The Head of Innovation is responsible for executing on the firm’s innovation strategy, focused on improving client experience through internal and external innovative service delivery. Internal innovation includes process and technology improvements to drive workflow efficiency and service value for clients. External innovation includes technology and process offerings with which clients directly interact.

The Head of Innovation will lead a team of professionals responsible for development and delivery of innovation and legal technology offerings. The role requires strong leadership, process improvement skills and substantive knowledge of the legal technology landscape.

This role reports to the Chief Client Value & Innovation Officer, US and will work collaboratively across legal teams, business departments and with clients. The role is ideally based in Texas, though moderate travel may be required to support fee-earning teams at offices throughout US.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Innovation Program

• Innovate legal service delivery to firm clients through existing and new technologies, process improvements and unique problem solving methods, including design thinking, legal workflows and process mapping and automation.
• Guide lawyer understanding and presentation of solutions from the perspective of client needs.
• Engage clients (internal and external) to better understand their needs, develop relationships and collaborate to create more effective legal service delivery.
• Work with practice groups, firm lawyers and information technology to identify opportunities for improved legal solutions and technologies; scout, assess and trial options.
• Develop and lead the innovation team, continually evaluating and adding relevant expertise to deliver on mandate.
• Develop business cases to support innovation initiatives and KPIs to measure benefits realized from investments.
• Maintain and promote an up-to-date inventory of all tools and services developed across our offices accessible by our lawyers and clients.

Legal Technology & Vendor Management

• Facilitate commercial arrangements with vendors and manage the overall vendor management lifecycle to ensure that licenses are best leveraged by stakeholders, in partnership with IT and procurement.
• Stay abreast of available and emerging technologies to support lawyers and clients with a range of legal solutions, including those related to legal project management, knowledge management, IT, pricing, eDiscovery, legal service centers, flexible resourcing, and artificial intelligence.

Collaboration

• Liaise with LX Studio board and management team on topics related to product success and sales roles, as well as opportunistic commercialization of firm innovation efforts.
• Work closely with the LPM team to analyze phases and tasks of specific legal services to encourage “out of the box” thinking in how we manage particular matter components and validate opportunities to deliver services differently.
• Collaborate with Marketing to build consistent messaging around innovation and legal technology, including developing and maintaining collateral describing firm and client innovation solutions.
• Ensure there is a regular flow of communications from the Innovation team to the firm, with a focus on storytelling and case studies.
• Liaise with regional and global IT colleagues to manage risk, security and ongoing support of any technology tools post implementation.
• Work closely with global innovation colleagues to maximize information sharing and global software license value.

Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus
• Significant track record working in the innovation field, ideally with experience in consultancy, legal or financial services
• Able to champion innovation to a wide range of audiences and comfortable teaching, coaching, and mentoring junior staff
• Excellent communication skills
• Skilled at generating buy-in across diverse stakeholder base
• Broad technology understanding, able to engage and liaise with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Enjoys and proactively keeps up-to-date with market trends
• Long-term vision, with ability to plan and execute short-term solutions
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to consistently deliver on objectives
• Proactive, personable and tenacious

Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status