Director of AI & Automation

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath • Philadelphia, PA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Faegre Drinker has an opportunity for a Director of AI & Automation to work within our Technology & Innovation department in our New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C. office. You will be part of a dynamic team dedicated to serving as the senior technical leader responsible for the hands-on design, implementation, and ongoing operation of the firm's innovation program. This position will work with other talented individuals who share a passion for doing great work in the best interest of our clients.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent years of professional experience
• Minimum of 10+ years of leadership and management experience in technology within a complex professional services, legal, or similarly regulated environment, including a demonstrated history of developing team members professionally
• Demonstrated experience designing, deploying, and managing AI platforms in production environments, including hands-on experience with enterprise AI platforms such as Harvey and Microsoft Copilot, LLM integration, prompt architecture, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and API gateway design
• Hands-on experience with UiPath or an equivalent enterprise automation platform, including bot development, process design, and operational governance.
• Working familiarity with enterprise data platforms and AI-ready data products, sufficient to collaborate effectively with the firm’s Data Management function
• Deep, demonstrable command of the security and privacy requirements specific to this role’s AI and automation domain, including AI security and privilege risk; Zero Data Retention (ZDR) controls; matter-level data isolation; the Privilege Firewall API; RAG data handling; automation/bot access controls and audit; and applicable data privacy and confidentiality obligations, together with the implications of legal rulings on AI-generated content, in a risk-sensitive, privilege-aware legal environment
• Strong understanding of modern data and AI ecosystems, including integration architecture, data platforms, BI, process automation, generative AI, applied machine learning, and governance controls
• Proven ability to operate credibly with C-level leaders and translate strategy into funded priorities, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and diplomacy skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a virtual environment (e.g., via phone, web/videoconference)
• Ability to concentrate on tasks, make decisions and work calmly and effectively in a high-pressure, deadline-oriented environment
• Demonstrated ability to use good judgment in taking initiative while asking for direction or clarification and consulting others, as appropriate
• Willingness to be flexible with time and adjust to a changing work environment
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships, both internally and externally, while maintaining a client service orientation in a collaborative environment
• Ability to use sound judgment and discretion in dealing with highly confidential information
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, organize and accurately prioritize work, be detail-oriented, understand when urgency is required and use good judgment in varied situations

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with frontier model providers such as Anthropic’s Claude is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Leads the technical design, deployment, and continuous refinement of the firm’s enterprise AI platforms, Harvey and Microsoft Copilot, anchored by the PLIL architecture: a commercial AI platform base, a proprietary integration and workflow layer, and practice-specific AI agents, with a longer-term goal of building custom AI capabilities, potentially leveraging frontier models such as Anthropic’s Claude
• Architects and operates the firm’s AI gateway, including the Privilege Firewall API, Zero Data Retention (ZDR) contractual controls, matter-level data isolation, and RAG-based retrieval frameworks in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory standards
• Evaluates, pilots, and operationalizes AI tools and vendors in partnership with the CTIO and firm stakeholders. This includes leading structured assessments, proofs of concept, and production rollouts
• Ensures AI deployments adhere to Model Context Protocol (MCP) orchestration principles and are built to support agentic execution with appropriate guardrails for a professional services environment
• Drives automation initiatives across matter intake, invoice review, contract renewal monitoring, and other high-value operational workflows in close collaboration with attorneys and professional staff.
• Maintains a clear architectural distinction between AI-assisted automation and fully agentic execution, and implements appropriate oversight, audit, and escalation controls for each tier.
• Builds and continuously improves automation standards, playbooks, and governance frameworks that scale across practice groups and operational departments
• In collaboration with the CTIO, defines (and then independently executes) the firm’s innovation, AI, and automation roadmap aligned to business priorities, practice needs, client expectations, and the firm’s technology strategy
• Provides technical guidance on tool configuration, user experience, and capability rollout sequencing to ensure adoption tracks alongside broader innovation program delivery
• Manages the Catalyst Studio, the firm’s shared, cross-functional engineering and automation build team, distinct from the client-facing Design Lab
• Leads and develops a high-performing multidisciplinary team spanning enterprise architecture, process automation, AI engineering, legal workflow innovation, and AI governance
• Partners with the Data Management function, which engages Finance (Elite 3e), HR (Workday), DMS (iManage), and CRM (Legal 360) stakeholders, to align data products with AI platform needs
• Special projects and other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Flexible working environment for work-life success
• Opportunity to participate in firm-sponsored volunteer events
• Wellness programming with personalized content and activities
• Professional environment and the opportunity to work with experts at the top of their fields
• Variety of health plan options, as well as dental, vision and 401(k) plans
• Generous paid time off
• discretionary bonus
• life, health, accident, and disability insurance
• a 401(k) plan

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director