Professional Development Manager

Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP; Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point (NC, NC, NC); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP is looking for a Professional Development Manager to enhance its leadership and talent strategy. This role offers oversight for various professional development initiatives aimed at attorney and business professional growth.

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience, particularly in a legal environment. Responsibilities include program management and the implementation of mentoring and leadership initiatives across the firm.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in professional development, leadership development, or talent management.
• Experience in a professional services or legal environment preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Support the strategic design and management of internal leadership programs.
• Oversee the administration of leadership initiatives, including planning and logistics.
• Lead the firm’s mentoring program and assess outcomes.

Skills

Project management skills

Curriculum development

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree or professional certification

Job description

Overview

Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP is seeking a Professional Development Manager to join its team in North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia. The Professional Development Manager plays a key role in advancing the firm’s leadership and talent strategy by shaping a cohesive, high impact professional development experience across the firm. This position provides strategic oversight and operational leadership for a portfolio of leadership and management development initiatives that support attorney and business professional growth.

Serving as a trusted partner to firm leadership, practice groups, and internal stakeholders, the Manager ensures programs are thoughtfully designed, consistently delivered, and aligned with firm priorities and regulatory considerations. The role requires a balance of strategic thinking, strong execution, and relationship management, with a focus on creating scalable programs that enhance leadership capability, engagement, and long‑term retention across the firm.

Responsibilities

• Support the strategic design through execution, and ongoing management of the firm’s internal leadership and professional development programs, ensuring alignment with firm priorities, compliance requirements, and talent strategy.
• Oversee the end-to-end administration of leadership initiatives, including planning, curriculum, logistics, communications, participant support, and program evaluation.
• Lead and administer the firm’s mentoring program, including program structure, participant experience, communications, and outcomes assessment.
• Coordinate professional development initiatives across U.S. and U.K. offices, including exchange programs and cross-border assignments, ensuring consistency, compliance, and effective execution.
• Oversee and maintain manager learning paths, supporting multiple phases of management development across the firm.
• Provide program-related compliance oversight, including policy development and backup support for immigration-related processes tied to leadership and cross-border programs.
• Serve as the point of contact for the firm’s leadership programs and initiatives (such as secondments), coordinating with practice groups, facilitating requests and approvals, maintaining communications, and overseeing recordkeeping.
• Develop curricula, learning materials, and evaluation frameworks to assess program effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
• Prepare, manage, and monitor program budgets, including expense tracking and vendor coordination.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant professional certification preferred.
• Minimum of 5 plus years of experience in professional development, leadership development, talent management, or a related field; experience in a professional services or legal environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing leadership or professional development programs from concept through execution and evaluation.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple programs, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Experience developing curricula, learning paths, and evaluation methodologies.
• Experience supporting cross-border or immigration-adjacent processes is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with attorneys, firm leadership, and business professionals.
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to client service excellence.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a team environment.