Director, Practice Group Strategy and Operations

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP seeks a Senior leader to drive Practice Group strategy and operations from Boston or Philadelphia, blending firm priorities with Practice Group goals. You will coordinate cross‑functional resources, govern meetings, and deliver concise executive materials to partners and leaders.

The role requires translating broad priorities into concrete plans, overseeing annual processes, and ensuring accountability across offices and time zones while mentoring staff and managing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university or equivalent.
• Progressive experience translating strategy into execution in a matrixed organization.
• Experience in a large law firm or complex global professional services environment preferred.
• Ability to collaborate across offices, regions, and time zones and travel periodically.
• Strong leadership, judgment, and communication skills for executive needs.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Practice Group leadership to translate priorities into strategic and operating plans with clear outcomes and ownership.
• Maintain executive-level progress views and adjust plans as priorities evolve.
• Coordinate practice group priorities, initiatives, processes, deadlines, risks, and decisions.
• Provide governance support by structuring leadership meetings and preparing concise executive materials.
• Serve as primary integrator between Practice Group leadership and firm functions (Finance, Talent, BD, Technology, KM, Research).
• Identify barriers and risks and drive improvements and adoption of major initiatives.
• Lead Practice Group Strategy & Operations personnel where assigned and manage budget efficiency.
• Coach and develop staff, set expectations, and ensure accountability and follow-through.

Skills

Strategic planning

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Project management

Stakeholder alignment

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

AI tools

Job description

Responsibilities include:

Practice Group Strategy & Operating Planning

• Partner with Practice Group leadership to translate firm and Practice Group priorities into practical strategic and operating plans, with clear outcomes, priorities, ownership, measures, resource requirements, and accountability.
• Maintain an executive-level view of progress and adjust plans as priorities and circumstances evolve.

Integrated Practice Group Operations & Annual Processes

• Maintain a coordinated view of the Practice Group's priorities, initiatives, recurring processes, commitments, risks, and deadlines.
• Establish an effective operating cadence and coordinate participation in firmwide processes, providing leadership with clear visibility into progress, issues, and required decisions.

Governance, Meetings, and Decision Support

• Support effective Practice Group governance by structuring leadership meetings and decision processes, preparing concise executive materials, coordinating required information and participants, documenting decisions, and ensuring appropriate follow-through and escalation.

Cross-Functional Integration, Risk, and Change

• Serve as the primary integrator between Practice Group leadership and firm functions, coordinating resources, information, decisions, and implementation across areas such as Finance, Talent, Business Development, Technology, AI, Knowledge Management, and Research.
• Identify barriers and risks to drive improvements and adoption of significant initiatives.

Practice Operations Center of Excellence and Team Leadership

• Apply and improve common Practice Group Strategy & Operations standards and practices.
• Share lessons and reusable approaches across practices and, where assigned, lead and develop Practice Group Strategy & Operations personnel and support effective resource deployment and continuity.
• Lead by example; establish clear expectations; set direction, priorities; delegate to ensure work levels are balanced and at an appropriate level; and resolve internal staff issues.
• Facilitate the development of staff by providing opportunities and support with timely feedback; regularly coach, evaluate, and recognize staff performance and accomplishments.
• Establish department budget; seek to improve department efficiency and reduce expenses by streamlining operations.

Experience and qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from four-year college or university or, equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Progressive experience translating strategy into execution, coordinating complex operations and annual processes, and partnering with senior business or practice leaders in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic and operating plans, governance and review cadences, executive decision materials, performance measures, and complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience in a large law firm or similarly complex global professional services organization is preferred, together with the ability to work effectively across offices, regions, time zones, and organizational boundaries and to travel periodically as required.
• Working understanding of law firm or professional services operations and the ability to connect firm strategy, Practice Group priorities, practice economics, talent, client and market considerations, and operational execution.
• Demonstrated ability to translate broad priorities into clear outcomes, plans, milestones, responsibilities, measures, decisions, resource requirements, and operating routines.
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to lead complex work and select and onboard talent, delegate, coach, and lead effectively.
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, and institutional awareness when handling sensitive information.
• Strong service orientation and demonstrated humility, accountability, curiosity, openness to feedback, and reliable follow-through in a high-expectation environment.
• Ability to build trusted relationships, to create alignment among PGL's, partners, professional staff, Practice Group Strategy & Operations colleagues, and functional leaders while respecting decision rights and functional ownership.
• Ability to synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative information into concise, decision-oriented communications, balanced recommendations, and clear executive presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change, manage ambiguity and competing priorities, and sustain momentum across offices, regions, time zones, and organizational boundaries.
• Strong organizational, project-management, and problem-solving skills with the ability to establish practical governance, anticipate dependencies and risks.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business and professional publications, prepare business correspondence, proposals and reports, effectively present information.
• Maintaining an in-office presence is important to delivering services through an integrated and collaborative work culture. Firm policy requires this role to work in the office three days per week, as scheduled by the manager, unless client demands, or another approved accommodation is in place.

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Advanced proficiency with enterprise-approved AI and automation tools used by the firm, together with the judgment to apply them responsibly to analysis, planning, knowledge and workflow improvement.

This position will reside in either our Boston or Philadelphia office with a hybrid in-office/remote working schedule.

For positions in Boston, MA, the salary range for this position is: $174,600.00 - $250,000.00.

The base salary or hourly wage range for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors. The final salary or hourly wages offered may be outside of this range based on other reasons and individual circumstances. Additionally, salary or hourly wages may be only part of the total compensation package. The total compensation package for this position may also include a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, the employee will be in an "at-will position" and the firm reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, firm or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. We value inclusion and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

California Applicants:

Pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act, the following link contains the Firm's California Consumer Privacy Act Privacy Notice for Candidates which explains the categories of personal information that we collect and the purposes for which we use such personal information.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP reasonably accommodates applicants and employees who need them to perform the essential functions of the job because of disability, religious belief, or other reason protected by applicable law. If you believe you need a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact Talent Acquisition at 888.534.5003 or [e-mail]

If hired, y our employment relationship with the firm will be on an "at-will" basis, meaning that the firm may modify the terms and conditions of your employment at any time, and that either you or the firm will be free to end the relationship at any time with or without cause and with or without advance notice, although reasonable notice would be expected.