Pricing Analyst

Cooley is seeking a Pricing Analyst to join the Strategy and Legal Practice team.

Position summary: The Pricing Analyst is responsible for working in partnership with the Pricing Manager, Director of Director of Strategic Pricing, Legal Project Management and Business Analysis, practice group leaders, department chairs and firm management to craft integrated pricing strategies, including a menu of viable alternative pricing options and templates to effectively capitalize on business opportunities and maximize and leverage the firm’s profitability. The position will also work with leadership on practice, business and profitability reporting.  Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Position responsibilities:

• Research and respond to pricing requests in related RFPs
• Drive forward client negotiations, which includes maintaining effective communication between internal stakeholders and clients if needed, developing fee structures, coordinating with internal teams to ensure seamless implementation, and recording accurate documentation
• Together with practice group leaders, attorneys and other key personnel, develop workflows and tools (e.g., checklists, software application(s), etc.) to help attorneys effectively manage their matters from inception to closing
• Develop and implement a database of completed matters to function as a template for future use
• Report on key practice group KPIs, draft communications, and provide substantive input on meeting agendas and other key strategic initiatives, to facilitate a top-down communications strategy in line with the strategic plan
• Help structure, develop and implement best practices for practice management
• Recommend and implement policies and procedures that facilitate consistent, cost-efficient application of legal processes within the firm
• Produce reports and perform analysis to support key pricing decisions
• Perform various types of analysis to support firm management and decision making, including economic, cost/benefit and profitability
• Analyze and interpret billing information, independently research matters and engage in discussions with the firm’s lawyers about the scope and cost of historical engagements and matters
• Develop tools and processes to support data mining and analysis, engagement, budgeting and reporting
• Build upon existing efforts to develop and maintain databases of information about the firm’s engagements across the firm’s practices and matters
• Keep informed regarding the latest pricing tools and trends within the legal services industry
• Independently work with the firm’s lawyers to develop pricing proposals and budgets for their engagements; provide periodic reporting to assist in the monitoring and management of matters
• Work closely with the firm’s marketing organization providing analysis and reporting to support the firm’s marketing and BD initiatives
• Work independently to problem solve, applying in-depth analysis, understanding of business objectives and related disciplines
• Collaborate with other departments including marketing, client account managers, billing, client arrangements, and financial systems, knowledge management and information services.  Work with these departments to gather necessary data
• All other duties as assigned or required

Skills and experience:

Required:

• After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications. 
• Advanced MS Excel skills
• Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
• Ability to travel, as required

• 4+ years’ experience working in finance, pricing or related field
• Working knowledge of business operations (including specifically finance and pricing)
• Experience in preparing models and analysis to assess the profitability of new business proposals, as well as track actual performance against budget
• Experience creating budgets and working on complex pricing and alternative fee arrangements

Preferred:                                                                               

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in finance, accounting, actuarial or mathematics-related field
• Project Management certification
• Experience working as a business analyst in a pricing or finance related capacity
• Practice management experience in a pricing or finance related capacity
• Law firm and/or professional services experience

Competencies:

• Excellent organizational, time-management and prioritization skills required
• Willingness to learn
• Superior problem-solving skills; ability to think critically and strategically to provide analysis and steps for improvement
• Able to work autonomously with direction and feedback
• Takes initiative and seizes opportunities to propel process improvement and innovation
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team; ability and willingness to adapt to changing business demands
• Ability to exercise good judgment at all times by making sound and practical decisions; ability to assume responsibility for decisions and act decisively under deadlines
• Maintain a high level of professional integrity; ability to maintain confidentiality and build trust

Cooley offers a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and is committed to fair and equitable employment practices.

EOE.

The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $100,000 - $120,000. Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate.

We offer a full range of elective benefits including medical, health savings account (with applicable medical plan), dental, vision, health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, long-term care coverage, backup care for children and/or adults and other parental support benefits. In addition to elective benefit options, benefited employees receive firm-paid life insurance, AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits as well as 21 days of Paid Time Off (“PTO”) and 10 paid holidays each year. We provide generous parental leave and fertility benefits. New employees will attend a detailed benefit orientation to learn more about our many benefits and resources.