Business Relationship Manager

WilmerHale is a leading, full-service international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located throughout 12 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Our lawyers work at the intersection of government, technology and business, and we remain committed to our guiding principles of providing quality, excellent legal and client services; developing diversity among our lawyers and staff and cultivating an environment that promotes an ambitious spirit, collaboration and collegiality by drawing on the extraordinary talents and dynamic experience of our lawyers. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our clients and the communities in which we practice.

What You Will Be Doing

Responsible for establishing and managing strategic relationships with internal customers across legal and business operations departments, with a primary focus on advancing the firm's AI strategy. Shapes and manages the execution of complex AI projects from conception through delivery, with a focus on aligning solutions with stakeholder objectives and business needs. Leads the gathering of business needs through direct interaction with firm personnel, and is proactive in understanding business processes, the key drivers and measures of success for the firm, and the short-term and long-term direction of the legal and business departments, the firm and technology. Proactively identifies high-impact AI use cases, applies AI to improve and automate business processes, and helps the firm anticipate and respond to evolving client and market demands through innovative technology solutions. Acts as a liaison between IS and the end-users to define and establish service and support requirements. Translates high level business requirements into functional specifications for the IS organization and manages changes to such specifications.

Based on breadth and depth of understanding of business needs and processes, collaborates with IS professionals to determine if solutions currently exist (internally or externally) or whether new solutions are feasible. Analyzes and determines the operational and financial impact of new product and service offerings. Takes a broad perspective to determine how such solutions will impact existing work processes and systems, and how to manage the integration. Aligns IS resources and processes to meet the client organization's needs. Regularly communicates with key stakeholders and promotes IS services. Facilitates end-user testing, implementation, and training.

About this role:

• Identifies opportunities to use technology to impact department strategy and performance. Identifies sources of advantage and look for customer opportunities that anticipate and satisfy changing customer needs. Identifies new product and service offerings, particularly AI solutions, which may create unique, innovative and high-value customer solutions.
• Facilitates a continuous planning process. Works with stakeholders to manage and prioritize product and service portfolios. Works with stakeholders to identify pain points and process improvement opportunities that can be solved with AI. Analyzes potential solutions to estimate value to the organization and return on investment (ROI). Advocates for technology needs of the business.
• Communicates technology strategy, plans and status to the business community. Provides information to IS about customer plans, opportunities, and needs. Manages customer plans and expectations.
• Elicits requirements using interviews, document analysis, requirements workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, business analysis, task and workflow analysis.
• Understands the business processes and challenges and assesses client needs. Develops a deep knowledge of the firm's business, information technology and AI service delivery capabilities. Works with the business to define and validate system requirements. Prepares functional specifications and system design specifications that can be used by IS to build solutions.
• Evaluates information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, decompose high-level information into details, abstract up from low-level information to a general understanding, and distinguish user requests from the underlying true needs.
• Develops governance agreements with clients. Defines and monitors Service Level Agreements (SLA). Measures customer satisfaction and IS effectiveness with the business units. Develops and implements recommendations for improvement. Works with IS to resolve problems and improve service levels.
• Acts as the liaison between the business, technology teams and support teams.
• Works with the IS to develop implementation plans for new products and services and communicate them to legal and business departments. Identifies technology training needs. Coordinates with change management group regarding the delivery of training programs.
• Builds IS's understanding of the business and help to educate the business about emerging technologies, especially in the AI space.
• Promotes IS services to the business. Demonstrates the value of IS services and how they meet business objectives to improve solution adoption.
• Assumes additional responsibilities as assigned.

• Strong customer service orientation.
• Must have significant knowledge and close familiarity with law firm technology and artificial intelligence.
• Builds both formal and informal professional relationships. Maintains and extends relationships within, across and external to organizational boundaries. Obtains and shares information, ideas and problems.
• Applies knowledge of the customer's functions and processes to develop business case and business requirement documents. Assesses the benefits of recommended solutions.
• Proven interpersonal and communication skills. Expresses technical and business concepts, ideas, feelings, opinions, and conclusions orally and in writing. Listens attentively and reinforces words through body language and tone.
• Ability to understand a legal or operational business unit's needs and translate needs into IT specific requirements. Demonstrated problem solving abilities, analytical skills, and proven ability to meet challenging deadlines required.
• Uses an understanding of legal and business functions and available technology to analyze and propose technical strategies for the business. Assesses benefits and risks.
• Identifies and acts upon opportunities for continuous improvement. Encourages prudent risk-taking, exploration of alternative approaches, and organizational learning. Demonstrates personal commitment to change through actions and words. Mobilizes others to support change through times of stress and uncertainty.
• Familiar with System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) concepts.

Education

• Bachelors Degree required, Computer Science or Management concentration preferred
• JD strongly preferred

• 7-10 years of relevant technical and legal work experience
• Knowledge of law firm processes required.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by employees in the position. It is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills for positions. The firm reserves the right at all times, in its sole discretion, to add or subtract duties and responsibilities, as it deems necessary.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to compliance with all applicable laws prohibiting employment discrimination. It is our policy to take all employment actions and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, citizenship status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, disability, military status, status as a disabled or other protected veteran, or any other protected status under applicable law. WilmerHale will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and otherwise as required by applicable law.

For more information about Equal Employment Opportunity, please click here.

For additional information about our benefits, please click here.

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