Associate Director of Legal Project Management

Carlton Fields•Tampa, FL

5d•$120,000 - $150,000

About The Position

The Associate Director of Legal Project Management works closely with attorneys, clients, and firm leadership to improve delivery of legal services. This is a broad and highly visible role that spans LPM, pricing, and technology innovation. You will work on some of the firm’s most significant matters as you support our profitable delivery of high value and efficient legal services.

Requirements

5–8+ years’ experience in a law‑firm or professional‑services environment in one or more of these disciplines: legal project management, pricing/revenue management, practice management, financial analysis, or matter management.
Direct experience supporting partners or senior professionals on complex, multi‑stakeholder engagements, ideally including alternative fee or portfolio arrangements.
Demonstrated track record improving financial outcomes, process consistency, or client reporting (for example, better realization, fewer write‑offs, or more predictable delivery).
Strong financial acumen, including understanding of realization, margin, leverage, and the impact of staffing and scope decisions on profitability.
Practical project‑management skills: planning, tracking, risk identification, and facilitation tailored to a law‑firm environment.
Excellent interpersonal skills and presence; able to work closely with partners, raise difficult issues, and influence decisions in a constructive, solution-oriented manner.
Highly proficient with data and technology (Excel, BI dashboards, budgeting tools, and AI‑enabled reporting), and able to translate data into clear, business‑oriented narratives.
Highly organized, with strong follow‑through and the ability to manage multiple matters and stakeholders simultaneously.
Bachelor’s degree required

Nice To Haves

J.D. strongly preferred.
Advanced degree in business, finance, or a related field is a plus.
Formal project‑management training or certification is beneficial but not required where experience demonstrates equivalent capability.

Responsibilities

Provide LPM support across the firm to help define scope, assumptions, risks, milestones, and staffing models for new, existing, and prospective engagements.
Prepare, monitor, and manage legal expense budgets. Monitor progress against plans and budgets; work closely with lead attorneys to keep matters on track and plan.
Monitor realization, write‑offs, and profitability; identify trends and recommend adjustments in scoping, staffing, or fee design to protect and improve profitability.
Support client‑facing reporting requirements for major matters and portfolios, ensuring delivery of timely and accurate information on progress, cost, and value.
Assist with matter close‑out activities, including confirming final billing, capturing lessons learned, and preserving key data and documents for future pricing and planning.
Provide training and guidance to support cultural adoption and implementation of LPM skills, tools, and approaches throughout our work.
Work closely with firm attorneys and clients to develop and implement value-based pricing with innovative alternative fee agreement options.
Provide pricing support for pitches, proposals, and Requests for Proposal.
Participate and lead on-line bidding and reverse auction pricing events.
Support rate management activities including periodic calibration of standard hourly rates and management of existing rate agreements.
Coordinate with Finance and Billing to ensure agreed rates and fee terms are correctly implemented in firm systems and accurately reflected on invoices and reporting.
Support accurate task‑code and time‑entry practices.
Prepare concise dashboards and status reports for partners and, as appropriate, clients, covering scope, timetable, key risks, and financial position (including explanations of any variances).
Support assessment, testing and deployment of legal technology used in the delivery of legal services including artificial intelligence.
Serve as a business lead and power user for LPM and budgeting tools.
Develop and maintain practical templates and playbooks for matter intake, scoping, budgeting, variance review, and client reporting that can be applied consistently across practice groups and clients.
Develop and manage content of LPM intranet site.