Innovation Lab Senior Manager

at  Reed Smith LLP

FIRM INFORMATION

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 30 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, entertainment and media, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, technology, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

POSITION SUMMARY

The preferred locations for hire are Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philadelphia, or Washington, D.C.
We recognize that a leading bottleneck for innovation in law firms is the struggle to get busy partners and associates engaged with tech and process investments. We are not immune as we have invested in dozens of progressive teams and programs across Reed Smith which can become complex for partners to keep up with and know exactly how and when to best engage them. Additionally, partners have established ways of working that have served them well over time, but may not be optimized for market conditions, client priorities, or cost models.
The Lab turns these issues on their head. Using the firm’s strategic priorities as its North Star and human centered design as its driving methodology, the Lab works with legal practices, client teams, and our business services teams to study them, identify improvements, and establish new ways of working for the future. However, never in isolation as the Lab seeks to bring our clients and all functions of the firm to the table. By doing so, the Lab brings the collective knowledge and innovative tech and services of the firm (or identifies capabilities the firm does not yet provide) to the situation in the best ways possible. The work of the Lab is not only to find, understand, and solve problems, but also to build coalitions and stakeholder buy-in so that what we build becomes the firm’s new DNA. Fresh thinking, complete engagement, and high impact.
Reed Smith is seeking a Senior Lab Manager to support the launch phase and beyond of our Innovation Lab. As a leader in the newly formed Lab, you will be able to contribute your unique skillset to develop methods and lead engagements grounded in design thinking, anthropology, technology innovation, user research, qualitative analysis, and storytelling. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading human-centered design service offerings driven by qualitative and ethnographic research, managing team member performance, and interfacing with the firm at large to engage our attorneys and professional staff with the innovation function. If you are excited about being a part of a new and innovative team and contributing to its success, we encourage you to apply.

REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as design thinking, social sciences, technology, or business. Master’s degree preferred.
Experience: Ten plus years experience. Expertise in human-centered design (HCD), leading qualitative and ethnographic research, project and team management, and with senior level stakeholder management. Expertise designing and facilitating collaborative in-person and virtual workshops. Professional services firm experience strongly preferred. Familiarity with legal technology and the legal industry

SKILLS:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships with Lab stakeholders (including attorneys and staff) and team members
• Design thinking methodology, specifically in the research, synthesis and ideation phases
• “Front of Room” or lead facilitator experience
• Developing and executing vision, strategy, and implementation roadmaps
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with excellent problem-solving skills
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and deliverables in a dynamic environment
• Passion for innovation and creativity, with a keen eye for detail and precision
• Proficiency in relevant software and technology tools, such as database management, project management software, and design thinking software

• Shapes, advances and executes the Lab’s vision and strategy.
• Contribute to the development of—and drive the execution of—new internal and client-facing service offerings for the Lab.
• Lead team members in applying design thinking methods to the law firm context to support the launch of the Innovation Lab.
• Introduces ideas, improves existing processes, and creates a culture of innovation within the Firm.
• Embraces an innovation strategy to define objectives and measures aligned with overall Firm goals to add value to stakeholders.
• Implements innovation projects and oversees resources and budgets.
• Works with partners and firm leadership on initiatives that support innovation.
• Provides training and resources to promote a culture of innovation that encourages and supports experimentation and rewards new ideas and ways of thinking.
• Manages a portfolio of projects from start to finish, ensuring that they are completed on time, to the highest quality and in an inclusive and collaborative manner. Responsible for final deliverables.
• Designs, conducts, and oversees ethnographic and other research: interviews, virtual and in person observation, and artifact analysis.
• Leads the design and facilitation of in-person and virtual collaborative workshops.
• Manages and contributes to insight development from primary (firm data) and secondary (external trends) research.
• Maintains an awareness of current and upcoming legal innovation trends.
• Drives collaboration with internal business groups to complete projects that leverage the resources available to the firm.
• Ensure that the work produced by the team meets the firm’s quality standards by reviewing work products, providing feedback, and identifying areas for improvement.
• Manage and develop staff by assigning tasks, providing feedback, mentoring and coaching team members, and conducting performance evaluations.
• The ideal candidate will have experience, knowledge, and/or great interest in legal tech, as well as a passion for empathy and precision.
  Job functions included are not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary. Reed Smith reserves the right to revise or modify job functions at any time.