Chief Attorney Development Officer

Plona Partners; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 375,000 - 425,000; Full time

Job summary

A premier international law firm is seeking a Chief of Attorney Development & Engagement to shape the attorney experience across a global organization. The role requires significant leadership in attorney training, engagement, and performance management. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of experience in legal talent strategy within large law firms, along with exceptional discretion and executive presence. The position offers a competitive compensation package and requires in-office work in Washington, D.C.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in attorney development or talent strategy within a large law firm.
• Strong understanding of various legal practice areas and success models.
• Credibility to work with executive leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for attorney learning and training initiatives.
• Develop leadership paths and performance management systems.
• Enhance attorney engagement and retention strategies.

Skills

Attorney development

Talent strategy

Professional development

Leadership development

Mentorship

Coaching

Performance management

Engagement initiatives

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Chief of Attorney Development & Engagement

Compensation: $375,000–$425,000 base + annual bonus

We are conducting a highly confidential search on behalf of a premier international law firm for a Chief of Attorney Development & Engagement. This is a rare C-suite leadership opportunity for a senior legal talent executive or former practicing attorney with deep experience building and scaling attorney development, engagement, training, mentoring, performance management, and culture initiatives across a large, multi-office law firm platform.

This individual will play a critical role in shaping the attorney experience across a global organization of 700+ lawyers by leading strategy around:

• Attorney learning, education, and training
• Leadership development and career pathing
• Performance management and promotion infrastructure
• Attorney engagement and opportunity initiatives
• Mentorship, coaching, and retention strategy
• Alumni relations and brand-building efforts
• CLE/MCLE compliance and professional responsibility training
• Pro bono engagement and strategic alignment

The ideal profile will bring:

• 10+ years of experience in attorney development, talent strategy, professional development, or legal learning leadership within a sophisticated law firm environment
• Strong understanding of large law firm practice groups and attorney success models across transactional, litigation, regulatory, and IP practices
• The credibility and judgment to partner with executive leadership, firm management, and board-level stakeholders
• A modern, innovative mindset around legal talent, leadership development, culture, and GenAI-enabled learning strategies
• Exceptional discretion, executive presence, and the ability to lead across offices and constituencies

A JD is strongly preferred, and this role is based in one of the firm’s major U.S. offices with an in-office expectation and some travel. This is an exceptional opportunity to step into a visible, enterprise-wide role at a firm known for strong client service, forward-thinking leadership, and a collaborative cross-disciplinary culture.