Manager, Research Services

Sacbar; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 112,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & Vision

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development

Employee discounts

Wellness program

Job summary

Goodwin is seeking a Research Services Manager to lead the firm’s research function, ensuring timely, accurate information for attorneys and professionals. You will supervise the Research Analyst team daily, coordinate workload and coaching, and promote high‑quality deliverables.

You will partner with Knowledge Management, Practice Management and IT to align tools, develop guides, and drive adoption of research platforms.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in MLIS/MLS or equivalent preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive legal research experience, in big firm or corporate setting.
• 2+ years of people management experience or demonstrated leadership of teams and projects.
• Expertise with major legal and business research platforms (Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, PACER, SEC/EDGAR, D&B/Capital IQ, Factiva/News).
• Strong written and verbal communication with ability to translate findings into guidance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily research services delivery across legal, business, industry, and regulatory research.
• Supervise the Research Analyst team, including workload coordination and quality review.
• Set service standards, intake workflows, and escalation protocols.
• Consult with attorneys to clarify objectives and deadlines; deliver concise memos and alerts.
• Collaborate with Knowledge Management, Practice Management, and IT to align tools with needs.
• Coordinate subscription needs, licensing, renewals, and usage tracking.
• Develop research guides, templates, and promote self-service while preserving white-glove support.
• Monitor trends in legal and competitive intelligence and pursue new tools.
• Create metrics and insights to inform resourcing and strategy.
• Support incident response and continuity planning for research services.

Skills

Legal research

People leadership

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS/MLS)

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Westlaw

Lexis

Bloomberg Law

PACER

SEC/EDGAR

D&B/Capital IQ

Factiva/News

Job description

Job Description

The Research Services Manager leads the firm’s research function, ensuring attorneys and business professionals receive timely, accurate, and actionable information to support client matters and firm initiatives. This role provides daily supervision, guidance, and support to the Research Analyst team as direct reports, including workload coordination, prioritization, coaching, and quality oversight. The role also partners with Practice Group leaders and the Knowledge Management function (as applicable), and drives adoption of research tools, standards, and training across the firm.

What You Will Do:

• Oversee daily research services delivery (legal, business, industry, news, docket/case, legislative/regulatory, litigation analytics, and public records research) in support of attorneys and business professionals.


• Provide daily supervision, guidance, and support to the Research Analyst team, including workload coordination, prioritization, coaching, and quality review.


• Establish service standards, intake/triage workflows, and escalation protocols to ensure responsiveness, quality, and consistency.


• Consult with attorneys to clarify research objectives, scope, and deadlines; synthesize findings into concise deliverables (emails, briefings, research memos, alerts, and presentations).


• Partner with Knowledge Management, Practice Management, Business Development/Marketing, and IT to align tools and content with practice needs.


• Coordinate with the Sr. Manager of Contracts and Licensing and the Director of Research Services on subscription needs assessments, trials, licensing, contract negotiation support, renewals, cost optimization, and usage tracking.


• Develop and maintain research guides, templates, and internal documentation; promote self-service where appropriate while preserving white-glove support for complex requests.


• Monitor trends in legal and competitive intelligence and recommend new tools, data sources, and process improvements.


• Create and report metrics and insights (volume, turnaround time, satisfaction, complexity, and cost) to inform resourcing and strategy.


• Support incident response and continuity planning for research services (coverage models, vendor outages, and after-hours needs as required).

Who You Are:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS/MLS) or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.


• 7+ years of progressively responsible legal research experience, including experience in a large law firm, corporate legal department, or professional services environment.


• 2+ years of people management experience (or demonstrated ability to lead teams, projects, and service delivery).


• Demonstrated expertise with key legal and business research platforms (e.g., Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, PACER, SEC/EDGAR, D&B/Capital IQ, Factiva/News platforms), and comfort learning new tools.


• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex findings into clear, practical guidance.


• Excellent analytical skills, attention to detail, and sound judgment regarding source reliability and completeness.


• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment while maintaining high-quality output.


• High degree of discretion and professionalism; ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.


• Client service mindset and responsiveness.


• Research strategy and source evaluation.


• In office Monday-Thursday, working from home on Friday.

Benefits and More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance


• Life and disability insurance


• Retirement & Savings Plan


• Emergency back-up child and adult care


• Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays


• Professional development and career advancement opportunities


• Employee recognition and reward programs


• Employee wellness and assistance programs


• Employee discounts and perks

This position is eligible for overtime: No

The target salary range for this position varies by location and is commensurate with relevant experience: Boston $103,700 - $155,600 | Los Angeles $111,500 - $167,300 | New York $111,500 - $167,300 | Orange County $111,500 - $167,300 | Philadelphia $101,600 - $152,500 | San Diego $111,500 - $167,300 | San Francisco $119,300 - $178,900 | Santa Monica $111,500 - $167,300