IP Practice Group Director: Strategy & Operations

Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Competitive salary

Excellent benefits

Employee wellness programs

Job summary

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is seeking a Practice Group Director to drive the success of our Patent, Trademark, Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment, and Construction Litigation Practice Groups. In this hybrid role, you'll partner with Practice Group leadership and administrative teams to align priorities with firm-wide initiatives and foster people-centered processes.

You will oversee workflow design, staffing, budgeting, and cross-department collaboration, while promoting operational excellence and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 10–15 years of supervisory/management experience.
• 7+ years of patent and trademark experience (US/foreign filing, prosecution, maintenance, docketing).
• Thorough knowledge of US/foreign patent/trademark rules and operations.
• Strong leadership and project management skills; ability to manage multiple initiatives under pressure.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills; strong analytical ability.
• Familiarity with budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, and performance reporting.
• Knowledge of AI tools with willingness to evaluate emerging technologies.
• Advanced degree and prior law firm HR/operations experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic advisor to firm and Practice Group leadership on operational, people-related, and administrative matters; identify needs and opportunities and lead designated initiatives to advance Practice Groups' priorities.
• Lead operational and systems initiatives within Patent and Trademark practices, including workflow design, staffing models, quality controls, resource allocation, and cross-department coordination; maintain deep knowledge of U.S. and foreign prosecution workflows and drive continuous improvement. Supervise Intellectual Property Practice Manager.
• Partner with administrative functions (HR, Finance, Information Services, Knowledge Management, Marketing, etc.) to advance Practice Groups' priorities and facilitate effective implementation of firm initiatives and processes within Practice Groups.
• Lead people-focused initiatives, policies, and processes at the Practice Group level, including onboarding and offboarding, succession planning, training and career development, workload management, performance management, compensation, and associate advancement to partnership.
• Coordinate with Finance on budgets, reporting, staffing models, profitability, and matter management; monitor industry and internal trends to recommend operational enhancements.
• Facilitate client reporting and budget tracking; collaborate with Marketing on cross-practice initiatives, sponsorships, conferences, RFPs, and intranet content.
• Support Practice Groups' strategic business plans, clarify priorities, track progress, and help remove roadblocks; promote consistent communication across Practice Groups and administrative teams; identify and address morale, retention, and performance challenges.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Collaboration

Analytical ability

Stakeholder management

Influence

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (desirable)

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is seeking a Practice Group Director to drive the success of our Patent, Trademark, Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment, and Construction Litigation Practice Groups. In this hybrid role, you'll partner with Practice Group leadership and administrative teams to align priorities with firm-wide initiatives and foster people-centered processes.

You will oversee workflow design, staffing, budgeting, and cross-department collaboration, while promoting operational excellence and