Associate Director of Technology Collaboration & AI Services

Cooley LLP•Washington, DC

9d•$210,000 - $260,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Cooley is seeking an Associate Director of Technology Collaboration & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Services to join its Technology Platforms and Applications team. The role provides strategic and operational leadership for the firm’s Digital Workplace Collaboration and Enterprise AI service areas, setting strategy and priorities, developing talent, and coordinating delivery through two direct reports, each leading one area. The Associate Director is accountable for implementation, adoption, governance, optimization, support, and lifecycle management of the firm’s general-purpose enterprise AI platforms and digital workplace collaboration ecosystem. This includes Microsoft 365, Outlook and Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Power Platform, the firm’s intranet, enterprise search, workflow solutions, and core productivity applications. The role works across Technology and the firm to deliver secure, reliable, intuitive experiences, improve how work is performed, and maximize the value of technology investments. The position leads product strategy and operations, service delivery, vendor and financial coordination, and responsible use of AI and collaboration platforms. It also establishes integrated adoption and change-enablement programs, builds users’ digital dexterity, and partners with stakeholders across the firm to support learning and organizational change. Cooley’s default work arrangement is hybrid, with some in-office presence and some work-from-home days, except for roles requiring five days per week in the office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 8 years of applicable experience in areas such as technology leadership, enterprise platforms, workflow automation, or legal technology product management.
At least 4 years of management experience; some senior-level management experience is preferred.
Deep knowledge of enterprise AI platforms, such as ChatGPT and Claude, and Microsoft 365, productivity, and collaboration tools.
Experience managing external development teams and vendors.
Proficiency after orientation at Cooley LLP in AI, the Microsoft Office suite, iManage, and other firm applications.
Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours as required.
Ability to travel as required.
Entrepreneurial nature and exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to facilitate and solve problems.
Ability to organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple activities, often under tight timelines; drive projects to completion and achieve goals.
Strong judgment and a collaborative, team-oriented approach.
Ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, and client data.
Ability to lead through influence and develop talent.
Proactive, analytical mindset and effective presentation skills.
Ability to work collaboratively, transparently, and agilely, and to reprioritize quickly in a fast-paced environment.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including technical and user documentation, with ability to explain complex concepts clearly to all organizational levels.
Strong analytical, consultative, and strategic mindset, with ability to drive enterprise AI and workflow initiatives.
Success managing projects and people for technical programs; ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Professional demeanor and strong customer service orientation, with the ability to listen actively and respond appropriately to complex challenges.
Intellectual curiosity, innovation, proactivity, and results orientation.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

Supervisory experience.
Experience working in a law firm or other professional services organization.
Experience leading the secure, responsible deployment and adoption of enterprise AI solutions to improve business processes.

Responsibilities

Own the enterprise AI portfolio from strategy and platform selection through configuration, governance, launch, adoption, support, and continuous improvement.
Lead Microsoft 365 strategy, adoption, and optimization across Exchange Online, Teams, Power Platform, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, core productivity applications, and the firm’s intranet.
Drive workflow automation and low-code/no-code initiatives to automate and improve work.
Build and lead high-performing teams focused on user experience, change enablement, and continuous improvement.
Establish and maintain operating models, playbooks, and decision frameworks for enterprise AI, Power Platform, Teams and SharePoint provisioning, intranet content, and workflow solutions.
Evaluate and guide the controlled introduction of emerging enterprise AI capabilities, including agents, connectors, plugins, early-access models, and AI-enabled workflows.
Coordinate organizational change planning and execution with Practice Innovation, Legal Education, and Technology Learning & Adoption to encourage adoption and build users’ digital dexterity.
Oversee product roadmaps, service strategy, lifecycle management, and ongoing support for enterprise AI, Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Power Platform, SharePoint, the intranet, and related collaboration applications.
Maintain portfolio-level priorities, roadmaps, status reporting, playbooks, and decision records across concurrent initiatives.
Use analytics and insights, including site analytics, heatmaps, and engagement metrics, to measure adoption, platform health, intranet engagement, and business outcomes.
Oversee licensing, budgeting, vendor relationships, procurement coordination, contracts, and renewals for Microsoft 365, enterprise AI, workflow, survey, and related collaboration tools and services.
Partner with Information Governance, Security, Legal, and Procurement stakeholders to ensure compliant platform and AI use, including review of data handling, retention, monitoring, and client-use requirements.
Set expectations for reliable and accountable service delivery, including clear ownership, documentation, testing and validation, transparent communication, and collaborative issue resolution.
Directly supervise and mentor direct reports; oversee their day-to-day work, assigned hours, policy compliance, staffing coverage, time logs, and time-off requests.
Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities.
Partner with the immediate supervisor and central HR on hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination, and other employee lifecycle events.
Champion a human-centered, persona-based approach to the design, configuration, delivery, and support of technology products and services.
Establish an integrated adoption and change-enablement strategy for enterprise AI and collaboration technologies.
Coordinate organizational-change efforts with Practice Innovation, Client Services, Learning and Development, Legal Education, and other stakeholders.
Oversee firmwide onboarding, learning, communication, adoption, and ongoing enablement programs, including resource centers, champions networks, communities of practice, office hours, and department-specific campaigns.
Help users apply AI, collaboration tools, and workflow capabilities securely and effectively.
Maintain feedback mechanisms to identify user needs, adoption barriers, service gaps, and improvement opportunities.
Communicate strategies, decisions, progress, risks, and outcomes to audiences ranging from technical teams to firm leadership.
Perform other duties as assigned or required.