Senior Manager - Document Services

Document Services Senior Manager

The Document Services Senior Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the Firm's Document Services department, ensuring consistent, high-quality, responsive support to lawyers and business services professionals. The role supervises managers and teams responsible for document production and related services, optimizes staffing and service-delivery models, and promotes continuous improvement, accountability, and excellent client service across a 24/7 support environment.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Lead, coach, and provide direction to Document Services managers and their teams, establishing clear service expectations, priorities, and performance standards.
• Oversee day-to-day Document Services operations and maintain reliable, high-quality coverage across offices, shifts, and time zones, including coordination with adjacent support functions as needed.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on leadership presence and provide escalation support during high-volume, time-sensitive, or complex matters when necessary.
• Analyze workflow, utilization, service metrics, staffing patterns, and business needs; recommend and implement changes to support models, team structure, schedules, and resource allocation.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve department policies, procedures, workflows, service standards, and quality-control practices. Guide the professional and technical development of Document Services personnel, including training, cross-training, knowledge sharing, and adoption of new tools and processes.
• Monitor staffing, overtime, and implement appropriate cost-control measures.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators and service-level measures; use data to identify trends, address performance gaps, and drive continuous improvement.
• Evaluate and support the adoption of document-production technologies, automation, and process improvements that enhance quality, consistency, and efficiency.
• Promote a collaborative, service-oriented culture grounded in professionalism, responsiveness, quality, discretion, and continuous improvement.
• Perform other responsibilities and special projects as assigned. In addition, responsibilities related to maintaining Firm and client information are to be adhered to by all employees. This includes complying with the Firm's information security policies, protecting Firm assets from unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, destruction or interference, and reporting security events or potential events or other security risks to management.

Leadership and service expectations:

• Demonstrate sound judgment and composure when balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced professional-services environment.
• Build trusted relationships with lawyers, managers, and business services leaders and communicate clearly regarding capacity, priorities, and service expectations.
• Create an inclusive, accountable team environment in which employees receive timely feedback, and meaningful development opportunities.
• Ensure confidential Firm and client information is handled in accordance with applicable Firm policies, information-security requirements, and professional obligations.
• Provide thoughtful and effective leadership in managing employee relations matters, including coaching, mentoring, performance management, and addressing workplace concerns with professionalism and discretion.

Qualifications:

• Significant experience leading document production, word processing, document services, legal support, or a comparable high-volume professional-services operation; law firm experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of legal document production workflows, document formatting and quality-control practices, and the service expectations of lawyers and legal teams.
• Experience with workforce planning, performance management, employee development, and organizational change.
• Excellent leadership, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive and time-critical matters with discretion, urgency, and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and other document-production technologies and tools, including workflow, automation, and productivity solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive management experience, preferably within a law firm or professional services environment.
• Prior experience overseeing administrative support teams, legal support staff, or document services operations strongly preferred.
• Experience working closely with attorneys, practice group leaders, and senior administrative leadership.
• Experience managing departmental operations, staffing models, and performance management processes.

Work environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Compensation:

The base salary range offered for this role will be between $160,000 and $170,000. When determining a candidate's compensation offer, elements unique to each person are taken into consideration including but not limited to skill set, experience level, performance, professional certifications, degrees and location, as well as the needs of the Firm.

The total compensation package for this position may include overtime pay, discretionary bonuses and other benefits. For a more comprehensive list of employee benefits, please visit Professional Staff I Careers | Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.