Senior Manager, Data Discovery & Readiness

Position summary The Senior Manager of Data Discovery & Readiness leads the firm's business-aligned data readiness function within Strategic Intelligence, ensuring enterprise data is structured, governed, and delivered to support analytics, insights, and advanced modeling, and is fit for purpose for business use. This role defines and maintains data standards, drives data quality across systems, and shapes data structures to meet evolving business and analytical needs. Operating at the intersection of data architecture, data integrity, and business insight, this role partners closely with the IT Data Architect and Strategic Insights to ensure data is both technically integrated and strategically usable. The position evaluates internal and external data sources, including emerging and AI-driven data, to determine quality, relevance, and business value, and delivers curated, high-confidence datasets that enable advanced analytics. The Senior Manager also leads the Data Integrity team and establishes scalable processes to support increasing data complexity in a rapidly evolving data and AI landscape. Job duties and responsibilities Own data readiness within and across systems to enable reliable analytics, insights, and AI consumption. Define and maintain consistent business meaning and strategic context across data fields by establishing and enforcing processes, procedures, and standards that support proper use, shared understanding, and effective change management. Drive data quality improvements within and across systems, managing challenges including data flows, single source of truth, field controls, and data accuracy and completeness. Align curated datasets to use cases in pricing, staffing, growth, benchmarking, and predictive modeling. Anticipate downstream modeling needs and proactively shape data structures. Evaluate the usefulness and signal strength of emerging internal and external data sources, including AI-generated billing analysis, time-entry efficiency data, predictive pricing signals, market intelligence feeds, and other relevant data sources. Evaluate quality and fit by, where appropriate, bringing data into sandbox environments to actively understand and challenge what's available from third parties. Assess scalability, governance implications, business value, and AI readiness of new data streams. Determine which sources should be integrated, refined, or discarded. Lead the Data Integrity team to identify and resolve quality issues, partnering with data providers to ensure accurate reflection and movement of information and working with system owners to support tracking and controls. Work closely with the IT Data Architect — who owns technical schema, ETL pipelines, warehouse architecture, and system integration — to align business objectives with technical infrastructure. Provide the IT Data Architect with business-context requirements for schema design and field structure, and collaborate on evaluating system changes and new integrations. Ensure enterprise architecture supports both governance discipline and modeling flexibility through ongoing partnership with the IT Data Architect. Deliver curated, high-confidence datasets to the Director of Strategic Insights to support advanced analytics and predictive modeling, and iterate quickly to improve dataset performance based on modeling feedback. Ensure data lineage, definitions, assumptions, and limitations are transparent so insights teams can focus on analysis and storytelling rather than sourcing and cleaning data. Act as a trusted thought partner to the Director of Strategic Insights on data readiness and signal quality. Provide direct oversight of the Data Stewardship Manager and their team of Data Research Specialists, outside vendors, and contractors (as applicable). Build scalable processes that allow the team to handle growing data complexity without sacrificing quality. Perform other duties as assigned. Job duties and responsibilities included are not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary. Reed Smith reserves the right to revise or modify job duties and responsibilities at any time. Requirements Education Bachelor's degree in data science, information systems, analytics, business, or a related field. Master's degree preferred. Experience Minimum of 8 years of experience in enterprise data management, analytics engineering, or data strategy role in addition to leading a small, high-impact data team. Experience leading a small, high-impact data team. Demonstrated experience evaluating, adjusting, supplementing, and improving data within source systems (CRM, HR, finance, etc.); integrating data into modern data and analytics platforms (Snowflake preferred); and ensuring data supports custom delivery platforms. Hands-on experience with using AI to enhance, blend, and assess data as well as evaluating output from AI-based systems, notably using MCP, Agent Skills, etc. Experience working across finance, CRM, HR, pricing, or operational data domains. Experience working within a professional services or similarly complex environment preferred. Skills Strong ability to align data selection, structure, and use with business objectives and priorities while translating complex data concepts into clear, actionable outputs that support decision-making. Strong understanding of data structures, integration, and data quality principles within enterprise data environments, applying this knowledge to address complex data challenges. Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging and non-traditional data sources and influence stakeholder adoption and use. Professional presence and communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the firm and present complex information clearly to senior leadership and diverse audiences. Operational mindset focused on execution, delivering high-quality, scalable outputs, and managing competing priorities to meet established deadlines. Collaborative approach with the ability to build trust and work effectively across business functions and stakeholder groups. Demonstrated management and supervisory capability, leading and developing team members and supporting high-performing teams. High degree of professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment, with the flexibility and adaptability to respond effectively in complex, dynamic, or rapidly evolving situations. Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and organizational change, applying critical thinking and structured problem-solving in evolving environments. Additional information Supervisory responsibilities Data Stewardship Manager Equipment used Personal computer and other office equipment such as telephone, calculator, copier, scanner, etc. Essential job functions Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and perform tasks requiring prolonged and/or extensive computer use. Ability to use computers, telecommunications, and digital collaboration tools to perform core job responsibilities. Ability to engage in effective and professional communication. Ability to analyze complex information while maintaining attention to detail, managing multiple priorities, and exercising sound judgment in decision-making. Ability to access, use, and safeguard confidential and sensitive information while performing job responsibilities in work environments that support confidentiality, privacy, and information security requirements. Ability to work extended or adjusted hours as needed, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and early start times to support collaboration with international stakeholders in EMEA and to meet business, operational, or project needs. Ability to travel for meetings, training, and conferences as required. Ability to work in-office as required to meet business or project needs. Working conditions Works remotely. Occasionally called upon to work hours in excess of your normal daily schedule. Potential for in-office work requests as needed, so proximity to the office is important. Pay ranges This represents the presently anticipated low and high end of Reed Smith's pay range for this position. Actual pay may vary based on various factors, including but not limited to location and experience. Pittsburgh, Miami, Richmond, Texas, Atlanta: $158,000 - $187,000 Chicago, Philadelphia, Wilmington: $170,000 - $200,000 Tysons, Princeton, Washington, D.C., Boston: $181,000 - $214,000 Employee benefits overview Our comprehensive benefits package includes: 401(k) Retirement Plan Medical Insurance Health Savings Account (HSA) Virtual Health Services Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Accident Insurance Hospital Indemnity Insurance Critical Illness Insurance Life Insurance Short-Term Disability Coverage Long-Term Disability Coverage Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Lyra Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Paid Family Leave (for eligible Exempt and Non-Exempt staff) Transportation Benefit Back-up Child Care Services College Coach Program Pet Insurance Paid Sick Time (for Exempt staff) Paid Time Off (available to all full-time, non-temporary employees) Reed Smith offers a challenging work environment, business casual dress code, and a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, flexible benefits program, tuition assistance, and generous 401(k) plan. Reed Smith is an Equal Opportunity Employer with Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork & Respect, Innovation, and Impact. Reed Smith also provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with law, including in the application and interview process. Qualified candidates only. No search firms.