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BakerHostetler · 2 weeks ago

Senior Director of Practice Innovation and Legal Tech Consulting

Cleveland, OH

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$300K/yr - $350K/yr

10+ years exp

BakerHostetler is seeking a Senior Director of Practice Innovation and Legal Tech Consulting who will be responsible for driving legal technology innovation for clients and within the firm. This strategic leadership role involves overseeing multiple teams, managing innovation projects, and ensuring alignment with the firm's strategic goals.

Law Practice

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership and direction to the Legal Tech Consulting group, Digital Innovation & Data Science team, and Practice Innovation Attorneys. Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture across these multidisciplinary teams to meet growing internal and client demands

Define and maintain an innovation roadmap; oversee a portfolio of innovation projects (both client-facing and internal) from ideation through execution. Prioritize initiatives based on impact and strategic value, allocate resources, and ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. Develop metrics to evaluate the portfolio’s performance (e.g. number of initiatives implemented, on-time delivery rate, ROI) and adjust strategy as needed

Drive the firm’s legal technology consulting services for clients, acting as a senior advisor on technology solutions. Scope and lead consulting engagements such as implementing contract lifecycle management systems (e.g. Conga, Icertis) and privacy management platforms (e.g. OneTrust) for corporate legal departments. Ensure high client satisfaction by delivering practical solutions that improve efficiency, compliance, and risk mitigation in legal operations

Internal Practice Innovation: Champion innovation within the firm’s legal practice groups. Work closely with Practice Innovation Attorneys and firm leadership to identify opportunities where emerging technologies or process improvements can enhance service delivery, reduce costs, or increase efficiency. This includes initiatives like workflow automation, AI-assisted legal research, knowledge management enhancements, and process re-engineering

Promote adoption of new technologies across the firm’s lawyers and staff. Develop and execute change management plans for rolling out tools and processes including communication strategies, training programs, pilot projects, and feedback loops. Monitor user engagement and technology utilization rates to identify and address adoption barriers. A successful candidate will drive measurable increases in technology uptake (e.g. percentage of attorneys using new tools, reduction in manual process time) and overall digital proficiency within the firm

Establish clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to gauge the success of innovation initiatives and technology implementations. Track metrics such as user adoption rates (e.g. what proportion of the firm or client users actively use a new tool after launch), process efficiency improvements (time or cost savings achieved through innovation), and ROI on technology projects. Regularly collaborate and report on these metrics to the CIO using data to demonstrate value and inform decision-making

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with other teams in Information Services, practice group leaders, and other departments to align technology efforts with business needs. Ensure the innovation team works hand-in-hand with attorneys, clients, and external vendors, effectively translating legal requirements into technical solutions and vice versa. Build partnerships inside and outside the firm to leverage additional expertise or resources when needed (for example, coordinating with outside technology vendors or alternative legal service providers on joint initiatives)

Stay at the forefront of legal tech trends and emerging technologies (AI, data analytics, automation, etc.). Evaluate and identify 'best fit' legal tech solutions for various use cases, maintaining a technology-agnostic approach focused on client and firm needs. Cultivate strong relationships with legal tech vendors (including key platforms like Conga, iCertis, and OneTrust) to keep abreast of product updates and influence future features. Negotiate vendor agreements and ensure delivered solutions meet quality, cost, and functionality expectations

Promote a culture of continuous improvement in both client services and internal operations. Oversee efforts to streamline legal processes through technology (e.g., automating routine tasks, implementing document assembly tools, or optimizing workflow for matter management). Ensure that innovation projects deliver tangible improvements such as faster turnaround times, improved accuracy, risk reduction, or cost savings for the firm and its clients

Mentor and develop the skills of the innovation team members (which may include attorneys, analysts, data scientists, and technologists). Encourage knowledge-sharing and professional growth, ensuring the team remains adaptable and skilled in cutting-edge technologies. Provide regular feedback, conduct performance evaluations, and recruit talent as needed to build a world-class innovation team capable of meeting high demand

Communicate the progress and impact of innovation initiatives to firm leadership and key stakeholders. Prepare compelling updates, case studies, and presentations that highlight successes, lessons learned, and value delivered (e.g., improved client outcomes, efficiency gains, new revenue opportunities from consulting engagements). Articulate how the innovation strategy supports the firm’s broader business objectives and competitive positioning in the legal industry

Act as a positive representative for the firm’s innovation capabilities. Work directly with major clients to understand their needs and propose solutions as part of business development and client service. Internally, engage partners and practice leaders to champion innovation projects, securing buy-in and input. The director should be comfortable interfacing with C-level client executives and firm management, demonstrating thought leadership in legal tech and innovation

Qualification

Legal technology expertiseChange managementContract lifecycle managementProject managementLeadership skillsData analyticsAI in legalWorkflow automationClient service orientationCommunication skillsOrganizational skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field is required

Minimum of 10 years of experience in legal technology, innovation, or related consulting roles, with at least 8 years in a leadership or management position

Demonstrated track record of leading complex projects or programs that implement technology solutions in a legal or professional services environment

Deep knowledge of legal tech tools and trends is required

Hands-on experience with contract lifecycle management systems (such as Conga or iCertis) and privacy program platforms (such as OneTrust) is expected, including successful implementation or adoption campaigns for these or similar systems

Familiarity with additional domains like document management, e-discovery, knowledge management, AI in legal, and workflow automation is important

Proven ability to evaluate and deploy technology to solve business problems in the legal context

Exceptional leadership, people management, and organizational skills

Able to inspire and guide a team of professionals, set clear goals, and manage performance in a fast-paced setting

Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities – capable of effectively presenting to all levels of firm leadership and client executives, and of translating between technical jargon and legal/business language

Strong project management skills with attention to detail and the ability to juggle multiple high-priority projects

A collaborative, client-service oriented mindset with the 'visionary leadership and practical execution' balance needed to drive innovation in a pragmatic way

Ability to communicate effectively with staff members

Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to all levels of professional and support staff

Ability to write simple correspondence and routine messages

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence and memos

Ability to read and interpret documents such as operating instructions, procedure manuals, general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, governmental regulations, financial reports, or legal documents

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form

Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions

Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions, and deal with several abstract and concrete variables

Demonstrated ability to multi-task and be detail-oriented with strong organizational skills

Strong communication skills

Excellent organizational and planning skills, with ability to prioritize multiple tasks and projects to meet deadlines

Ability to work overtime when needed

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines

Ability to exercise discretion with confidential and sensitive information

Must be able to perform essential duties of the position with time constraints and interruptions

A strong client service approach and team orientation

Demonstrate good judgment, tact, and flexibility under pressure in a mixed-matrix environment with many competing priorities

Preferred

Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is strongly preferred, reflecting the value of legal domain expertise in this role

An advanced degree in technology or business (MBA, MS in Information Systems) is a plus

Law firm or legal department experience is highly desirable, especially experience working closely with attorneys on technology initiatives

Benefits

Group health

Dental and vision insurance

Paid holidays (11 days)

401(k) plan

Parental leave

Family care program

Wellness program

Life and accident insurance

Short and long-term disability

Company

BakerHostetler

Recognized as one of the top firms for client service and quality of legal services, BakerHostetler is a leading law firm that helps clients around the world address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues.

Founded in 1916

Washington, D.C., US

1001-5000 employees