Director of Professional Development

UB Greensfelder LLP•Chicago, IL

About The Position

UB Greensfelder LLP is an Am Law 200 law firm serving regional, national, and global businesses across more than 25 specialized practice and industry groups. The firm is seeking a Director of Professional Development for its St. Louis, Cleveland, or Chicago office. The Director provides strategic leadership for attorney and paralegal development initiatives, including training, mentoring, career development, performance management support, leadership development, CLE compliance, and attorney integration. Working with firm and practice group leadership and administrative teams, the Director develops programs that support professional growth, engagement, retention, and advancement and serves as a trusted advisor on attorney development and talent strategy. The role leads the Professional Development team and department resources, oversees learning management and CLE technology, and develops and evaluates programs from onboarding through partnership. It also supports attorney coaching, career planning, evaluations, competency frameworks, leadership development, and successful integration of new and lateral attorneys.

Requirements

J.D. required.
At least 8 years of progressive experience in professional development, attorney development, legal education, talent management, law firm leadership, or a related field.
At least 1 year of experience practicing as an attorney within a law firm environment.
Experience designing and implementing professional development, training, or leadership programs.
Prior experience managing people, budgets, and complex initiatives.
Strong understanding of attorney career development and CLE requirements.
Excellent coaching, facilitation, communication, relationship-building, and project management skills.
Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, build consensus, and influence across the organization.
Collaborative, practical, and service-oriented approach.

Nice To Haves

Professional development experience within a law firm or professional services organization is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and execute a comprehensive professional development strategy aligned with the firm's strategic priorities; establish annual goals and evaluate program effectiveness.
Stay current on practices in legal talent development, professional education, engagement, and retention.
Partner with firm leadership on talent development, succession planning, and longer-term workforce initiatives; provide updates and recommendations to firm leadership, the Governing Board, and Practice Group Leaders.
Lead and develop Professional Development team members and manage the department's budget, resources, and technology.
Oversee learning management, CLE tracking, and other professional development technology platforms.
Use program data, feedback, and business needs to assess effectiveness and recommend improvements.
Collaborate with Professional Development, Human Resources, Recruiting, BELONG, Marketing/Business Development, and Practice Group leadership.
Participate in firmwide strategic initiatives relating to attorney talent and development.
Design and oversee professional development programs from onboarding through partnership, including training in substantive legal skills, business development, client service, leadership, and professional skills.
Align programming with practice-specific competencies and career advancement expectations, and support professional development programming for summer associates.
Lead attorney mentoring programs and support individual career and professional development planning.
Partner with Practice Group Leaders and Human Resources on attorney evaluations, competency frameworks, and development plans.
Provide developmental coaching and resources to support attorney growth and advancement, fostering feedback, coaching, continuous learning, and professional engagement.
Oversee CLE programming, compliance, attorney licensure tracking, and related educational resources.
Lead onboarding and integration programs for new and lateral attorneys; partner with Recruiting and Human Resources to support transitions, engagement, and retention.
Identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration across offices and practice groups.