Legal Project Manager

DLA Piper • Full-time • United States • $110.67k - $175.96k / year • 3w ago

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let’s see what we can achieve. Together.

Summary

The Legal Project Manager works to maximize results and increase profitability for practice groups by performing financial analysis, management reporting, budgeting, resource management, and expense control. The Legal Project Manager supports the firm’s practice management efforts. These efforts include: analyzing firm, practice group, client and matter financial information; collaborating with multiple internal departments to encompass a variety of tasks related to pricing and profitability analysis; responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating practice and legal project management platforms and tools, training lawyers to use those tools and implementing best practices in matter management.

Location

This position can sit in any of our U.S. offices and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities

Prepares financial information for an assigned practice group(s). Examines accounting and financial records to ensure data accuracy and to develop reports on monthly performance. Regularly meets with the Practice Group Leaders, financial personnel, and practice group director to review and discuss results and maintain positive financial control.
Provides technical expertise in preparing reports and summaries, creating and maintaining templates, analysis, cost findings, and management briefings. Analyzes and reports practice group and firm metrics and compares financial and operational performance against internal and external benchmarks. Identifies trends in financial performance and provide recommendations for improvement.
Understands law firm economics and our firm’s financial system and related financial tools to train partners, attorneys, and practice groups on law firm economics and the Firm’s Matter Management methodologies.
Performs annual budgeting analysis and prospective modeling to predict period-end performance and determines the impact of proposed initiatives.
Assists Service Delivery leadership in coordinating tasks with the analyst-level resources and provides direction and work product review as needed.
Assists in developing strategic plans and ensures that the strategic planning process stays on track. Undertakes special projects in support of the Firm's strategic initiatives.
Collaborates with Business Intelligence and IT on the development of client-level and matter-level progress reports.
Actively seeks opportunities to improve processes, create efficiency, and automate tasks.
Other duties as assigned.

Desired Skills

Proven ability to synthesize and analyze financial data and prepare reports to assist in making project management and pricing-related decisions and making risk assessments. Strong communication skills and ability to successfully consult, collaborate and inspire confidence and trust with the firm’s senior partners, lawyer-leaders, and staff leaders. Outstanding organizational skills. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-level priorities in a fast-paced changing environment to successful conclusion in a timely manner. Advanced proficiency in MS Office suite applications, specifically MS Excel and spreadsheet/database applications. Ability to work well as part of a team.

Minimum Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics or related field.

Certificates

Project management certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2, etc.) preferred.

Minimum Years of Experience

6 years of financial analysis, accounting, or business analysis experience, preferably in a professional services environment.

Essential Job Expectations

While the specific job requirements of a DLA Piper position may vary depending upon scope of the job and area of specialty, there are certain universal requirements that are expected of all DLA Piper employees, which include but are not limited to:

Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.
Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.
Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
Foster positive work relationships.
Comply with all firm policies and practices.
Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.
Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.

Our employees are expected to embrace and uphold our firm values as a part of our DLA Piper culture. We are committed to excellence in how we represent our clients and develop our people.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Work Environment

The individual selected for this position may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement comprised of remote and in-office work, the requirement for which will be determined in coordination with the hiring manager or supervisor and may be modified in the firm’s discretion in the future.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm’s discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment.

Application Process

Applicants must apply directly online instead of sending application materials via email.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to permit individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions and responsibilities of the position or to participate in the job selection process. If you have a request for an accommodation during the application process, please contact

careers@us.dlapiper.com

Agency applications will not be considered.

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position.

The firm’s expected hiring range for this position is $110,666 – $175,962 per year depending on the candidate’s geographic market location.

The compensation offered for employment will also be dependent on other factors including the candidate’s experience, skills, educational and professional background, and overall qualifications. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k)

#LI-Hybrid

DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.