Director, Legal Talent Strategy, Planning and Operations

Job Summary & Objectives

The Director of Legal Talent Strategy, Planning and Operations serves as a strategic partner, operational lead and trusted advisor to the Chief Legal Talent Officer (CLTO) leading the coordination of functional activities, operations and people-related matters across the Legal Talent function, including Operations & Administration, Legal Talent technology, Training & Development, Integration, Legal Recruiting, Partner Development & Administration, and Inclusion.

In partnership with the CLTO and functional leaders, this role will develop and implement strategic plans and initiatives that standardize, streamline, and enhance support for the Legal Talent function.  This role drives cross-functional coordination, manages high-priority initiatives, prepares executive communications and presentations and ensures strategic priorities are translated into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.  This is a transformation role—responsible for identifying and implementing technologies, systems, and ways of working that position Legal Talent as a modern, data-driven function.

This role requires a deep understanding of big law or complex, highly-matrixed organization environments and the ability to collaborate extensively with cross-functional partners in Information Technology, Human Resources, Knowledge & Innovation, Client Development & Engagement, Regional Administration, and Practice Management.

This role reports directly to the CLTO and will help to foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and professional development within the department.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

Legal Talent Strategy, Planning & Operations

• Leadership: Serve on the Chief Legal Talent Officer’s Leadership Team that is collectively responsible for Legal Operations & Administration, Training & Development, Integration, Legal Recruiting, Partner Development & Administration, and Inclusion.
• Strategic Planning & Cross Functional Coordination: Partner with the CLTO and functional leaders to develop and implement strategic plans and initiatives that standardize, streamline, and enhance operational support for the attorney population; turn department priorities into project plans with clear owners, timelines and deliverables; ensure accountability by tracking progress on department initiatives and escalating issues to CLTO; coordinate across Legal Talent functions to reduce duplication and inefficiencies; shape and support the strategic evolution of the Legal Talent function, including alignment with key Firm-wide initiatives and priorities.
• Process Improvement & Change Management: Evaluate internal workflows and reporting (e.g., headcount reporting / requests, utilization monitoring / reporting, process mapping, regulatory compliance, AI implementation, etc.) and identify opportunities to standardize and streamline; coordinate implementation of new processes and systems, including internal communications and training for impacted teams; develop and maintain a centralized repository of process documents, playbooks, templates, and standard operating procedures for easy access and reference.
• Project Leadership and Vendor Management: In coordination with functional leaders and the Senior Manager of Legal Talent Technology and Analytics, co-lead project teams and evaluate prospective vendors / commercial terms; coordinate with appropriate Firm departments on contract review and renewals; maintain oversight of vendor relationship and performance.
• Budget and Headcount: Partner with functional leadership to manage departmental budgets (both financial and headcount), including forecasting, and annual planning; review monthly department expenses and address variances with CLTO.
• Data & Reporting: Analyze talent data and metrics to inform decision-making and monitor program effectiveness; partner with relevant teams to improve data accuracy and consistency; benchmark Legal Talent structure, staffing, and practices against peer firms and the market.
• Executive Support and Communications: Prepare high-level briefing materials, presentations, talking points, reports, Firm leadership updates and other written communications, ensuring consistency and clarity; synthesize data and feedback into concise insights and storylines tailored for internal senior audiences to enable informed decision-making; support agenda development, meeting planning, and follow-up for leadership meetings; draft internal communications relating to legal talent initiatives, policy changes and strategic priorities.
• Stakeholder Management: Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders across legal talent, attorney development, recruiting, practice group leadership, operations, and firm administration; facilitate alignment among diverse stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives; exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion in handling sensitive issues and confidential information.

Legal Talent Technology

• Technology & AI Strategy: Lead the Legal Talent team overseeing its technology and AI transformation agenda, including identifying, evaluating, piloting, and scaling technologies that enhance how Legal Talent operates and delivers value.
• IT & Knowledge Partnership: With the Senior Manager of Legal Talent Technology & Analytics, act as Legal Talent’s liaison to the Firm’s Information Technology and Knowledge & Innovation functions, ensuring Legal Talent’s technology needs are represented, prioritized, and delivered in partnership with Firm-wide infrastructure.

Talent Management

• Professional Staff Recruiting: Partner with functional leadership on recruiting and hiring processes for Legal Talent professional staff roles, ensuring alignment with Firm growth objectives and talent needs.
• Onboarding: Design and implement comprehensive onboarding programs across Legal Talent departments to ensure successful integration of new team members.
• Training: Develop and oversee functional training and professional development initiatives for Legal Talent professional staff that build strong foundation and leadership capabilities.
• Job Architecture: Support career progression, competency model, mentoring, performance management, and succession planning across the team.
• Workflow Management: Regularly review operations of the Legal Talent Team, leveraging technology-enabled workflows to ensure efficiency, clear roles and responsibilities, and strong cross-functional collaboration.
• Culture & Influence: Model and reinforce Legal Talent team culture — professional excellence, collaborative spirit, intellectual curiosity, and continuous improvement; lead through influence across Legal Talent and the broader Firm, building consensus, championing new ideas, and driving behavioral change.
  

Education

Required

• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred

• JD, MBA or equivalent advanced degree

Skills and Experience

Required

• Minimum of 15 years of comparable experience in professional services, consulting, legal operations, or related field strongly preferred
• Well-honed business acumen, financial and analytic skills, and the ability to develop short- and long- term strategic and operational plans from broadly stated objectives
• Strong ability to prioritize and manage multiple operational initiatives simultaneously, including business transformation/service model shifts, and significant real estate/construction projects
• Outstanding interpersonal skills; the ability to lead through influence rather than control, champion new ideas and approaches, and to build consensus-based support for business strategies and decisions
• Excellent presentation, writing, and verbal communication skills; the ability to interact credibly and diplomatically with all levels in an organization and in the outside community – tailoring communications effectively for different groups and stakeholders
• Demonstrated success managing, mentoring, and developing a team of top-tier professionals
• Self-starter and team player; effective collaborator
• Proven track record of driving continuous improvement, innovation, and optimization
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to engage across technical and non-technical stakeholders

Salary Information

NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $300,000 to $350,000 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.

Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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