Senior Modern Desktop Application Engineer

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals across major business centers worldwide, recognized for leading practices in asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.

About the role

The Senior Modern Desktop Application Engineer serves as the firm’s highest-level technical authority for the design, integration, and lifecycle management of the Microsoft productivity ecosystem, including Microsoft 365 (Office, Teams, Outlook—including Outlook New and plugins—OneDrive, and related web and desktop apps), Litera solutions, and all Microsoft-integrated products except SharePoint. This role ensures seamless interoperability, security, and user experience across platforms, evaluates new features, and leads adoption of technologies to maximize attorney productivity and workflow efficiency. The Engineer partners with Desktop Engineering, Security, Application Support, and Training teams, providing technical leadership, strategic guidance, and documentation while communicating complex concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain the firm’s Microsoft 365 environment, including Office (desktop and web), Teams, Outlook (including Outlook New and plugins), OneDrive, and related applications.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on the integration and interoperability of Microsoft 365 applications (excluding SharePoint), Litera solutions, and other Microsoft-integrated products.
• Lead the evaluation, adoption, and configuration of new Microsoft features, updates, and integrations to maximize productivity, security, and workflow efficiency.
• Develop and enforce standards for configuration, deployment, and lifecycle management of Microsoft and Litera products across desktop and web environments.
• Oversee the creation, maintenance, and version control of configuration and settings files for all Microsoft 365 and integrated applications.
• Lead technical planning, testing, and execution of major upgrades, migrations, and feature rollouts, including impact analysis, rollback planning, and user acceptance testing (UAT).
• Advise on and implement best practices for Teams collaboration, Outlook workflows (including Outlook New and plugin management), document management, and cross-platform integration.
• Act as the escalation point for complex technical issues related to the Microsoft stack, Litera, and integrated products, providing expert troubleshooting and remediation.
• Collaborate with Security, Infrastructure, and Application teams to ensure compliance, data protection, and optimal performance across all Microsoft platforms (excluding SharePoint).
• Produce clear, comprehensive technical and business documentation to support training, support, and ongoing operations.
• Communicate configuration changes, impacts, and best practices to User Support, IT Training, and other IS stakeholders.
• Support the training team by providing technical expertise, documentation, and guidance on new features, integrations, and configuration changes.
• Participate in Desktop Engineering ticket queues and on-call rotation, addressing escalated incidents and service requests.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, staying current with emerging trends and technologies in the Microsoft ecosystem and legal technology.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert, Teams Administrator, Messaging Administrator) preferred.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, engineering, and supporting the full Microsoft 365 stack (Office, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, web apps, and plugins) in an enterprise or legal environment.
• Deep technical expertise in Microsoft Teams (including governance, integration, and advanced features), Outlook (including Outlook New, plugin management, and workflow optimization), OneDrive, and Office web applications.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing complex integrations between Microsoft 365, Litera, and other third-party solutions.
• Advanced knowledge of legal document workflows, formatting standards, version comparison, and document management best practices.
• Proficiency in scripting, automation, and configuration management (e.g., PowerShell, Group Policy, Intune, Azure AD).
• Experience with application packaging, deployment, and lifecycle management in a distributed enterprise environment.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve complex cross-platform issues.
• Business Analyst–level skills, including requirements gathering, process documentation, and stakeholder communication.
• Manual testing and UAT experience, with the ability to lead pilot programs and user feedback initiatives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, multi-office, global environment.
• Strong project management, time management, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliverables.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and professional development in Microsoft and legal technology.

Essential Capabilities

• Ability to design and optimize complex, integrated Microsoft 365 environments (excluding SharePoint) to support business needs and legal workflows.
• Strong leadership, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and guide cross-functional teams.
• Flexibility and resilience in a rapidly evolving technology landscape, with a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
• Strong customer service mindset with a focus on attorney and staff productivity.
• Commitment to maintaining strict confidentiality and data security.
• Ability to both provide and accept constructive feedback and foster a culture of continuous learning.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-office, globally distributed environment and build strong working relationships across teams.

Pay

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents the firm’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications, experience, geographic location, education, external market data, and consideration of internal equity.

• Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C.: $134,700 - $205,450
• New York: $145,800 - $222,350
• San Francisco, Silicon Valley: $151,900 - $231,650

Schedule

• Hybrid on-site presence is required as an essential function of the role, with consistent and predictable on-site attendance for business continuity, professional development, and collaboration.
• Standard office environment; flexibility to work hours necessary to fulfill position responsibilities.