Director: Legal Technology and Innovation - Greater Syracuse-Auburn Area

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world's major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts ...

Job description

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world's major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.

We are a collegial, collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm's client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Legal Technology and Innovation department in our Chicago or New York office, as a Director: Legal Technology and Innovation.

The Director: Legal Technology and Innovation serves as the operational partner to the firm's Innovation leader, responsible for translating innovation strategy into delivered, adopted, and sustained outcomes across the Firm. The role focuses on helping to execute, adopt, and coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure innovation initiatives move from concept to everyday legal practice with measurable impact. The Director acts as the connective tissue between strategy and execution, absorbing friction and providing leadership with clear visibility into initiative progress and outcomes.

Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
Innovation Strategy Execution & Initiative Ownership

• Executes innovation and legal technology initiatives approved by the Sr. Director of Innovation from scoping through sustained adoption
• Translates strategic priorities into practical initiatives, workplans, and delivery sequences aligned to Firm objectives
• Acts as the Sr. Director's operational delegate for day-to-day execution decisions within defined guardrails
• Identifies risks, delays, and adoption challenges and provides data-backed recommendations

Adoption, Enablement & Change Management

• Leads adoption strategy ensuring solutions are intuitive, practical, and embedded into daily legal work
• Designs and executes enablement and training plans in partnership with KM, LPM, Practice Technology, Operations, and Technology teams
• Addresses resistance and drives sustained behavior change using data and feedback

Cross-Functional Coordination & Delivery

• Serves as the primary coordination point across Innovation, Technology, KM, LPM, Operations, and external partners
• Ensures clear ownership, governance, and sustainability plans for all delivered solutions

Measurement, Insights & Reporting

• Tracks adoption, usage, and outcomes of initiatives against defined objectives
• Prepares concise, decision-ready insights for leadership

Communication & Engagement

• Reinforces consistent messaging around innovation initiatives and workflow changes
• Acts as a trusted escalation point for practice groups during rollouts

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Manages and coordinates work of team members who support innovation delivery
• Establishes repeatable execution and adoption playbooks
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives

Qualifications
Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required; advanced degree preferred

Professional Experience

• A minimum of 8 years of demonstrated experience delivering technology-enabled change within a complex professional services environment. Law firm experience preferred
• Expertise in legal technology and AI tools

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products

Performance Traits

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate effectively and in a professional manner with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors
• Ability to work in a diverse team environment and effectively support the demanding needs of the Firm
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines with shifting priorities
• Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative
• Strong customer service skills, able to anticipate needs and exercise independent judgment
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion
• Exercises solid strategic thinking and problem-solving skills

Management Accountabilities

• Manages processes for direct reports in regards to performance appraisals, annual compensation, goal setting and performance counselling
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience
• Operational budget analysis and recommendations
• Conducts analysis of staffing levels and participation in the recruitment process
• Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies
• Process- and service-oriented with strong leadership and project management skills
• Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner

The typical pay scale for this position in Chicago is between $236,000 and $340,000, and in New York between $243,000 and $351,000, although the actual wage or salary could be lower or higher if the candidate's education, experience, skills and internal pay alignment are different from those specified.

The above is a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

The Firm may modify and amend this job description at any time at its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous paid time off (PTO), as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

Thank you for your interest in Mayer Brown. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities and disabled veterans. To request a reasonable accommodation related to the application process and/or job interview, please email . 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.