Director of Information Technology

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP•Washington, DC

1d•$190,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Information Technology leads the Firm’s day-to-day technology operations and is accountable for delivering a secure, reliable, service-focused technology experience to attorneys, business professionals, and clients. Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, the Director oversees end-user computing, the Service Desk, infrastructure and cloud operations, legal and business applications, and IT asset and vendor management. The role partners with Information Security, Knowledge Management, and practice leadership to adopt technology, including AI, that improves client service and firm efficiency. This is an in-office leadership role. The Director is expected to be visibly present in the office, lead the IT team in person, and set the standard for excellence, responsiveness, and accountability across the department.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive IT experience, including 5+ years in an IT leadership role managing managers and technical teams.
Hands-on experience with Microsoft 365, Azure, Intune, and enterprise networking.
Experience supporting legal applications such as document management, financial and practice management, and conflicts and intake systems.
Proven track record leading enterprise technology projects, such as cloud migration, endpoint modernization, and application upgrades.
Experience managing IT budgets, vendor contracts, and IT asset management.
Experience supporting client security audits and security and compliance frameworks.
Executive presence and ability to build trusted relationships with partners and Firm leadership.
Strong service orientation and commitment to excellence.
Working knowledge of generative AI tools, their risks, and practical uses in a law firm.
Sound understanding of cybersecurity principles and controls.
Excellent project management, organizational, and prioritization skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical topics to non-technical audiences.
Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage conflict and maintain a positive, high-performance team environment.
Ability to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and handle competing priorities.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.

Nice To Haves

Law firm or professional services experience strongly preferred; Am Law 200 experience preferred.
Preferred certifications include ITIL 4 Foundation, Microsoft 365 or Azure certifications (such as Enterprise Administrator or Azure Administrator), and PMP.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Chief Information Officer to develop and execute the Firm’s IT strategy, multi-year technology roadmap, and annual operating and capital budgets aligned with Firm priorities.
Lead, hire, develop, and retain a high-performing IT team, including Service Desk, Desktop Engineering, Infrastructure, and Applications staff; set goals, conduct performance reviews, and build succession and career paths.
Establish and report on key performance indicators and service levels to the CIO and Firm leadership.
Build a culture of high-touch client service, accountability, and continuous improvement within the IT department.
Lead IT governance, including project intake and prioritization, change management, and ITIL-aligned service management processes.
Oversee the Service Desk and on-site support in all offices, including high-touch support for partners and executives and after-hours and on-call coverage.
Direct endpoint and mobile device management, including device standards, imaging, patching, encryption, and hardware refresh cycles.
Ensure reliable conference room, hybrid meeting, trial, and courtroom technology support.
Oversee technology onboarding and offboarding for new hires and lateral partners, and ensure effective end-user training and documentation.
Oversee Microsoft 365 and Azure, network and wireless infrastructure, telephony, servers, storage, and backup systems.
Ensure high availability and maintain tested disaster recovery and business continuity plans, with exercises conducted at least annually.
Monitor system capacity, performance, and health, and direct NOC and operations teams to resolve incidents promptly.
Oversee support, integration, and optimization of core legal platforms, including document management, financial and practice management, time entry, conflicts and intake, CRM, e-billing, and litigation support tools.
Manage application lifecycles, including requirements, evaluation, testing, deployment, upgrades, integration, and retirement.
Partner with Knowledge Management, Innovation, Finance, and practice groups to deliver technology that improves attorney efficiency and client service.
Lead secure deployment, adoption, and support of generative AI and legal technology tools in partnership with Information Security, the Office of the General Counsel, and Risk Management.
Support AI governance, including acceptable-use standards, data protection, vendor review, user training, and measuring adoption and value.
Identify opportunities for automation and process improvement across the Firm.
Partner with Information Security to implement and maintain security controls, including multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability and patch management, privileged access management, and data loss prevention.
Support client security audits and questionnaires, outside counsel guideline requirements, cyber insurance requirements, and alignment with frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST.
Participate in incident response and ensure IT practices comply with Firm policies, privacy and data protection requirements, and records retention and legal hold obligations.
Manage IT budgets and forecasts with strong fiscal discipline.
Negotiate and manage technology vendor and service-provider contracts, licensing, and service levels, including vendor risk assessments.
Maintain accurate hardware and software asset inventories, license compliance, and lifecycle management.
Maintain current documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base content, and communicate technology changes clearly to attorneys and staff.
Perform other duties as assigned.