Director: Global People Experience

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 Human Resources department in our Chicago, New York, or Washington, D.C. office, as a Director: Global People Experience.

This is a newly created global role, offering an opportunity to lead and shape the People Experience Centre of Expertise (CoE) as it establishes its presence within the Firm. As the People Experience Director you will lead the People Experience CoE in driving forward goals and objectives in line with the Firm's strategy. Serving as the Firm’s lead specialist in People Experience, you will provide insights and strategic advice to HR and Firm leadership, ensuring the development and execution of a People Experience strategy that cultivates an inclusive environment which drives talent development, advancement, retention and performance excellence.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Leadership of the People Experience CoE

• Shape and deliver the People Experience CoE’s strategic direction, ensuring alignment with the broader Opportunity & Development Initiative and with the impact of the evolving legislative climate, external market trends, and future changes.
• Develop and implement the CoE’s strategy, plans, and budget, ensuring robust governance and risk management.
• Build and maintain a reputation as a trusted advisor, engaging senior stakeholders and promoting global approaches to people experience.
• Develop and implement practical, globally aligned and locally relevant policies, processes, and practices that reflect cultural nuances, keep local teams engaged and informed, and support effective knowledge management through accurate, up-to-date documentation.
• Maintain high service levels across the business by ensuring the effective implementation of CoE activities, and regularly reviewing strategies and services with stakeholders to capture feedback and drive continuous improvement.
• Oversee the professional capability of the CoE team, providing guidance, training, and skills development.
• Use high-quality data analysis to inform decision-making and deliver insightful, accurate reports aligned with the Firm’s strategy, ensuring data integrity at every stage and enabling leadership to fully engage with and sponsor the CoE’s activities.
• Direct the management of ‘people experience’ third party suppliers, ensuring effective supplier relationships and risk mitigation.
• Maintain a network of internal and external experts to stay ahead of emerging trends and industry insights.
• Collaborate with the Global Director of HRIS to recommend best practice for data tracking, reporting and analysis to enhance HR service delivery and the partner & employee experience. 
• Drive the HR function’s CoE approach, sharing accountability with fellow CoE leaders to deliver a coherent, integrated HR agenda that meets the needs of end users.

People Value Proposition

• Lead the coordination and development of a compelling People Value Proposition (PVP) to attract, develop, and retain talent and to engage alumni, collaborating with HR CoE Leads to bring together areas of expertise.
• Identify and articulate the Firm’s core values and behavioral expectations as they relate to the people agenda.
• Working with HR Leadership, develop ideas for the design of programs, projects and processes that are implemented across the Partner & employee lifecycle, including new hire integration, retention, work assignments, development, recognition, and then to the alumni experience.
• In conjunction with the Alumni Relations team, oversee the continuous development of our alumni program to strengthen the engagement of this network and leverage this talent pool as ambassadors for the Firm, sources of career opportunities and for new business.
• Continue to develop and leverage the legal resources program for work allocation to foster meaningful career development opportunities that align with individual skills and interests as well as the needs of the business.

Community Building and Inclusion

• Inspire excellence through clear communication of purpose, strong connections, and opportunities for career growth.
• Incorporate inclusion initiatives for all into the people experience agenda.
• Drive the creation and implementation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to foster inclusion and engagement.
• Engage with ERG leaders to identify and champion initiatives that enhance the work environment, using HR data to support recommendations.
• Collaborate with HR leaders to strengthen inclusion and adopt best practices.

Engagement and HR Communication

• Stay abreast of external trends and best practices, using internal channels to gather and evaluate quantifiable data, feedback, and just-in-time observations to inform the development of initiatives that enhance the partner and employee experience.
• Collaborate across the global HR function and with the internal communications team and other business services teams to ensure the people experience is a central focus and oversee, manage, and develop messaging through an integrated approach to communication of the PVP.
• Design communication approaches that give all groups a voice and build a culture of trust.
• Engender the continuous involvement of partners, lawyers, and business services professionals to be highly engaged with colleagues. Enhance our Firm culture by offering an environment that provides purpose, connections and growth.

People Policies 

• Contribute to the design, development, and measurement of effectiveness of people policies and procedures that are competitive with the market and align with the Firm’s business needs, values, and legal requirements, while actively supporting Partner and employee engagement.

Education/Training/Certifications

• Degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent work experience, preferably in a professional services environment.

Professional Experience

• A minimum of 8-10 years of related work experience with a demonstrated specialization in a people experience function.
• Deep understanding of people experience, including the political, economic, social, and environmental factors impacting it.
• Strong knowledge of relevant employment law, regulations, and policy.
• Proven experience developing and delivering a Partner & employee experience strategy in global, matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrable impact in leading people experience initiatives, ideally within professional services.

Technical and Professional Skills

• Expertise in engagement drivers, employer branding, measuring engagement, strategic communications, and integrating people policy frameworks.
• Strong analytical skills using business and people analytics and insights to influence and shape the people experience agenda.
• Strategic thinking, relationship and stakeholder management, sound judgement, and critical thinking.
• Facilitation, presenting and consulting skills at a senior level.
• Risk and change management, project management, and supplier management experience.
• Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Commercial acumen and understanding of external influences on the Firm.

Leadership & Management Accountabilities

• Role model collaborative working, co-creating solutions that prioritize the Partner & employee experience.
• Work collectively with senior colleagues in the development of the global HR strategy and functional direction.
• Identify and mitigate business risk through commercial, strategically aligned solutions.
• Champion the Firm’s vision and inclusive culture, ensuring diverse voices are represented and talent is nurtured.
• Ensure the team is resourced, motivated, and aligned to organizational goals, with clear direction and performance management.
• Contribute to the HR function’s strategic leadership, taking responsibility for issues beyond the immediate remit as required.

The typical pay scale for this position is between $250,000 and $325,000, 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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