Director, Product Management & Design

The Director, Product Management & Design is a strategic leadership role responsible for shaping the vision, roadmap, design direction, and lifecycle management of custom-built and SaaS practice solutions across the Firm. The role partners with clients, attorneys, and business teams to identify unmet needs, translate those needs into intuitive product experiences, and deliver solutions that improve legal service delivery and client experience.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Partner with practice group leaders, KM Lawyers, Practice Management Directors, clients, and other key stakeholders to understand business objectives, user needs, and opportunities for custom-built and SaaS product solutions

• Define and communicate product vision, strategy, and roadmaps for practice-facing and client-facing solutions, balancing business value, user value, technical feasibility, and portfolio priorities

• Collaborate with firm and practice leadership, KM, IT, Engineering, Data Science, and other stakeholders to prioritize product investments and ensure product decisions align with Firm and practice objectives

• Maintain strong market intelligence and external perspective through education, research, networking, and participation in professional and industry organizations to stay current on product management, legal technology, UX, user research, and AI-enabled service delivery trends

Product Management, Design, and Practice Technology Solutions

• Oversee the Firm's portfolio of custom-built and SaaS practice solutions for transactional and litigation matters, including product definition, lifecycle management, enhancement planning, and ongoing support

• Lead/support flagship product opportunities for the Firm e.g., a new platform approach to AI-enabled Practice model, etc.

• Lead discovery, business analysis, and requirements-gathering sessions with attorneys, clients, and business support stakeholders to identify, document, validate, and prioritize user needs

• Translate complex business objectives and user insights into product requirements, features, user stories, acceptance criteria, and measurable outcomes

• Guide UX strategy and design activities, including journey mapping, workflow analysis, information architecture, prototyping, usability testing, and iterative design of attorney- and client-facing experiences

• Build user research capabilities by developing research plans, conducting interviews and usability studies, synthesizing findings, and using evidence to inform product prioritization and design decisions

• Collaborate with attorneys, KM, IT, Data Analytics, and other internal teams to orchestrate pilot programs, proof-of-concept initiatives, comparative software evaluations, product testing, and release planning

• Cultivate and manage SaaS vendor relationships, stay informed about product capabilities and roadmaps, and work with vendors to drive improvements that support the Firm's practice technology objectives

Client Product Solutions

• Help lead the delivery of client product solutions in AI and technology, working with attorneys, clients, and internal teams to translate client needs into scalable, high-impact offerings

• Partner with client teams and practice leaders to identify opportunities where productized technology, automation, AI-enabled workflows, or data-driven tools can enhance legal service delivery and client experience

• Coordinate pilots, adoption plans, feedback loops, and success measures for client-facing solutions to support effective implementation and continuous improvement

Team Management

• Lead the Product Management & Design team globally, ensuring uniformity in recruitment, career development, training, and the services provided by the group

• Provide coaching and mentorship to team members in product management, UX design, user research, business analysis, and administration of the assigned technology portfolio, and conduct semi-annual and annual performance evaluations

• Oversee the operational budget for the Product Management & Design function, ensuring initiatives are delivered on time and within budget

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, design, product management, or a related field is required

• JD, MBA, or graduate degree in design, human-computer interaction, or a related field is preferred

Skills and Experience Requirements

• Minimum of seven years leading product management, UX/design, or technology; minimum of ten years in the legal field

• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams comprising product managers, designers, user researchers, technologists, business analysts, and legal practitioners

• A proactive problem-solver with the ability to address product, design, technical, and collaborative situations in collaboration with attorneys and professional staff

• A strategic thinker with a proven track record of working with cross-functional teams to define, build, launch, and continuously improve intelligent custom and SaaS solutions

• A thorough understanding of product management practices, UX and user research methods, SaaS platforms, emerging technologies, and their impact on legal service delivery

• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to distill and convey complex information in a clear, concise manner

• Strong product roadmap, prioritization, project management, and organizational skills, adept at managing multiple stakeholders, deadlines, and priorities

• A consultative, user-centered approach and a strong customer service orientation, able to engage with Firm and practice group leadership, attorneys, clients, and other internal and external stakeholders effectively

Salary Information

Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is committed to a collegial work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. The Firm prohibits discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, marital or partnership status, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other legally protected status. This Policy pertains to every aspect of an individual’s relationship with the Firm, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training and development, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

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