Client Experience Legal Project Manager

Davis Wright Tremaine
dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, paid holidays, sick time, long term disability, tuition reimbursement, 401(k), remote work
United States, Oregon, Portland
Dec 24, 2024
Description This is an exciting opportunity to work for one of the top law firms in the U.S.! Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is looking for a Client Experience Legal Project Manager to join our team in our Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, or San Francsico offices. We offer a hybrid work engagement with two days o f remote work, and three days in-office. This position is responsible for providing high level support for client project teams, including overseeing matter management, contributing to process flow organization, and serving as a liaison between the client, the firm's timekeepers, and interoffice departments. Other tasks include reporting on matter volume and financials, implementing technology tools, creating and maintaining knowledge management resources, and coming up with creative solutions to business opportunities. It requires someone who is highly detail orientated, exercises sound judgment, and possesses strong administrative, organizational, and interpersonal skills while prioritizing and managing multiple assignments. At Davis Wright Tremaine, you will find challenging assignments, opportunities for professional growth and community involvement, and a culture of inclusion. DWT fosters inclusiveness and authenticity. Regardless of position, everyone here has a voice and the support is unparalleled. On a typical day you will: Service Delivery : The Client Experience (CX) Team augments the traditional legal services provided to clients through proactive communication, actionable reporting, and strategic client satisfaction initiatives. As the primary staff lead on client programs, the Client Experience Project Manager is expected to: Work with lawyers and staff on high-volume matters to meet service expectations and address specific problems or opportunities to enable the firm to provide excellent, differentiated service Work with lawyers and staff to deliver service more efficiently, effectively, and profitably, including evaluating and developing new business process opportunities using technology, process improvement, legal project management, and alternative staffing Identify timekeepers' knowledge management needs and act on key opportunities for improvements, such as creation of operation manuals and templates, by understanding business context, client demands, and lawyer workflow Analyze and visualize data (using tools such as Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, and Microsoft Excel) to give firm and client leadership operational insight into financial and matter data Execute on client operational needs while reducing the amount of administrative time spent by timekeepers, especially partners Be willing and able to learn new technology tools (such as legal project management and document automation) to create efficiencies and add value to the client team Lead the onboarding and integration of new personnel to meet client needs, including attorneys, paralegals, and staff Project Management: The Client Experience Team is responsible for managing numerous requests that affect the firm's legal teams, the client's legal operations team, and corresponding success metrics, requiring deft management of time and resources. The Client Experience Project Manager is expected to manage their own tasks and to: Assist client leadership and legal teams in defining scope, goals, and deliverables that support the business needs of both our law firm and its clients Collaborate with project leads to implement project management frameworks in support of monitoring matter budgets and project volumes to empower matter owners to improve matter sustainability and enable firm leadership to track progress against and adherence to the stated scope of work Integrate with client teams and be comfortable with legal concepts and terminology for the workstreams our team supports Collaborate with project leads to roll out process improvements and solutions using change management techniques through specific attorney coaching and training sessions Support project leads in creating, tracking, and reporting on the key performance indicators (KPIs) for each matter to track performance (e.g., budget requirements, staffing requirements, billing, time keeping, conflicts, waivers, and compliance with other outside counsel guidelines) Design, implement, and manage time entry code sets to facilitate gathering more detailed information about the workstream's substantive legal work Edit and oversee upkeep of client-facing matter management sites Drive projects forward with De Novo, Information Technology, Finance, and other firm departments to create solutions that address client needs and maximize program capacity Financial and Data Literacy: The Client Experience Team is tasked with improving the efficiency and financial success of high-volume matters. This necessitates an intimate understanding of law firm economics, available levers for increasing profitability, and tools used to manage finances. The Client Experience Project Manager is expected to: Understand basic law firm economics and pricing, including profitability metrics, timekeeper rates, and matter types (e.g., alternative fee arrangements) Collaborate with project leads to understand the financial performance challenges of each workstream our team supports and the impact of financial decisions on key metrics to create effective solutions Support the attorney leads and client teams in identifying inefficiencies and opportunities to optimize cost management and financial performance Support project leads in the Statement of Work (SOW) matter scoping, budgeting, and negotiation process Monitor matter budgets, including costs and fees, and resource utilization regularly and report on status, both internally and externally Client Communication: Understanding how and when to communicate with our clients helps build trust and strengthens the relationship. The Client Experience Project Manager will assist in developing formal and informal lines of communication to ensure the firm has a deep connection with our clients. The Client Experience Project Manager is expected to: Build direct relationships with the client and their legal operations team Be responsive as the primary point of contact for the firm's relationship attorney and their clients, fielding questions and escalating issues as necessary Work with lawyers and staff to ensure service level agreements, ad hoc project milestones, reporting requirements, and other client expectations are met and communicated effectively Schedule, prepare for, and attend business review meetings with the firm's relationship attorneys and clients Join us if you have: High school diploma or GED certification and 4+ years' experience in legal services or other professional services industry OR bachelor's degree and 2+ years' experience in legal services or other professional services industry required; Paralegal certificate preferred LPM, PMP, Lean, Lean Six Sigma, or similar certification a plus or the ability to demonstrate comparable experience and training in project management, process improvement, or change management Experience effectively handling multiple projects simultaneously with high attention to detail and minimal supervision Experience working in a team-oriented, service focused environment and successfully navigating stressful situations in a calm, composed manner Strong problem-solving skills and ability to pivot quickly and effectively in changing environments, with a focus on how we can provide a solution and not the reasons we cannot Strong interpersonal and communication skills in English and the ability to effectively communicate, both verbal and written, with all levels of a professional services organization Experience learning new technologies quickly and independently Highly proficient with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint Success utilizing Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, HighQ, Azure DevOps, and Microsoft SharePoint preferred Availability and willingness to work overtime as needed or requested Who We Are Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm with 11 offices nationwide. We are relentlessly committed to client service and look for candidates who share that commitment. At DWT, client service means having empathy for each client's and each lawyer's work and personal pressures, business objectives, and legal needs; anticipating their needs; and having the capabilities and commitment to deliver what matters most to them. What's in it For You? DWT offers competitive compensation in addition to ample benefits including but not limited to: Choice of health and vision insurance plans 2 paid volunteer days for qualifying community service work Dental plan Fertility and adoption benefit Paid sabbatical after 13 years of service Tuition reimbursement Commuter benefits Retirement contribution This job description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. Washington State The annualized salary range for this position in Washington is $107,000 to $121,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on the candidate's education, training, experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, 11 paid holidays each year and an employee assistance program. For full-time employees, the initial vacation benefit is 15 days per year and 11 days of sick leave per year, accrued bi-weekly. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available. California The annualized salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $107,000 to $120,000; and in San Francisco is $120,000 to $137,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of the fabric of Davis Wright Tremaine - central to who we are and what we do. Our vision is to foster a culture where all talented individuals - including those who are from traditionally underrepresented communities in the legal profession - can have, and can see, a path to success. We embed DEI throughout our law firm with our four-pillar framework: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement. We invite you to learn more about our commitment to DEI at https://www.dwt.com/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion . Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email humanresources_confidential@dwt.com . #LI-BR1