Managing Director, Technology

Goodwin; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Retirement & Savings Plan

Paid vacation, sick time, holidays

Professional development opportunities

Employee recognition programs

Wellness programs

Employee discounts

Job summary

Goodwin’s Global Operations team seeks a Managing Director, Technology to lead day-to-day technology functions and align them with firm priorities. You will partner with the CTO to modernise foundational platforms, guide strategic initiatives, and deliver reliable services to attorneys and the GO team.

With a track record of senior leadership in large, matrixed organizations and strong executive communication skills, you will drive organizational change, governance, and risk management across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.
• Significant progressive experience in technology leadership roles at enterprise scale.
• Experience in a law firm or professional services firm is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for core technology domains.
• Establish technology standards, policies, and operating models for reliability, security, and scalability.
• Ensure platforms and services support legal, business, and administrative operations.
• Translate enterprise tech strategy into actionable roadmaps and plans.
• Lead technology change management for major initiatives, including adoption planning.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

People leadership

Travel

Education

Bachelor's in IT/CS or related field

Advanced degree preferred

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 Managing Director, Technology is a senior technology leader responsible for day‑to‑day leadership of the firm’s core technology functions. This role provides both strategic leadership and operational governance to ensure the firm’s technology environment is stable, secure, scalable, and aligned with business priorities.

As a key member of the Digital & Technology leadership team, the Managing Director partners closely with the Chief Digital & Technology Officer to execute the firm’s technology strategy, modernise foundational platforms, and deliver high‑quality, reliable technology services to attorneys and members of the Global Operations team (“GO” team). Over time, the role will also assume additional functions such as organisational change management and project management, as those capabilities gets formally established.

What You Will Do

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for core technology domains.
• Establish and maintain technology standards, policies, and operating models that promote reliability, security, scalability, and a consistent user experience across the firm.
• Ensure the firm’s technology platforms and services effectively support legal, business, and administrative operations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Chief Digital & Technology Officer, contributing to strategic planning, prioritization, and executive decision‑making.
• Translate enterprise technology strategy into actionable roadmaps, operating plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead technology change management for major technology initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, communications, training, adoption planning, and post‑implementation reinforcement to drive successful, sustained outcomes.
• Partner with firm leadership, business stakeholders, and peer technology leaders to align technology investments with firm objectives.
• Provide administrative oversight, leadership, and performance management for managing directors, directors, managers, and teams within scope.
• Foster a high‑performing, accountable, and collaborative culture across technology teams.
• Support talent development, succession planning, and organisational design to ensure long‑term capability and resilience.
• Oversee the delivery and performance of technology services, ensuring service levels, reliability, and user expectations are consistently met.
• Identify and manage operational risks related to infrastructure, network stability, endpoint environments, and security in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Lead vendor strategy and oversight within scope, including contract management, performance monitoring, and cost optimisation.
• Assume administrative and strategic oversight of organisational change management and project management functions as these roles and capabilities are established.
• Ensure effective coordination between technology delivery, change enablement, and project execution to support complex initiatives and firm‑wide transformation efforts.

Who You Are

• Experience managing a team of 100+ IT professionals, 10,000+ endpoints.
• Experience scaling infrastructure, network services, desktop engineering, and user experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant progressive experience in technology leadership roles, with responsibility for enterprise‑scale technology environments.
• Experience within a law firm or professional services organization strongly preferred.
• Proven senior‑level leadership experience overseeing enterprise technology functions in a matrixed, professional services environment with a global footprint.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure, networking, endpoint technologies, and user experience considerations in large, distributed organisations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels.
• Excellent executive communication skills, with the ability to influence, advise, and partner with senior leaders.
• Strong people leadership skills, including experience leading leaders and managing through organisational change.
• Sound judgement, operational discipline, and a pragmatic approach to balancing innovation with stability and risk management.
• Occasional travel.

Benefits And More

• 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 programmes.
• 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: $300,000.00 - $400,000.00.