Director, Pricing & Legal Project Management (Chicago)

ABOUT JENNER & BLOCK

Jenner & Block LLP is a law firm with a fearless reputation and global reach, high-level problem solvers in litigation, government controversies, investigations, regulatory challenges, and complex corporate transactions. With offices in Century City, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, the firm represents a wide range of clients, counseling Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, major nonprofits, top universities, private equity investors, and Native American tribes. Consistently recognized as a firm that stands up for its values with its commitment to justice and community service, Jenner has been named the No. 1 pro bono firm 13 times in the United States by The American Lawyer.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Pricing & Legal Project Management (LPM) serves as the leader in executing the firm's pricing and LPM functions. The Director is responsible for driving the overall pricing strategy and advancing firmwide pricing initiatives that support AI advancements, profitability, competitiveness, and long‑term growth. The Director will continue to develop effective oversight and approval for proposed pricing which falls outside of agreed ranges for profitability and / or risk tolerance.

A successful candidate is a leader who carries a vision as to how to refine pricing in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancements and how to utilize AI or other technology to supercharge the firm’s value pricing abilities. This will involve preparing the firm’s historic data for predictive usage and capturing time going forward in an optimized way. This will also involve ensuring optimized staffing throughout matters. The candidate combines deep data analysis skills, legal services pricing expertise, a strong network of pricing professionals in the industry and excellent customer service.

The Director will report to the overall owner of the firm’s entire revenue cycle, the Senior Director of Pricing & Revenue Operations.

Prior experience within the legal services industry, especially at a large law firm regularly using alternate fee arrangements (AFAs), is strongly preferred. This is an exempt position and will be located in one of our US offices.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Lead the firm’s strategic pricing transformation as AI begins to require greater migration toward value pricing and away from billing by the hour.
• Lead the development of historic matter time logged by task / activity, as well as capture of go forward time for optimum predictive value usage.
• Develop processes for comparing a new proposal to historic actual example matters and escalating potentially inadequate pricing for further approval, as necessary.
• Ensure rigorous documentation of methodologies, data sources, assumptions, and procedures to reinforce transparency, reproducibility, and strategic insight.
• Develop trusting relationships with the co Managing Partners and other Firm Partners.
• Educate lawyers on law firm economics, leveraging AFAs profitably and optimizing price within the client’s constraints.
• Manage yearly firmwide standard rate-setting process and client rate renewal processes.
• Coordinate with the business development team and partners to optimize request for proposal (RFP) economics.
• Lead, develop and motivate Pricing and LPM Managers and their teams. Provide opportunities for growth and visibility.Work closely with finance team and wider firm leadership to provide excellent mentoring and growth opportunities for all.
• Drive continuous improvement of Pricing and Legal Project Management functions through identification of inefficiencies or risks, implementation of best practices, and enhancement of collaboration within and beyond the team.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• 10+ years of Pricing Experience within a Professional Services environment (law firm experience is strongly preferred).
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field is required; MBA preferred.
• Ability to gain the trust of, and influence, professionals with different backgrounds.
• Strong business acumen and analytic skills.
• Advanced data and business process skills to lead the firm through changes necessary to adapt to AI advancements.
• Proven ability to lead a high functioning pricing team, to work collaboratively and to navigate ambiguity and deadlines within a fast-paced environment.
• Strong executive functioning skills paired with adequate attention to detail and good business judgment. Ability to handling sensitive information with appropriate discretion.

Disclaimer

Additional Duties

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the primary duties and responsibilities for the position. It is not an exhaustive list of all tasks or responsibilities that may be assigned. The role may include additional duties, specialized projects, and other tasks as required. The firm reserves the right to modify or adjust the responsibilities to meet business needs.

Physical Requirements

Candidates must be able to meet the physical demands of the position, including the ability to commute to the office as required on designated in-office days based on the position. The firm is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Eligibility Requirement

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Jenner will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

EEO Statement

Jenner & Block LLP is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment and employment decisions are not made on the basis of an individual’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions, arrest record, matriculation, personal appearance, political affiliation, marital, parental, veteran, military, or order of protection status, or any other protected status or that of their relatives, friends, or associates.

J enner & Block is proud to offer a competitive total rewards package, including comprehensive health & well-being benefits and 401k profit sharing. The anticipated pay range for this role is $255,000 to $300,000 in Washington, D.C or Chicago. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on several factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data, and consideration of internal equity.