Manager, Practice Operations and Initiatives

Gowling WLG; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 101,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Vacation days

Hybrid work flexibility

Retirement plan

Job summary

Gowling WLG in Ottawa seeks a Manager, Practice Operations and Initiatives to drive strategic priorities and operational improvements across practice groups. You will translate priorities into structured plans, coordinate stakeholders, and monitor progress with governance and reporting capabilities.

The role requires 5–8 years of experience in operations or professional services, strong financial and analytical skills, and excellent communication to influence without authority.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Management, Finance or a related discipline.
• 5–8 years of relevant experience in operations, project management, business management or professional services; law firm experience is asset.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation.
• Strong financial acumen and experience preparing, analyzing and presenting financial/operational reports and metrics.
• Excellent analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong project-management, change-management, and organizational skills with multi-priority handling.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate a portfolio of strategic and operational initiatives approved by the Senior Practice Director.
• Translate priorities into project charters, business cases, plans, timelines and milestones.
• Monitor progress, dependencies, resources, risks and outcomes; escalate issues as needed.
• Support consistent implementation of practice group and Firm priorities across offices.
• Oversee coordination of practice areas; identify gaps and recommend solutions.
• Develop and maintain practice-management processes, tools and governance frameworks.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, agendas, materials and follow-up commitments.
• Maintain dashboards and reports on performance and priorities.
• Analyze revenue, billing, collections, productivity and utilization metrics.
• Identify trends and provide recommendations to support leadership decisions.
• Collaborate with Practice Directors, Department Chairs and Business Services teams.
• Lead change-management activities and post-implementation follow-up.

Skills

Project management

Financial analysis

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional leadership

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Management, Finance or related discipline

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

BI tools (business intelligence)

Job description

About Gowling Wlg

At Gowling WLG, our commitment to excellence begins with our people. As an international law firm with offices in Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, we’re proud to recruit and retain top talent who bring energy, insight, and a singular focus on delivering exceptional experiences – for our clients and each other.

About Gowling Wlg

At Gowling WLG, our commitment to excellence begins with our people. As an international law firm with offices in Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, we’re proud to recruit and retain top talent who bring energy, insight, and a singular focus on delivering exceptional experiences – for our clients and each other. We’re intentional about building a workplace that’s both high-performing and supportive, ensuring that everyone is empowered to do their best work and reach their full potential. Our culture is grounded in our shared values: Raise the Bar, Embrace Differences, and Thrive Together. These values shape how we collaborate, lead, and succeed – across teams, time zones, and career paths. Whether you’re pursuing a role in law or business services, explore what’s possible and make your mark with Gowling WLG.

PROFILE

The Manager, Practice Operations and Initiatives leads the execution of strategic priorities and operational improvements across the Firm's practice groups. Reporting to the Senior Practice Director, you will lead complex initiatives, strengthen governance, and develop reporting and analytics that enhance practice performance. The role translates approved priorities into structured plans, coordinates cross-functional stakeholders, monitors progress and outcomes, and drives continuous improvement and adoption. Strategic direction, practice performance accountability and final decision-making remain with the Senior Practice Director.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate a portfolio of strategic and operational initiatives approved by the Senior Practice Director and practice leadership.
• Translate Firm and practice priorities into project charters, business cases, implementation plans, timelines, responsibilities, measures and expected outcomes.
• Manage initiatives from scoping through implementation and evaluation, monitoring milestones, dependencies, resources, risks and outcomes, and escalating issues as appropriate.
• Support the consistent implementation of practice group and Firm priorities across practices and offices.
• Oversee the operational coordination of assigned practice areas, identify service or process gaps, and recommend practical solutions.
• Develop and maintain practice-management processes, tools and governance frameworks that promote consistency and accountability.
• Coordinate practice leadership meetings, including agendas, materials, decision records and follow-up on commitments and action items.
• Maintain dashboards and reports on practice performance, strategic initiatives and operational priorities.
• Analyze revenue, billings, collections, productivity and utilization metrics.
• Identify trends, variances, risks and opportunities, and develop practical recommendations to support leadership decision‑making.
• Partner with Practice Directors, Practice Group Leaders, Department Chairs and Business Services teams, including Finance, People & Culture, Marketing and Business Development, Legal Talent, Knowledge Management, and Innovation and Technology.
• Lead continuous‑improvement and change‑management activities by coordinating communications, stakeholder engagement, implementation support and post‑implementation follow‑up.
• Perform any other related duties as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Management, Finance or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5-8 years of relevant experience in operations, project management, business management or professional services; law firm experience is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional strategic or operational initiatives from planning through implementation.
• Strong financial acumen and experience preparing, analyzing and presenting financial and operational reports and performance metrics.
• Excellent analytical, strategic-thinking, critical-thinking and problem‑solving abilities.
• Strong project‑management, change‑management, planning and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, relationship‑building and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with reporting, business intelligence and project‑management tools is preferred.
• Sound judgment and demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Bilingualism is considered a strong asset.

Benefits/Perks

Gowling WLG’s total rewards program is designed to foster a culture where high performance and personal well‑being go hand‑in‑hand. We support your career and life with:

• 100% employer‑paid health, dental, and mental health coverage, plus an annual lifestyle spending allowance
• Benefits coverage for Firm members and their dependents from day one!
• 20+ vacation days and hybrid work flexibility.
• Parental leave top‑up for 26 weeks (after 12 months of full‑time employment)
• Group Retirement Savings Plan with employer match.
• Financial protection through short & long‑term disability, life, accident & critical illness insurance
• Employee & Family Assistance Program, guided CBT, and an internal network of 120+ trained Mental Health First Aid responders
• Recognition awards, appreciation events, and a supportive, collaborative work culture
• Perks and preferred pricing programs, referral bonuses and more

The starting range for this role is $101,000 to $125,000. Starting salary will be determined based on an applicant’s individual skills, competencies and unique qualifications. Gowling WLG employees have the potential to exceed this range based on tenure and performance.

This position is currently vacant and is open to both internal and external candidates. Gowling WLG is recruiting for this role to support ongoing firm needs and team operations.

This employer may use tools within our applicant tracking system that include artificial intelligence–supported features, such as automated candidate matching. These tools do not make hiring decisions; all screening, assessments, and selections are reviewed and completed by human recruiters and hiring managers.

Gowling WLG is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you are in need of accommodation or support at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know.