Senior Manager of Legal Project Management

Responsibilities

• Matter-Level Project Management
• Apply established project management methodologies to plan, lead, and coordinate matter deliverables through written communications (including project plans, workstream trackers, and budget estimates), team meetings, and regular updates to lead partner(s), matter team members, and clients.
• On all matters to which the person in this role is staffed, the role will involve substantial engagement in the following areas:
• Scoping, Strategy, and Goal-Setting
• Collaborate with attorneys and clients to define matter scope, strategy, objectives, and key milestones.
• Budgeting and Financial Management
• Develop and monitor budgets, including legal spend tracking, alternative fee arrangements (AFAs), and profitability analysis, in close collaboration with the Pricing Team, Financial Reporting team, and Practice Development Lawyers (PDLs).
• Staffing and Resource Allocation
• Support matter staffing decisions, balancing team capacity, expertise, and development needs, and facilitate clear communications regarding roles, responsibilities, and workstreams.
• Time Entry and Data Integrity
• Ensure the accuracy, completeness, and compliance of time entries with client billing guidelines, and support the harnessing of time entry data for matter analytics and reporting.
• Client Service Delivery
• Serve as a coordination point to ensure the matter team is meeting client expectations regarding quality, responsiveness, and deliverable timelines.
• Task and Timeline Management
• Develop and maintain project plans, track milestones, and proactively identify and escalate risks and bottlenecks.
• Matter Closure and Post-Matter Review
• Facilitate matter close-out processes and post-matter reviews, document key learnings, and ensure insights are captured and disseminated to improve future matter execution.
• Client Feedback
• Gather and synthesize client satisfaction information and data to inform continuous improvement efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• JD or Master's degree (preferably in finance, accounting, business, or a related field) is a plus.
• A project management certification (e.g., PMP, Lean Six Sigma, PRINCE2, or equivalent) is a plus.
• At least 6 years of legal project management, practice management, or legal operations experience at a law firm; experience at a large or global firm strongly preferred.
• At least 1–2 years of experience managing, mentoring, or formally supervising a team.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, AFAs, and profitability analysis in a legal services context.
• Track record of successfully managing complex, high-value, or cross-border matters.
• Exposure to legal technology platforms (e.g., matter management systems, HighQ, Brightflag, iManage, or similar tools) is preferred.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Proficiency or willingness to develop skills in data visualization and reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Strong familiarity with complex organizations like law firms and the interplay among fee earners, professional staff, and processes, and an understanding of how to effect change in such environments.
• Comfortable with technology adoption and a continuous learning mindset, with an eye toward identifying and implementing tools that enhance matter management and client service.
• High-impact written and verbal communication skills; comfortable commanding a room to drive project success and secure stakeholder buy-in at all levels, including senior partners and clients.
• Poise and sound judgment; ability to manage competing priorities across multiple complex matters simultaneously.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop team members; comfortable providing constructive feedback and holding others accountable.
• Willingness and ability to operate across a wide range of tasks such as strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to hands-on troubleshooting and detail management.
• Creative and resourceful thinking; ability to identify issues early and implement practical solutions.
• Exceptional time management, prioritization, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with partners and senior stakeholders.
• Strong desire to help build and grow the LPM function, contributing to its visibility, credibility, and impact across the Firm.