Product Manager

Sidley Austin LLP (IL LLP); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 118,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP (IL LLP) is seeking an experienced Product Owner to lead data domain ownership, driving end-to-end lifecycle, governance, and analytics initiatives in collaboration with business and technical teams.

The role focuses on backlog management, prioritization, and delivering data-driven solutions that align with enterprise objectives. Strong knowledge of data governance and Agile practices is required to ensure quality delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience in Business, Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Finance, Engineering, Communications, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in Product Ownership, Product Management, Business Analysis, Data Management, Analytics, Data Governance, Reporting, Business Intelligence, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience owning and delivering complex data, reporting, analytics, or business intelligence initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to develop expertise within a business data domain and apply that knowledge to improve business processes, data quality, reporting, and operational outcomes.
• Experience serving as a liaison between business stakeholders and technical teams, translating business needs into actionable requirements and delivering solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing business needs, manage delivery risks, and drive execution across cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and model business processes and translate operational requirements into scalable data products and business capabilities.
• Experience making data-informed decisions using business metrics, user feedback, and operational outcomes.
• Strong understanding of enterprise data concepts, including data quality, data governance, metadata, master data, reporting, analytics, and data lifecycle management.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and product management tools such as Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead product discovery efforts to understand business needs, define solutions, and translate strategic objectives into actionable roadmaps, delivery plans, and prioritized backlogs.
• Own backlog management, user story development, acceptance criteria definition, and sprint planning activities.
• Coordinate delivery across business, engineering, architecture, analytics, and governance teams while managing dependencies, priorities, and delivery outcomes for assigned data domains.
• Lead testing, release planning, and continuous improvement activities while ensuring delivered solutions meet business objectives.
• Partner with Data Governance teams to promote data standards, stewardship practices, metadata management, and governance activities across assigned domains.

Skills

Product ownership

Data governance

Agile methodologies

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in related field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Azure DevOps

Job description

Duties and Responsibilities

• Data Domain Ownership

  • Serve as the primary Product Owner for an assigned business data domain, such as Client, Matter, Financial, or related enterprise data assets.
  • Develop and maintain expertise in the end-to-end lifecycle, business processes, systems, integrations, and data flows supporting the assigned domain.
  • Own execution of the domain roadmap, including data quality, governance, reporting, analytics, and AI-readiness initiatives.
  • Facilitate domain-level prioritization discussions and recommend priorities aligned with product objectives, stakeholder needs, and roadmap commitments.
  • Identify and manage domain risks, dependencies, and opportunities while partnering with the Associate Director on roadmap planning, prioritization, and execution strategies.

• Product Execution & Delivery

  • Lead product discovery efforts to understand business needs, define solutions, and translate strategic objectives into actionable roadmaps, delivery plans, and prioritized backlogs.
  • Own backlog management, user story development, acceptance criteria definition, and sprint planning activities.
  • Coordinate delivery across business, engineering, architecture, analytics, and governance teams while managing dependencies, priorities, and delivery outcomes for assigned data domains.
  • Lead testing, release planning, and continuous improvement activities while ensuring delivered solutions meet business objectives.

• Data Quality, Governance & Stewardship

  • Partner with Data Governance teams to promote data standards, stewardship practices, metadata management, and governance activities across assigned domains.
  • Drive identification, prioritization, and resolution of data quality issues impacting business operations, reporting, analytics, and AI initiatives.
  • Advocate for trusted, governed, and reusable enterprise data assets while driving accountability for business definitions, standards, and stewardship practices.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnership

  • Build strong relationships with business stakeholders and technology partners, communicate product status and delivery outcomes, and facilitate alignment across operational systems, reporting, analytics, governance, and AI initiatives.
  • Escalate significant risks, blockers, and cross-functional dependencies while providing recommendations and mitigation strategies that support business outcomes.

Education and/or Experience

Required: Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience in Business, Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Finance, Engineering, Communications, or related field.

Minimum 7 years of experience in Product Ownership, Product Management, Business Analysis, Data Management, Analytics, Data Governance, Reporting, Business Intelligence, or related disciplines.

Demonstrated experience owning and delivering complex data, reporting, analytics, or business intelligence initiatives.

Demonstrated ability to develop expertise within a business data domain and apply that knowledge to improve business processes, data quality, reporting, and operational outcomes.

Experience serving as a liaison between business stakeholders and technical teams, translating business needs into actionable requirements and delivering solutions.

Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing business needs, manage delivery risks, and drive execution across cross-functional teams.

Demonstrated ability to understand and model business processes and translate operational requirements into scalable data products and business capabilities.

Experience making data-informed decisions using business metrics, user feedback, and operational outcomes.

Strong understanding of enterprise data concepts, including data quality, data governance, metadata, master data, reporting, analytics, and data lifecycle management.

Experience with Agile methodologies and product management tools such as Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms.

Preferred

Experience working within legal, professional services, financial services, consulting, healthcare, insurance, or other complex, highly regulated, or data-intensive environments.

Experience working with enterprise business domains and supporting systems such as Client, Matter, Financial, CRM, ERP, Master Data Management, or similar business platforms.

Experience leading cross-functional initiatives that span business, technology, data, governance, and operational teams.

Experience supporting enterprise data platforms, analytics programs, reporting solutions, or AI-enabled business initiatives.

Experience supporting data governance, master data management, data quality, or data stewardship initiatives.

Familiarity with modern data platforms, data governance frameworks, and data-as-a-product principles.

Other Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the future.

The target salary range for this role is: $118,000 - $160,000 if located in Illinois. Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate.

Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [e-mail] (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Sidley is an elite global law firm with a known reputation of deploying innovative strategies to achieve powerful results. Business professionals are essential to the firm’s ability to deliver the highest quality legal services to our clients. We are always looking for talented, motivated individuals who thrive in a performance-driven culture to join our team.

Sidley employs approximately 2,300 lawyers working with our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our 160 years of perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape.