Senior Manager, Engagement & Development - Americas

White & Case LLP; New York; Hybrid; USD 174,000 - 262,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings

Vacation time

Leave programs (including parental)

Performance bonus eligible for exempt

Job summary

White & Case LLP in New York seeks a Senior Manager, Engagement & Development to lead the design and execution of engagement, talent and culture initiatives across the Americas, aligning with the Firm's values and strategy. The role partners with global stakeholders, manages up to three direct reports, and guides affinity networks, communications, recruitment and events to deliver best-in-class engagement.

This position requires 10+ years in people engagement or HR in professional services, with

Qualifications

• 10+ years' experience in people engagement, HR or related fields.
• Experience managing direct reports.
• Experience in a similar role preferably in a legal or professional services environment.
• Bachelor's level degree or equivalent experience.
• Excellent collaboration, communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Sound judgment with the ability to make commercial, ethical and strategic decisions.

Responsibilities

• Engagement Strategy and Leadership—Create an exceptional people experience in the Americas, tied to our global engagement strategy.
• Implement the global Engagement mandate in the Americas region by designing and improving key initiatives.
• People's Voice Survey and Data-Driven Action—Oversee survey results and develop action plans with regional leadership.
• Global and Regional Events—Plan and execute events aligned with Engagement priorities.
• Budget Management—Set goals and spending guidelines for the function.

Skills

Leadership

HR

Engagement strategy

Stakeholder management

Change management

Project management

Communication

Team collaboration

Business acumen

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Smartsheet

iManage

Job description

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Engagement & Development will lead the design, execution and continuous improvement of engagement, talent and culture initiatives. In addition to taking on some global responsibilities, the Senior Manager will drive the Engagement strategy across the Americas, planning, implementing, and overseeing the Firm's Engagement programs on a regional platform. The Senior Manager will serve as a key advisor to the Engagement & Development leadership, collaborating with stakeholders globally and working closely with Affinity Network leaders and other stakeholders in the Americas region to deliver best-in-class engagement solutions and ensure regional needs are addressed within the Firm's overall strategy.

Our Team

The Engagement & Development Team is responsible for:

• The professional skills curriculum for lawyers and Business Services professionals
• Mandatory and regulatory compliance training
• The Firm's Coaching Office and global mentoring initiatives
• Lawyer and Business Services professional participation in committees and Firmwide initiatives
• Engagement surveys (e.g. People's Voice) and other listening mechanisms
• Recognition programs
• Induction and exit strategies
• Global Affinity Networks, which are open to people of all backgrounds

Duties and Responsibilities

• Engagement Strategy and Leadership - Create an exceptional people experience in the Americas, tied to our global engagement strategy, grounded in the Firm's values and driven by initiatives that build connection and strengthen our culture of excellence.
• Implement the global Engagement mandate in the Americas region by designing, implementing and continuously improving key initiatives such as the People's Voice Survey and other high-impact events and programs to build connection and strengthen our culture of excellence and high performance.
  • People's Voice Survey and Data-Driven Action - Oversee the People's Voice Survey and related pulse checks, analyze results, and partner with regional leadership (Office Executive Partners and Regional Section Heads) to develop and monitor action plans, ensuring accountability and measurable progress across the Americas.
  • Global and Regional Events - Strategically plan and execute high-impact global and regional events by aligning event objectives with Engagement and Firm priorities, ensuring seamless collaboration across cross-functional teams.
  • Risk Management - Exercise sound commercial judgment and rigorous risk assessment in the design and execution of Engagement initiatives, ensuring alignment with Firm strategy, client expectations and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
• Team Management - Direct daily operations and conduct regular performance reviews for up to three direct reports. Manage global project-based teams and allocate and coordinate work accordingly.
• Affinity Network Management - Provide strategic direction and advisory support to Affinity Network leaders and Partner Sponsors across the Americas, with a focus on maximizing their impact and alignment with the Engagement strategy. This includes leaders representing several local Women's Affinity Network chapters in the region, in addition to the Americas chapters of the Firm's Asian, Black, Beyond Barriers, Middle Eastern and North African, and Spectrum LGBTQ+ networks. Affinity Networks are directly linked to Firm culture and behavior and have a sizeable impact on recruitment, retention and Firm performance.
• Communications - Oversee regional, engagement-related communications, including social media, internal communications and surveys (e.g. HRC Corporate Equality Index).
• Recruitment - Work in collaboration with the Recruitment Team to continue to implement best practice in the Firm's recruitment efforts. Support efforts to strengthen student intake from non-traditional backgrounds. Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure fairness in recruiting decisions.
• External Partnerships and Industry Leadership - A represent the Firm at industry conferences, seminars, and professional associations, staying abreast of trends and best practices in people engagement. Identify and recommend strategic sponsorship, partnership and professional development opportunities across the Americas.
• Budget Management - Collaborate with function leadership, team members and key stakeholders to set budget goals and spending guidelines and ensure they are followed. Drive a culture of financial stewardship, promoting cost awareness and responsible spending across the function.
• Special Projects - Partner with the Associate Director, Engagement and Development and Chief Engagement & Development Officer on special projects as needed.

Qualifications

• 10+ years' experience in people engagement, HR or related fields.
• Experience managing direct reports.
• Experience in a similar role preferably in a legal or professional services environment.
• Bachelor's level degree or equivalent experience.
• Excellent collaboration, communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Sound judgment with the ability to make commercial, ethical and strategic decisions that are in the best interest of the Firm.
• Demonstrated strategic-thinking skills, with the ability to align Engagement initiatives to Firm priorities, anticipate future needs, and translate long-term objectives into actionable plans.
• Strong project and change management skills to deliver Engagement initiatives with colleagues across global network and Americas business services (HR and non-HR) teams.
• Solid understanding of employment law, employee relations and engagement best practices.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret and report statistical data for internal Firm presentations. Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office Packages (in particular Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Smartsheet and iManage.
• Credible ambassador for White & Case and for the legal profession more widely; able to adapt communication style to a variety of audiences and countries.
• Proactive self-starter who is able to self-manage and also work as part of team, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, intellectually rigorous environment.
• Strong commercial/business acumen with the ability to influence strategic thinking/direction through creative and pragmatic issue resolution.
• Demonstrated exceptional quality of writing, with the ability to skillfully craft influential messages to gain buy-in across audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively facilitate complex group discussions and lead interactive workshops with diverse stakeholders.
• Flexibility to travel and work evenings and weekends.

The New York salary range is: $174,400 - $261,600.

This role reports to

Associate Director, Engagement & Development

Equal Opportunities

White & Case is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firm's policy to recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.

Applicants who are interested in applying for a position and require an accommodation during the process should contact [e-mail].

Benefits at White & Case

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability coverage
• 401(k) retirement savings
• Vacation time
• Leave programs (including parental leave)
• Exempt roles are also performance bonus eligible

The Firm may modify and amend any job description at any time in its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

The above is only a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

Note to Recruitment Agencies

Our internal Recruitment team manages all aspects of lateral hiring. All agencies must have signed terms of business-specific to the relevant office-before submitting any candidates. CVs or applications sent directly to White & Case partners or employees will also not be considered formal introductions. If you have questions, please contact the relevant Recruitment team. We work with our preferred suppliers when engaging agencies.