Hybrid Manager, Paralegal Services & Operations

Akerman LLP; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Akerman LLP, a national law firm, seeks an experienced Manager of Paralegal Services to lead paralegal teams across offices and practice groups. You will oversee staffing, training, recruitment, workforce planning, and operational excellence, partnering with the Senior Director to advance strategic priorities and deliver high-quality support to attorneys and clients.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned legal professional and people leader who excels at building relationships, solving operational

Qualifications

• Minimum seven years of law firm or corporate legal department experience.
• Minimum of three years of leadership or management experience.
• Demonstrated success leading legal professionals in a multi-office environment.
• Experience with workforce planning, utilization management, workflow coordination, and performance management.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced professional services environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for the firm's paralegals.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and client-focused culture.
• Support employee engagement, succession planning, and career development initiatives.
• Partner with Human Resources on employee relations, performance management, and talent development.
• Monitor utilization, workload, productivity, and staffing across offices and practice groups.
• Promote firmwide resource optimization through cross-office and cross-practice utilization, workload balancing, and capacity management.
• Coordinate staffing for significant matters, transactions, trials, arbitrations, and special projects.
• Partner with attorneys and practice group leaders to align staffing resources with business needs and client demands.
• Analyze utilization and performance metrics to identify trends, capacity needs, and operational opportunities.
• Lead recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and retention efforts for the paralegal team.
• Develop and oversee training, mentoring, and professional development programs.
• Promote knowledge sharing and best practices across offices and practice groups.
• Assist with the implementation of departmental policies, procedures, and service standards.
• Evaluate workflows and recommend process improvements that enhance efficiency, consistency, and service delivery.
• Support departmental budgeting, reporting, utilization tracking, and operational metrics.
• Serve as a liaison among attorneys, practice group leaders, Human Resources, and administrative departments to ensure responsive, high-quality support.

Skills

Paralegal leadership

Workforce planning

Utilization management

Staffing & recruiting

Cross-office collaboration

Mentoring & coaching

Analytical skills

Education

Paralegal certificate

Job description

Akerman LLP, a national law firm, seeks an experienced Manager of Paralegal Services to lead paralegal teams across offices and practice groups. You will oversee staffing, training, recruitment, workforce planning, and operational excellence, partnering with the Senior Director to advance strategic priorities and deliver high-quality support to attorneys and clients.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned legal professional and people leader who excels at building relationships, solving operational