Marketing Operations Program Specialist

DLA Piper; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

DLA Piper is seeking a Marketing Operations Program Specialist to support Marketing Business Development (MBD) initiatives, focusing on operational excellence and AI integration to improve workflows and reporting.

The role emphasizes coordinating projects across teams, governing programs, and piloting AI opportunities with IT and Innovation, all within a hybrid work setting.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in marketing operations, project management, or business development.
• Experience building governance structures and influencing without direct authority.
• Ability to prioritize competing requests using structured frameworks and communicate trade-offs.
• Strong knowledge of AI tools and data analytics within enterprise workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, reporting, and KPI/ROI measurement.
• Background in a professional services environment or business development is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on support across MBD marketing operations projects and cross-functional initiatives.
• Coordinate workstreams, track deliverables, and maintain project momentum.
• Design and maintain program governance, intake processes, and escalation paths.
• Identify practical AI use cases and develop structured pilots with IT and Innovation.
• Create training materials and promote adoption of AI-assisted workflows.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration across IT, Communications, and other partners.

Skills

Project management

Governance structures

Prioritization frameworks

AI tools and analytics

Communication & facilitation

Change management / agile delivery

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, AI, or related field

Job description

Summary

The Marketing Operations Program Specialist works within the Marketing Business Development (MBD) team, supporting a broad range of marketing operations projects and serving as an internal resource for identifying and advancing practical AI opportunities. The role combines hands‑on project support with coordination, focusing on operational excellence while applying AI tools to improve MBD workflows, reporting, and content processes.

Location

This position can be based in any of the following offices: Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Diego, Seattle, Short Hills, Washington DC, or Wilmington. A hybrid work schedule is offered.

Responsibilities

Marketing Operations & Project Support

• Provide hands‑on support across a range of MBD marketing operations projects, including ad‑hoc requests and cross‑functional initiatives.
• Act as a reliable resource during periods of high demand, managing workstreams, tracking deliverables, and keeping projects moving.
• Coordinate across MBD sub‑teams to maintain alignment on shared priorities, dependencies, and timelines.
• Develop and maintain project documentation, status reports, and process guides to support consistency and institutional knowledge.

Program Coordination & Governance

• Support the design and upkeep of program governance structures across MBD’s project portfolio, including intake processes, prioritization frameworks, and escalation paths.
• Manage tracking systems for milestones, owners, and outcomes across active initiatives, providing regular visibility to leadership.
• Help leadership assess competing priorities and resource constraints, recommending sequencing and trade‑offs using structured frameworks.

AI Opportunity Identification & Enablement

• Serve as MBD’s point of contact for AI‑related use‑case ideas and process‑improvement opportunities, connecting team needs with the firm’s AI capabilities.
• Identify practical AI applications within MBD workflows (e.g., research, reporting, directory submissions) and develop structured proposals for piloting and evaluating them.
• Partner with IT, Innovation, and other technical stakeholders to scope and support AI pilots, ensuring business requirements are clearly communicated.
• Track progress and outcomes of AI initiatives within MBD, translating results into plain‑language summaries and recommendations for leadership.

Training, Adoption & Documentation

• Develop training materials, job aids, and reference documentation to support adoption of new tools, processes, and AI‑assisted workflows.
• Facilitate working sessions and informal coaching to build team confidence and consistency in using approved AI tools.
• Curate and share best practices, prompt libraries, and usage guidance to enable compliant and effective AI use across teams.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Build strong working relationships across MBD sub‑teams, as well as with IT, Innovation, Communications, and other key partners.
• Facilitate collaboration across distributed teams with different priorities and working styles, creating alignment and momentum on shared work.

Desired Skills

• 6+ years of experience in project management, program coordination, or marketing operations with a track record of driving accountability across complex, multi‑stakeholder initiatives. • Skilled at building governance structures and influencing without direct authority, comfortable operating in ambiguous environments and creating clarity. • Expertise in prioritizing competing requests using structured frameworks (e.g., impact/effort, urgency, risk, dependencies) and communicating clear trade‑offs to stakeholders. • Strong working knowledge of AI tools and technologies, including generative AI platforms, automation tools, and data analytics solutions. • Strong communication and facilitation skills, with proficiency in project tracking, collaboration, and reporting tools, and experience developing and measuring KPI and ROI frameworks. • Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and the enterprise AI landscape is a plus, as is experience within a business development or marketing organization. Background in change management, business transformation, or agile delivery methodologies is highly valuable.

Minimum Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.

Minimum Years Of Experience

• 6 years’ experience in marketing or business development in a professional services environment.

Essential Job Expectations

• Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.
• Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence efficiently and responsively.
• Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
• Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
• Foster positive work relationships.
• Comply with all firm policies and practices.
• Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as working at a computer for extended periods, participating in virtual conference calls, and attending meetings as needed.
• Work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast‑paced environment.
• Perform all other duties, tasks, or projects as assigned.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, or pull objects. Work involves extensive computer use and occasional physical activity.

Work Environment

The selected individual may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement comprised of remote and in‑office work. The requirement will be determined in coordination with the hiring manager or supervisor and may be modified in the firm’s discretion.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and organize the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The duties, requirements, and expectations may be modified at the firm’s discretion. This job description does not change the at‑will nature of employment.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to permit individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions and responsibilities of the position or to participate in the job selection process.

Equal Opportunity Employment

DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.