Manager, Professional Development - M&A

Job Summary & Objectives The M&A Professional Development Manager (“PDM”) is central to the practice and all aspects of the group’s legal talent development efforts, with success driven by strong relationship-building and day-to‑day connection with associates and partners. The PDM will support M&A associates’ assigning process for the New York and Boston offices and facilitate broader professional development efforts across US offices. Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities Staffing (New York & Boston Offices only for associates permanently in the group) (~65% of role): Collaborate with staffing partners to allocate work and structure deal teams for mid‑senior associates, exercising judgment around experience, capacity, skills, business needs and development priorities. Develop trusted relationships with mid‑to‑senior associates via weekly one‑on‑one check‑ins, gaining deep understanding of recent engagement experiences, strengths, aspirations, pressures and development needs to inform future staffing and development decisions. Act as central conduit between associates and partners, surfacing insights, flagging issues early and facilitating productive dialogue around workload, performance and development. Monitor and actively manage associate utilization to promote fairness, sustainability and strong performance while balancing business demands and individual needs. Work closely with the M&A PDM colleague who focuses on junior‑level associates to integrate staffing efforts across entire deal teams on an ongoing basis. Exercise sound judgment to balance client and business needs with individualized associate development, ensuring staffing decisions support both short‑term execution and long‑term talent growth. Analyze utilization and availability data, pairing it with qualitative insight from associate relationships to inform staffing decisions and leadership conversations; share analysis with staffing partners regularly. Consult with the relevant staffing partners and members of the Legal Talent team regarding cross‑group staffing, client secondments, etc. Assist with coordination and tracking of associate hours and schedules, including vacation, leaves of absence and related coverage. Professional Development Support / Performance Reviews (~10% of role): Coordinate with the Legal Talent Team to support delivery of thorough evaluations and developmental objectives for associates. Prepare required reports and participate in relevant meetings with group leadership to discuss associate evaluations. Assist the Legal Talent Team with ensuring robust feedback is provided to each associate in a timely fashion. Assist with intake of orally communicated evaluations as needed. Associate Training & Development (~5% of role): Provide the Training Team with feedback and insights into the creation of practice‑specific training curriculum, and incorporate practice‑specific development needs into firm‑wide development programs (e.g. STBReady, STBAdvance). Facilitate coordination with STB coaching resources as needed to support associate development. Associate Mentoring, Engagement & Morale (~20% of role): Ensure all associates have a mentor pairing and remain in ongoing contact with their mentors in line with firm mentoring programs. Support integration of lateral hires or group/office transfers through regular check‑in meetings and coordination of social meetings with other group attorneys; build a sense of belonging and a strong internal network that accelerates engagement and performance. Coordinate with other professional service team members (practice management, knowledge management, legal training team, etc.) to further practice group initiatives. Education Required Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of business experience. Skills and Experience Required 5+ years of relevant experience. Highly motivated, proactive, driven self‑starter who demonstrates ownership, initiative, a strong work ethic and commitment to the role and firm. Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to build and sustain trusted relationships across a matrixed, high‑performing environment (associates, partners, professional staff), using empathy, discretion and consistent follow‑through. Confidentiality and collaborative approach to working with others of all seniority levels. Strong interest and experience in professional development; ability to self‑direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs and implement solutions. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail for both long‑ and short‑term projects and responsibilities. Ability to track, analyze, collect data and report metrics and findings. Team oriented; willing to contribute to unexpected projects or requests. Proficiency with MS Office Suite and comfortable learning and working in databases and other software. Flexibility to adjust hours to meet the practice group needs with deal assignments. Preferred: prior experience in a law firm and coaching experience or certification. Salary Information NY only: Estimated base salary range is $165,000 to $215,000. The actual salary offered will depend on qualifications, experience, education, certifications and location. The role is exempt and is not overtime pay eligible. Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position. EEO Statement 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 applies 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Simpson Thacher