Manager, Research Services

Goodwin; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Retirement & Savings Plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Professional development opportunities

Employee recognition programs

Wellness programs

Job summary

Goodwin is seeking a Research Services Manager to lead the firm’s research function, ensuring timely, accurate, and actionable information for attorneys and business professionals. You will supervise the Research Analyst team, coordinate workloads, and set service standards to deliver high-quality results across legal and business research.

The role involves partnering with Practice Groups, Knowledge Management, and IT to optimize research tools and workflows, while driving adoption and training

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MLIS/MLS or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible legal research experience in large law firms, corporate legal departments, or professional services.
• 2+ years of people management experience or demonstrated ability to lead teams and service delivery.
• Proficiency with key legal and business research platforms (e.g., Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, PACER, SEC/EDGAR, D&B/Capital IQ, Factiva/News).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate findings into practical guidance.
• Excellent analytical skills, attention to source reliability and completeness, and discretion with confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily research services delivery (legal, business, industry, news, docket/case, regulatory research) to support attorneys and business professionals.
• Provide supervision, guidance, and support to the Research Analyst team; coordinate workloads and coach staff.
• Establish service standards, intake workflows, and escalation protocols to ensure quality and responsiveness.
• Consult with attorneys to clarify objectives, synthesize findings, and deliver concise deliverables (emails, memos, alerts, presentations).
• Collaborate with Knowledge Management, Practice Management, Business Development, Marketing, and IT to align tools with needs.
• Coordinate with contracts/licensing and director of research on subscriptions, trials, licensing, renewals, and cost optimization.
• Develop and maintain research guides, templates, and internal documentation; promote self-service while preserving white-glove support for complex requests.
• Monitor trends in legal and competitive intelligence; recommend new tools and data sources.
• Create and report metrics to inform resourcing and strategy; support continuity planning for research services.

Skills

Legal research

Team leadership

Communication

Attention to detail

Discretion

Multitasking

Education

MLIS/MLS preferred

Bachelor’s degree required

Tools

Westlaw

Lexis

Bloomberg Law

PACER

D&B/Capital IQ

Factiva/News

Job description

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.

Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer.

This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers.

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.

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