Director: IT Strategy and Transformation

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.

We are a collegial, collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Information Technology department in our Chicago, Houston, New York, or Washington, D.C. office, as a Director: IT Strategy and Transformation.

As a key strategic partner to the CIO, the Director: IT Strategy and Transformation will play a pivotal role in driving the Firm's technology vision forward and positioning IT as a business-oriented, value-creating function. This role will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive technology strategy, encompassing enterprise architecture, and digital transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and growth ambitions.

As a key member of the IT Leadership team, the Director: IT Strategy and Transformation will work closely with peer leaders to foster a cohesive and collaborative approach to both Business Services and technology strategy and implementation across the Firm.

The Director: IT Strategy and Transformation will be responsible for managing a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and agile delivery within IT. This role will oversee the IT portfolio, driving prioritization, investment decisions, and benefits realization throughout the lifecycle of all initiatives. Additionally, the Director: IT Strategy and Transformation will champion operational excellence across IT service delivery, ensuring high availability, performance, security, and a seamless user experience.

This role requires a strong understanding of the legal sector and the evolving technology needs of a modern law firm. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with a proven track record of successfully leading large-scale IT transformations and delivering tangible business value.

Essential Functions:

• Partners with the CIO to define and champion the Firm’s technology strategy, ensuring its alignment with overall business objectives and growth ambitions
• Provides the CIO and business leadership team with expert insight into emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices to drive innovative, competitive business decisions
• Represents the CIO in core meetings and assume responsibility for agreed-upon CIO duties, as required
• Develops and manage strong business engagement and partnerships with senior business stakeholders – including strategic vendors and partners – to understand their evolving technology needs and challenges
• Leads the IT perspective in cross-functional initiatives focused on optimising the client to cash collection process, identifying, and implementing technology-driven solutions to accelerate and enhance this critical business process
• Oversees the execution of high-impact, enterprise-wide, strategic programs, and digital transformation initiatives
• Leads the portfolio and investment management process to deliver maximum value, including prioritization, investment decisions, tracking benefits realization, and ensuring ongoing value throughout the lifecycle of each initiative
• Collaborates with key stakeholders to develop and drive the enterprise architecture roadmap, encompassing infrastructure, applications, data, and security, ensuring alignment with the overall technology strategy
• Oversees IT financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and cloud resource and cost management, ensuring alignment with business objectives, cost optimisation, and insightful reporting on IT spending, performance, and value generation
• Leads the continuous improvement and transformation of the IT operating model – including the adoption of agile methodologies – driving agility and efficiency and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the IT organization
• Champions operational excellence across all IT service delivery, ensuring high availability, performance, security, and a seamless user experience
• Oversees the development and maintenance of IT policies, procedures, methodologies, and governance — as well as performance management frameworks and metrics — to ensure the IT organization delivers value to the enterprise
• May oversee IT workforce strategy development and management, including the sourcing, training, and development of staff
• May direct risk evaluation and compliance management processes
• Drives and facilitates effective collaboration and communications between the IT organization and the user and customer communities
• Responsible for directing the preparation, review and consolidation of business plans and budgets for the IT organization
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives

Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field. An equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be considered in lieu of the degree when the experience has been directly related to the functions of the job

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 15 years of professional IT experience required

Technical Skills:

• Strong knowledge of IT infrastructure, software, and technologies, with the ability to understand and translate technical requirements into business terms
• Experience in managing large-scale projects and programs, including planning, execution, and monitoring

Performance Traits:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate effectively and in a professional manner with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors
• Ability to work in a team environment and effectively support the demanding needs of the Firm
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines with shifting priorities
• Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative
• Strong customer service skills, able to anticipate needs and exercise independent judgment
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion
• Exercises solid strategic thinking and problem-solving skills

Management Accountabilities:

• Manages processes for direct reports in regards to performance appraisals, annual compensation, goal setting and performance counselling
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience
• Operational budget analysis and recommendations
• Conducts analysis of staffing levels and participation in the recruitment process
• Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies
• Process- and service-oriented with strong leadership and project management skills
• Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner

The typical pay scale for this position in Chicago is between $250,000 and $360,000, in Houston between $253,900 and $365,600, in New York between $271,700 and $391,200, and in Washington, D.C. between $261,800 and $376,900, although the actual wage or salary could be lower or higher if the candidate’s education, experience, skills and internal pay alignment are different from those specified. 

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

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

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous paid time off (PTO), as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

Thank you for your interest in Mayer Brown. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities and disabled veterans. To request a reasonable accommodation related to the application process and/or job interview, please email uslateralrecruiting@mayerbrown.com. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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