Director, Research & Insights

Job Summary & Objectives

The Knowledge & Innovation (K&I) team at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett drives the Firm’s strategic use of knowledge management, legal technology, digital products, AI, and innovation to enhance efficiency, client service, and practice development. The team supports legal staff across practice areas and professional staff by developing and maintaining internal knowledge resources, implementing cutting‑edge tools and platforms, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Key initiatives include integration of AI and automation solutions, enhancement of document management and research capabilities, and delivery of training and best practices to keep the Firm at the forefront of legal service delivery.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Research & Intelligence strategic plan and roadmap to support the Firm’s growth objectives.
• Create goals and priorities for the team that align with client needs; provide operational oversight and direction for the function in partnership with K&I leadership.
• Ensure that the department is efficient and provides a high level of value‑added service.
• Ensure that the department is cost‑effective by controlling expenditures and managing the Research & Intelligence budget through financial reporting analysis for the entire vendor spend base.
• Manage a team of researchers and intelligence analysts, providing strategic direction, training, and performance evaluation.
• Manage the evaluation and selection of information resources for practice support and APIs for organizing content and materials, including integrated databases and knowledge banks to ensure that the resources are accessible.
• Collaborate with practice groups and senior leaders to identify emerging legal trends, market developments, and client needs.
• Advance and maintain relationships with other Firm departments, practice group leadership and other key stakeholders to inform and educate regarding department resources and services.
• Develop and implement education and awareness programs to promote the tools and services of the department, including new technology.
• Negotiate contracts, statements of work, and service agreements; monitor terms of contracts and license agreements to assure compliance.
• Leverage and apply metrics to measure adoption of tools and services.
• Maintain key strategic relationships with research providers and identify or execute areas on how AI can amplify the impact of research education.

Education Required

• Master’s in Library Science (MLS) is required; preferably from an American Library Association (ALA)–accredited school.
• Preferred: Juris Doctor (JD) or similar law degree.

Skills and Experience Required

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in the legal industry, including at least 5 years as a people leader.
• Strategic thinker capable of translating complex legal and market developments into actionable insights; experienced in developing strategy to implement or enhance systems, procedures, and workflow to increase efficiency.
• Demonstrated ability to direct change‑management initiatives in an information services environment, with operational background to effectively direct, organize, staff, budget, and evaluate library operations.
• Extensive knowledge of commercially available legal research, competitive intelligence, and other commonly used resources in the legal industry; expertise in legal research tools and technologies such as LexisNexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, and digital knowledge platforms.
• Strong project‑management capabilities, leadership experience, and ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys and other professionals in a cross‑functional environment.
• Prior experience negotiating contracts and managing vendor relationships, and preparing and managing a multi‑million‑dollar budget.
• Ability to prepare comprehensive reports and present ideas clearly and concisely; excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Superior organization skills with the capability to assess needs, assign priorities, set goals and objectives, develop strategies, manage change, evaluate outcomes, and make recommendations.
• Strong problem‑solving and interpersonal skills with the ability to resolve issues effectively and confidentially to bring projects to completion.
• Cross‑functional leader who can partner effectively across all levels of the organization and work in a fast‑paced client services environment.
• Critical thinker who can demonstrate initiative, independent judgment, and make administrative decisions, interpret policies, supervise, and counsel staff.
• Understanding of AI with some hands‑on experience in prompt engineering and how it can improve research capabilities and streamline manual tasks for lawyers.

Salary Information

NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $300,000 to $350,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including the qualifications of the applicant, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives or will be performing the job. This role is exempt and not overtime‑pay eligible. Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has approximately 2,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices around the globe, the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients worldwide.