Director of OD Labs

Position Summary

OD Labs is Ogletree Deakins' applied AI and innovation unit, built to develop the next generation of legal service models, technology products, and client-facing capabilities at one of the country’s leading labor and employment firms. The firm has made a sustained institutional commitment to AI. OD Labs is the next phase where we turn that investment into a product. The Director of OD Labs will build and lead this function from the ground up, with a mandate to launch the AI Incubator, develop a client-facing product roadmap, and scale OD Labs into a revenue-contributing business unit. This role has direct executive sponsorship from firm executive leadership and reports to the Chief Data and AI Officer.

Essential Functions

• Develop OD Labs as a standalone function within the firm, with full accountability for strategy, prioritization, performance, and results
• Build and own the OD Labs product roadmap, incorporating input from clients, attorneys, and firm leadership to identify and sequence opportunities
• Design and launch client-facing services and products, managing the full lifecycle from concept and validation through commercialization and scaled deployment
• Run controlled pilots with clear success metrics; make disciplined scale and stop decisions based on evidence
• Partner directly with attorneys, leadership, and key clients to surface use cases, co-design solutions, and build sustained engagement with the innovation program
• Engage the firm’s Client Services team to position OD Labs services as part of client pitches, RFP responses, and relationship development
• Present initiative results, roadmap updates, and resource requests to the OD Labs governance group and firm leadership
• Recruit, develop, and manage the OD Labs team; build the case for headcount expansion as the function matures
• Represent the firm externally as a thought leader in legal AI and innovation through conferences, client engagements, and industry publications
• Ensure AI governance and responsible data handling principles are integrated into all OD Labs initiatives, coordinating with the firm's cybersecurity, data privacy, and AI governance functions to meet client expectations and regulatory requirements

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience building and deploying technology solutions for law firms or legal services organizations
• 5+ years of experience with AI, machine learning, or advanced automation systems, including recent production-grade work with large language models and agentic frameworks
• Deep expertise with one or more enterprise AI platforms at the production level, including hands-on experience across models, APIs, and agentic frameworks; familiarity with the Anthropic Claude platform is a significant advantage
• Demonstrated experience building AI systems in client-sensitive environments, with working knowledge of data governance frameworks, AI risk management, and enterprise security requirements
• Experience building and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams spanning engineering, data science, and design
• Demonstrated ability to work directly with law firm leadership, practice group chairs, and major clients in a client-facing capacity
• Experience designing and delivering AI-powered products across core legal workflows, including document review, generative drafting, contract analysis, and client intelligence
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to translate between legal, business, and technical audiences at senior levels
• Track record of running large-scale AI training and adoption programs, including hackathons, practice-area playbooks, and sustained attorney engagement
• Experience with legal operations, billing analytics, and/or data products is a significant advantage

Benefits

• Paid Time Off
• Paid Sick Leave
• A 401(k) matching program
• Profit Sharing
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Affordable Health and Life Insurance including Dental & Vision coverage
• Health Savings Account / Flexible Spending Accounts to help offset the cost of dependent care and/or health care expenses
• Tuition Reimbursement
• An Employee Assistance Program

Contact Information

If you have questions, please e-mail Megan Becker at megan.becker@ogletree.com with “Director of OD Labs" in the subject line. Please note, applications submitted via e-mail will not be considered.