leads.
  • Collaborate with, and connect associates with, additional resources/departments to support their career goals.
• Developing a Network:
  • Have a general understanding of practice area expertise for each attorney in the PG and proactively facilitate connections across the group.
  • Facilitate Peer Network Groups for first-year associates.
  • Make recommendations for associate firm citizenship and leadership opportunities (pilot project groups, recruiting teams, etc.).
• International responsibilities:
  • Work with the International Practice Director to coordinate internal and external international secondments and associated agreements.
  • Manage the aggregation of attorney competence information for the completion of the annual SRA practicing certificate bulk renewal process.
  • Work with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to implement and administer the Firm’s inclusion efforts with respect to recruitment, development, advancement, and retention of diverse and women lawyers.
  • Build credibility and visibility as an effective spokesperson for international attorneys and provide input to Directors and Senior Leaders regarding attorney perspectives and satisfaction within the international offices.
  • Monitor emerging trends in peer law firms with regards to all aspects of attorney development internationally.
  • Monitor and manage assigned budgets to control costs and use resources efficiently.
  • Prepare and maintain such reports as are necessary to carry out the functions of attorney development.
  • Supervise and train Coordinator(s), Assistant(s), and Intern(s).

Secondary

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

• Occasional travel and ability to work late hours.
• Job is subject to time pressures and constraints.

Minimum QualificationEducation:Bachelor’s Degree required; master’s degree, Legal qualification or JD is a plus.

Experience:Six years of progressively responsible experience in a law firm or similar environment required; substantial exposure to attorney development and/or professional development in a law firm preferred.

Special Knowledge:Organizational development, career coaching, and diversity and inclusion.

Technical Skills:Proficiency in Windows operating systems and Microsoft Office Suite and/or related software; aptitude to learn and become proficient quickly in a variety of software/systems.

Attributes:Exceptional communication and organizational skills; strong managerial skills, including the ability to exercise discretion and judgment with respect to matters of significance; demonstrated leadership qualities, including excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills, strategic and innovative thinking, an ability to persuade and influence; ability to work with a team of highly-skilled professionals in situations that require diplomacy and confidentiality; detail-oriented; financial and statistical reporting skills; relationship building skills; people and project management skills.

Qualifications:Ability to maintain a good rapport with various personnel at all levels. Ability to handle sensitive and/or confidential documents and see projects through to completion. Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of personnel and experience with navigating the delicate/sensitive conversations within those levels.

DisclaimerThe above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications and skills required of personnel so classified. The firm reserves the right to revise or modify this job description at any time.

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