IP Practice Group Director & Operations Leader

Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Wilmington (DE); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Excellent benefits

Hybrid role

Job summary

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is seeking a Practice Group Director to drive the success of firm-wide Patent, Trademark, Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment, and Construction Litigation groups. You will partner with Practice Group leadership and key admin functions to align priorities, optimize operations, and promote people-centered processes across groups.

The role is hybrid and based in any U.S. office, with responsibilities spanning strategic advisory, workflow design, budgeting, and

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of supervisory/management experience.
• 7+ years of patent and trademark experience or equivalent.
• Thorough knowledge of U.S. and foreign patent/trademark rules and procedures.
• Strong leadership and project management skills; ability to manage multiple initiatives under pressure.
• Excellent collaboration and communication; sound judgment managing sensitive personnel and risk issues.
• Knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, and performance reporting.

Responsibilities

• Act as strategic advisor to firm and Practice Group leadership on operational, people-related, and administrative matters.
• Lead operational and systems initiatives within Patent and Trademark practices, including staffing models, workflow design, and resource allocation.
• Partner with HR, Finance, IS, KM, Marketing, and others to advance Practice Groups’ priorities.
• Lead people-focused initiatives, including onboarding/offboarding, succession planning, training, and associate advancement to partnership.
• Coordinate with Finance on budgets, reporting, staffing models, profitability, and matter management; monitor trends.
• Facilitate client reporting and budget tracking; collaborate on cross-practice initiatives, sponsorships, conferences, and intranet content.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Operations

Communication

Education

Advanced degree

Job description

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is seeking a Practice Group Director to drive the success of firm-wide Patent, Trademark, Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment, and Construction Litigation groups. You will partner with Practice Group leadership and key admin functions to align priorities, optimize operations, and promote people-centered processes across groups.

The role is hybrid and based in any U.S. office, with responsibilities spanning strategic advisory, workflow design, budgeting, and