Professional Development Specialist

Thompson Hine LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 67,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Thompson Hine LLP is seeking a Professional Development Specialist to join the Talent Management team in Chicago, Cleveland, or Columbus. You will help implement attorney development initiatives, coordinate training, onboarding, and the summer program, and support mentoring and CLE compliance.

The role works with Senior Manager and Manager of Attorney Engagement, offering opportunities to influence program goals, measure outcomes, and improve professional development across the firm.

Qualifications

• Must have a High School diploma or equivalent.
• 5+ years of administrative experience in a law firm or professional services.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and discretion.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate firm-wide and practice group learning and development opportunities.
• Support employed lawyer review and compensation processes with LPC coordination.
• Assist with the Summer Program, orientation, training, and evaluations.
• Develop and manage mentoring, coaching, and state-specific programs.
• Support CLE compliance, training manual updates, and onboarding of new hires.

Skills

Growth mindset

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Proactive

Collaboration

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Microsoft Teams

Webex

SurveyMonkey

Tableau

viDesktop (viRecruit/viLMS/viEval)

Job description

Thompson Hine LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm regularly recognized for our commitment to Innovation, Inclusion, and collaborative culture, is seeking a Professional Development Specialist to join the Talent Management department in any of our following offices: Chicago, Cleveland, or Columbus. The Professional Development Specialist will be an integral member of the Talent Management team and will support the implementation of all attorney professional development initiatives firm-wide.

The position will support the Senior Manager of Professional Development and the Manager of Attorney Engagement in the administration of attorney training and development programs, including practice area-specific training, the employed lawyer review and compensation processes, first year associate orientation and integration, the summer program, and other professional development initiatives.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate the implementation of firm-wide and practice group-specific learning and development opportunities for lawyers, including Associate Academies, First Year Associate Orientation, and other programs as planned.
• Support all aspects of the employed lawyer review and compensation processes in coordination with the Lawyer Personnel Committee(“LPC”). Coordinate the six-month review process for all eligible new hire attorneys.
• Coordinate and support the firm’s Summer Program, in collaboration with others on the Talent Management team, including but not limited to orientation, mid-summer training, evaluations, work allocation, and the Law School Recruiting Committee meetings.
• Work with the Senior Manager of Professional Development to regularly assess program goals and results, develop new approaches as needed. Support all other Professional Development programs as they arise.
• Support the development, implementation, and management of mentoring and coaching programs. Manage the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program and other state-specific mentoring programs for new attorneys.
• Handle conference room logistics and hospitality requests for Professional Development and Talent Management programs, including but not limited to reservations, set-up details, food & beverage orders, and print and other on-site materials. Coordinates travel details for participants.
• Update and maintain Professional Development sections of the Talent Management Training Manual. Draft and edit new additions to the training manual as needed.
• Support CLE compliance process alongside the Senior Manager of Professional Development, including maintenance of compliance files, completion of annual reports, and answering of attorney questions. Maintain PLI roster and log admissions in Thompson Hine University to support attorney CLE tracking.
• Manage attorney change Employee Status Publications and related processes.
• Support the onboarding and logistical integration of new hires as needed.
• Assist with specialized research and benchmarking, budgeting, and the tracking of firm data at various levels.
• Support additional Talent Management team efforts in Professional Development, Attorney Engagement, Recruiting, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as requested.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• The employee may be asked to perform additional duties not listed in the job description as required by business needs.
• Attend Talent Management team meetings.
• Expected to be available to attend some after-hours and/or out of town training and integration events, as needed.
• Stay current on trends in the legal industry.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and/or Experience

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• 5+ years of administrative experience in a law firm or other professional services industry.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Growth mindset to enhance emotional intelligence, empathy and an understanding of inclusion and belonging practices that support managing and collaborating across differences.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Desire and willingness to be proactive.
• Efficient use of (current version) software tools (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite; Microsoft Teams and Webex; SurveyMonkey; Tableau; viDesktop (viRecruit, viLMS, and viEval).
• Willingness and ability to assist other department employees as needed.
• Familiarity with PLI, Practical Law and other similar resources, a plus.
• This position requires the employee to work at a specified location and hours determined by the
• Manager for the benefit of the department and firm. Changes to the location and/or scheduled hours must be approved by the Manager.

Compensation is determined upon the market in which the position is located, the responsibilities of the position, the experience and skills of the applicant, and other job-related factors. The estimated salary ranges for these locations are the following: Cleveland is $67,000 to $83,500 and Chicago is $70,000 to $87,500.

Thompson Hine LLP is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer that offers competitive wages, and a robust benefits package. Benefits offerings include, but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as Paid Time Off (PTO).