Attorney Career Development Manager

Wilson Sonsini is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The firm has approximately 1,100 attorneys in 17 offices: 13 in the U.S., two in China, and two in Europe. Our broad spectrum of practices and entrepreneurial spirit allow our staff exceptional opportunities for professional achievement and career growth.

The firm is seeking a dynamic and emotionally intelligent Attorney Career Development Manager to join our growing career development team. This position will support our Technology Transactions Department and can be located in our Boston, Palo Alto, San Diego, Seattle, or Washington DC offices. This hybrid role will follow the in-office norms of the groups in their office. This position is ideal for someone interested in helping attorneys grow and develop successful and rewarding careers.

In addition to helping attorneys with their development goals, this person will also collaborate with the professional development and attorney recruiting teams on diversity and inclusion efforts, training and development initiatives, and recruiting matters.

This full-time, exempt position reports to the head of the career development team. We are looking for someone who will thrive in this highly interactive role and who is flexible, creative, and collaborative. The attorneys we work with are friendly and hard-working, and they depend on us to support them in their work for their clients.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Meet individually with associates regularly to become a trusted advisor on their career development and goals, including career planning and management, time and project management, work/life balance, transition to/from leave and potential career next steps
• Become a trust advisor to partners on talent management and development initiatives
• Liaise with practice group leaders and career development members on an ongoing basis to monitor associate performance, identify candidates for advancement, and address performance or utilization issues
• Collaborate with the partners, career development committee, and HR on the associate review process to ensure the delivery of useful and meaningful performance evaluations to encourage associate growth and development
• Collaborate with partners on staffing requests as needed to meet client needs and attorney development goals
• Collaborate with HR, attorney recruiting, and professional development on attorney onboarding, integration, and retention programs
• Gather and summarize informal feedback on associate performance to assist the partners in identifying areas for development and improvement
• Collaborate with the practice group leaders, practice management director, and attorney recruiting on the firm’s strategic hiring goals
• Prepare reports on attorney productivity, engagement, and other matters
• Collaborate with professional development on training programs and initiatives to support attorney development
• Other projects as needed

Desired Skills & Experience:

• 3+ years in a law or other professional services firm is preferred
• Bachelor’s degree is required; JD or graduate degree is a plus
• Experience in coaching or staffing professionals is a plus
• Motivated self-starter with a strong interest in attorney development and career coaching
• Strong client service orientation with ability to influence and guide others
• Ability to work flexible hours (including evenings and weekends, as needed) in a fast-paced, environment
• Excellent judgment and discretion with respect to confidential and sensitive information
• Highly organized and can work independently to drive projects to completion
• Tech savvy with solid Excel skills (beyond information tracking), or the ability to quickly learn
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work in a dynamic and complex environment to meet deadlines and daily requirements

The primary location for this job posting is in Palo Alto, but other locations may be listed. The actual base pay offered will depend upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, level of education, professional certifications and licenses, and work location. The anticipated pay range for this position is as follows:

Palo Alto: $131,750 – $178,250 per year.
Boston, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C.: $119,000 – $161,000 per year.

The compensation for this position may include a discretionary year-end merit bonus based on performance. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).