Professional Development Coordinator - Finance

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is seeking a Professional Development Coordinator, Finance to oversee staff attorney development for Banking & Credit and Capital Markets. You will work within the Legal Talent Team, partnering with Staffing Partners and Group Heads to support staffing, mentoring, and engagement initiatives across the department.

You will help manage staffing, onboarding, and absence time, while driving mentoring and performance-review processes.

Qualifications

• 3-4 years of comparable experience, prior experience in a law firm preferred; staffing experience preferred but not required.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact well and build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality.
• Strong interest and experience in professional development.
• Ability to self-direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs and implement solutions.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for both long and short-term projects and responsibilities.
• Must be team oriented, contributing as needed on unexpected projects or requests.
• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint; comfortable with web-based databases/software (e.g., viDesktop).

Responsibilities

• Coordinate staffing with staffing partners and Professional Development Managers to maintain equitable utilization.
• Suggest staffing allocations based on availability, experience, and exposure goals.
• Provide associates opportunities to work on diverse matters while balancing growth with client needs.
• Maintain consistency and equitable distribution of assignments across the practice area.
• Assist in onboarding staffing/welcome meetings and update relevant lists.
• Track absence time and vacation calendar; coordinate coverage as needed.
• Develop rapport with staff attorneys/associates/counsel through regular check-ins; assess wellness and goals.
• Pair associates/counsel with mentors and advisors; ensure ongoing development dialogue.
• Support performance reviews and collect feedback; maintain VI tracking and collaborate with related teams.
• Engage in ad hoc projects to advance practice group initiatives.

Skills

Communication

Professional development

Self-management

Organization

Teamwork

Confidentiality

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has approximately 2,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.

Job Summary & Objectives

The Professional Development Coordinator, Finance will oversee the professional development of staff attorneys, associates and counsel in the Banking & Credit and Capital Markets practices, including, but not limited to, staffing, talent engagement initiatives, and mentoring. The Professional Development Coordinator, Finance will work within the Legal Talent Team, reporting to the Manager-Professional Development, Banking & Credit and will support the Staffing Partners and Group Heads for the departments.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

Staffing

• Work closely with staffing partners and Professional Development Managers to help maintain an equitable level of utilization across the department/teams, particularly with respect to certain sub-groups within the broader practices.


• Make staffing recommendations/match staffing needs with the appropriate resources, based on availability, experience, and desired exposure to various matters/teams.


• Provide associates with the opportunity to work on a variety of matters while balancing growth opportunities with client needs.


• Strive to maintain a consistency of experiences and equitable distribution of assignments across the practice area.


• Update staffing database and charts.

Onboarding

• Participate in and assist in scheduling staffing/welcome meetings, lunches, etc.


• Update any applicable group lists.

Managing Absence Time

• Track absence time and maintain vacation calendar.


• Coordinate any necessary matter team coverages.


• Track vacation carryover.

Facilitating Associate Life/Engagement

• Develop professional rapport and relationships with staff attorneys/associates/counsel through regular check-in calls; gain understanding of their professional experiences and objectives; evaluate associate and counsel availability, and general wellness.


• Escalate issues to Legal Talent management.

Mentoring/Advisor Program

• Work closely with the Legal Talent team to pair associates/counsel with mentors and partner advisors.


• Ensure associates/counsel are connecting with their respective mentors and advisors and engaged in dialogue about ongoing professional development goals.


• Provide an active feedback loop between associates/counsel, Legal Talent, and the partners in the group.


• Collaborate with the Professional Development Managers to plan and facilitate a variety of team-building events to foster connectivity.

Legal Talent Support Performance Reviews

• Ensure that each associate/counsel has thorough evaluations and developmental objectives.


• Assist with verbal intake of feedback from partners.


• Update VI feedback tracking system.


• Coordinate regularly with other professional service team members (e.g., Director of Practice Management, Knowledge Management Counsel, Training and Development Manager, etc.) to further practice group initiatives.


• Work on a variety of ad hoc projects as needed.

Education Required

• Bachelor’s degree

Skills and Experience Required

• 3-4 years of comparable experience, prior experience in a law firm preferred; Staffing experience preferred but not required.


• Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact well and build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality; collaborative approach to working with others of all seniority levels.


• Strong interest and experience in professional development.


• Ability to self-direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs and implement solutions.


• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for both long and short-term projects and responsibilities.


• Must be team oriented, contributing as needed on unexpected projects or requests.


• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and comfortable working in web-based databases/software, e.g., viDesktop.


• Must be flexible to adjust hours to meet departmental needs.

Salary Information

• NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $70,000 to $85,000 at the time of posting.


• The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.


• This role is non-exempt meaning it is overtime pay eligible.


• Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is committed to a collegial work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. The Firm prohibits discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, marital or partnership status, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other legally protected status. This Policy pertains to every aspect of an individual’s relationship with the Firm, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training and development, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

#LI-Hybrid

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has approximately 2,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.