Description/Job Summary

The Professional Development Manager of M&A is a high-profile role within the department and central to all aspects of the group's legal talent development efforts. The Manager is responsible for managing a range of associate development activities for their aligned practice area including assigning, mentoring efforts and initiatives and overall talent engagement. The Manager will be responsible for supporting the assigning process directly in the New York office and facilitating broader professional development programs across the US offices. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordination of assigning, mentoring, integration and development initiatives. This role is an integral part of the Legal Talent Team and will work closely with both the practice group leader and staffing partner for the department.

Responsibilities/Duties

Staffing (New York Office only for associates permanently in the group)

• Work closely with the staffing partner to allocate assignments and structure deal teams for mid-senior associates by assessing associate availability, experience, skills and utilization
• Build rapport with mid-senior associates by means of in-person meetings, telephone calls and Zoom meetings
• Maintain an equitable level of utilization across the department
• Partner with the Manager of Corporate Staffing and Junior Associates to integrate staffing efforts across deal teams on an ongoing basis and during the rotation process
• Balance business needs of the group with individual associate development to ensure that associates are fully utilized and working to maximize client service and their own professional development
• Aggregate and analyze various associate metrics including hours and availability
• Consult with the relevant staffing partners and members of the Legal Talent team regarding cross-departmental staffing, secondments, etc.
• Oversee the coordination and tracking of associate vacation schedules, leaves of absence and related coverage

Professional Development Support

• Performance Reviews
  • Collaborate with the Legal Talent Team to support the delivery of thorough evaluations and developmental objectives for associates
  • Participate in the relevant meetings with Group leadership to discuss associate evaluations for the practice group
  • Coordinate with and assist the Legal Talent Team with ensuring robust feedback is provided to each associate in the group in a timely fashion
  • Assist with intake of orally communicated evaluations on an as needed basis
  • Liaise with Associate Director, Professional Development on key takeaways from DEI pipeline building discussions
• Mentoring & Engagement Related
  • Support the practice group head with ensuring that attorneys in the group have strong mentoring connections and team-based interactions
  • Develop a professional relationship with associates, including an understanding of professional aspirations, experiences, strengths and development areas
  • Work closely with the Legal Talent team to pair associates with mentors and partner advisors (New York Office only)
  • Ensure mentors are connecting and engaging in dialogue about ongoing professional development goals
  • Liaise with Coordinator of Associate Life and the relevant branch office Legal Talent Team member on the progress of mentoring relationships
• Facilitate coaching as needed in support of associate development
• Assist with and/or initiate planning a variety of team building and mentoring related events within the group to foster connectivity
• Serve as a resource and point of contact to provide an active feedback loop among associates, firm leadership and the partners in the group
• Organize Departmental Lunches & Training Programs
  • Support the Training Partner(s) in arranging monthly departmental lunches and related logistics
  • Provide the Training Team feedback and insights to support the creation of relevant practice-specific training curriculums, and incorporation of practice-specific development needs into firm-wide development programs (i.e. STBReady, STBAdvance)
• Help to ensure integration of lateral hires or departmental/office transfers
• Collaborate regularly with other professional service team members (e.g. practice KM lawyer, DEI and Training Teams) to further practice group initiatives
• Work on a variety of ad hoc projects as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

Required Skills

• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Highly motivated, proactive, and driven self-starter that demonstrates ownership, initiative, a strong work ethic, and commitment to the role and firm
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to interact well and build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality; collaborative approach to working with others of all seniority levels
• Strong interest and experience in professional development
• Ability to self-direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs and implement solutions
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for both long and short-term projects and responsibilities
• Ability to track, analyze, collect data, and report metrics
• Must be team oriented, contributing as needed on unexpected projects or requests
• High proficiency with all MS Office Suite products, including Excel and comfortable working in web-based databases/software, e.g. viDesktop
• Must be flexible to adjust hours to meet departmental needs

Preferred Skills

• Prior experience in a law firm preferred
• Coaching experience and certification preferred, or interest in obtaining certification

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of related experience in a law firm, or JD with prior experience as an Associate in a large law firm

Details

Salary Information

The estimated base salary range for this position is $175k to $250k at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. This role is exempt meaning it is not overtime pay eligible.