Director, AI Acceleration, US

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer•New York, NY

69d•Onsite

About The Position

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals. Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years. As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs. At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas. We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, infrastructure and resources. And we’re focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world. All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition – which is to help you achieve yours. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: Your goals. Our ambition. The Opportunity: Location: US. Overview: Reporting to the Chief AI Officer, you will be responsible for helping to shape the firm's AI strategy. In collaboration with the Chief AI Officer, you will focus on the delivery and execution of identified strategic initiatives. The role will have a global remit with a regional focus, for purposes of optimizing ‘boots on the ground’ for client delivery and point of client service to internal colleagues, while working with global reach. You will be responsible for evolving the firm's AI strategy based on market insights and the firm's needs, ensuring that the activities undertaken by the AI team are aligned to identified and emerging strategic priorities. You will be a high profile, credible individual in AI, such that discussions at Partner, Executive and Counsel level will be natural to you; you will likely have technology / AI experience. Expertise and understanding of the Legal AI market and industry are key, and consistent self-learning in connection with AI topics to ensure literacy. Active market interest in terms of emerging tools and capabilities is necessarily key from an execution standpoint. Your primary objectives will be to: Transform the firm by scaling AI innovation and ensuring strategic governance, positioning the firm as a leader in responsible, cutting-edge legal technology. Work with Legal AI capabilities and bringing Legal AI to the broader firm via vendor engagement, pilots, successful rollouts. Collaborate with cross-functional internal teams (comms, BD, talent) to align on furtherance of AI objectives and points of close strategic collaboration.

Requirements

High profile, credible individual in AI
Likely have technology / AI experience
Expertise and understanding of the Legal AI market and industry
Consistent self-learning in connection with AI topics to ensure literacy
Active market interest in terms of emerging tools and capabilities
Experience in scaling AI innovation and ensuring strategic governance
Experience working with Legal AI capabilities and bringing Legal AI to the broader firm via vendor engagement, pilots, successful rollouts
Experience collaborating with cross-functional internal teams (comms, BD, talent) to align on furtherance of AI objectives and points of close strategic collaboration
Experience in sourcing and identifying vendors and opportunities
Experience shaping pilots and deploying cutting edge tech
Experience leading AI partnering and experiments with clients and practice groups
Experience staying ahead of AI trends and tools
Experience engaging in industry listening to stay closely attuned to peer developments and market trends
Experience delivering client AI strategy in a consistent way globally
Experience embedding AI into every layer of legal/client delivery
Experience guiding AI use cases and products, from ideation to pilot, deployment, scaling, applying measures like ROI, accuracy, latency
Experience ensuring outcomes achieved by AI teams are aligned to agreed strategy
Experience acting as a point of escalation for any issues relating to AI
Experience addressing challenges escalated regarding AI operations and ensuring global consistency in approach
Experience acting as a main point of senior contact for internal stakeholders on AI enablement, tooling, and capabilities
Experience cultivating trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the firm
Experience building and promoting AI expertise internally
Experience identifying and addressing difficult dynamics within AI implementation
Experience proactively managing senior stakeholders
Experience providing input into wider firm engagement strategy
Experience influencing and working with other teams to drive firm-wide AI literacy
Experience collaborating with other support functions including finance, IT, BD, comms to progress AI strategy
Experience focusing on regional delivery and execution in collaboration with other Directors in the AI team
Experience building and mentoring a cross-functional AI team
Experience fostering a positive culture with an AI team
Experience cultivating collaboration across IT, L&D, Responsible AI and Practice Groups

Nice To Haves

Technology / AI experience

Responsibilities

Activate innovation across HSF Kramer by bringing Legal AI forward.
Source and identify vendors and opportunities, then shape pilots and deploy cutting edge tech across your region and globally.
Lead AI partnering and experiments with clients and practice groups.
Stay ahead of AI trends and tools and thoughtfully engage in industry listening to stay closely attuned to peer developments and market trends.
Deliver the client AI strategy in an appropriately consistent way globally, with a focus on regional alignment and closely collaborating with the other Directors for AI Acceleration (in the other regions).
Embed AI into every layer of legal/client delivery—from review, drafting, and due diligence, to internal operations.
Transform the firm' client delivery by scaling legal AI innovation and ensuring strategic governance.
Set the global strategy for internal AI activities with the Chief AI Officer.
Champion AI solutions and integrate AI into workflows across the firm (both business and practice of law).
Guide AI use cases and products, from ideation to pilot, deployment, scaling, applying measures like ROI, accuracy, latency.
Ensure the outcomes achieved by the AI teams are aligned to the agreed strategy and act as a point of escalation for any issues relating to AI.
Work closely with the other Directors and Chief AI Officer, as needed, to address challenges escalated regarding AI operations and ensure global consistency in approach.
Act as the main point of senior contact for internal stakeholders on the topic of AI enablement, tooling, and capabilities available at the firm.
Cultivate trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the firm – within both functional and practice group leadership teams.
Build and promote AI expertise internally – lead and promote expertise within the firm and build the firm’s expertise in this.
Actively identify potentially difficult dynamics within AI implementation, and proactively support those involved to address and resolve challenging situations (either through coaching or intervening as appropriate).
Proactively manage senior stakeholders to ensure they are informed and are reporting upwards.
Provide input into the wider firm engagement strategy to be delivered by the AI team.
Influence and work with other teams, such as L&D, to drive firm-wide AI literacy by co-designing training, playbooks, “AI academies,” and adoption campaigns, supported by L&D.
Collaborate closely with other support functions including finance, IT, BD, comms to progress the AI strategy.
Focus on regional delivery and execution in collaboration with other Directors in the AI team to empower global delivery.
Build and mentor a cross-functional AI team, providing team members with direction, clarity, guidance, and support.
Foster a positive culture with the AI team, encouraging open communication, collaboration, and a growth mindset.
Cultivate collaboration across IT, L&D, Responsible AI and Practice Groups to embed AI and resolve conflicts effectively.