Product Management Director

About the role

The Product Management Director - Data & AI will serve as a strategic leader within Sidley's Data & AI organization. This senior product leader will partner directly with attorneys and legal professionals to discover high-impact use cases, evaluate emerging AI tools and technologies, and drive the development of both proprietary AI solutions and thoughtful integrations of best-in-class external platforms.

Responsibilities

• Partner with attorneys, legal professionals, and business teams to understand workflows, pain points, and opportunities for Data & AI impact.
• Lead rigorous product discovery and validation, applying user research, prioritization frameworks, experimentation, and iterative delivery.
• Manage and continuously refine the product backlog to reflect strategic value, user needs, and technical feasibility.
• Evaluate AI tools and platforms, and lead end-to-end lifecycle management of proprietary AI solutions, including build-versus-buy decisions.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Design, and Data Governance to deliver secure, scalable, high-quality solutions.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to attorneys, practice leaders, and firm leadership, managing expectations and influencing decisions with transparency and strategic insight.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and integration across product teams, navigating complexity and competing priorities effectively.
• Promote product management best practices and translate between technical and business audiences to strengthen product capability across the firm.

Requirements

• Required Education and/or Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience.
• A minimum of 5 years in product management roles.
• A minimum of 5 years leading teams.
• Proven track record of driving products from discovery to execution, delivering measurable business outcomes in complex, matrixed environments.
• Deep expertise in product management disciplines, including user research, roadmap development, backlog management, prioritization, and iterative delivery methodologies.
• Strong experience collaborating with Engineering, Design, and Data Governance teams to build scalable, high-quality products.
• Exceptional executive presence with polished communication and presentation skills; ability to command a room and influence senior leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and build trust across all levels of an organization, from individual contributors to C-suite executives.
• Experience instilling product management culture within an organization, shifting mindsets from project delivery to sustainable product thinking.
• Highly organized, proactive, and self-motivated; able to manage multiple priorities with competing deadlines while maintaining clarity and focus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with comfort navigating ambiguity and making data-informed decisions.
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion.
• Demonstrates ownership, accountability, and follow-through.
• Resilient and results-driven, with the ability to navigate complexity and deliver outcomes in fast-paced, evolving environments.

Qualifications

• Preferred Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience evaluating, integrating, and launching AI-enabled tools and solutions.
• Familiarity with modern data platforms, data-as-a-product principles, and enterprise data ecosystems.
• Knowledge of the legal or professional services industry.
• Experience working with geographically dispersed teams and agile delivery methodologies.