Innovation & Emerging Technologies Manager

Kahana & Feld LLP•Irvine, CA

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Innovation & Emerging Technologies Manager leads the firm’s artificial intelligence, emerging technology, and data analytics initiatives, translating legal and business needs into practical, secure, and well-supported solutions. This experienced Manager leads a team in evaluating tools, developing use cases, testing solutions, delivering training, supporting users, and producing actionable insights. The Innovation & Emerging Technologies Manager brings the firm’s data analysis and reporting capabilities together with its growing AI and innovation program. The Manager develops the team’s skills, balances ongoing reporting needs with new initiatives, and works across practice groups and administrative departments to improve how attorneys and business professionals use technology and data.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, data analytics, business, instructional design, legal studies, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience, is required.
5+ years of relevant experience in technology innovation, AI enablement, legal technology, data analytics, business intelligence, or related work, with demonstrated success leading people or project teams at a law or professional service firm.
Prior direct supervisory experience preferred.
Experience leading and developing a team, including setting priorities, delegating work, managing competing demands, establishing quality expectations, and remaining actively involved in implementation and delivery.
Practical experience with generative AI, large language models, Microsoft 365 tools, and professional services technology, with the ability to become a power user of new platforms quickly.
Experience delivering reports, dashboards, or analytical solutions and a working knowledge of data preparation, data quality, business intelligence, and visualization sufficient to guide and review analysts’ work.
Experience designing and delivering effective live and virtual technology training, demonstrations, user guides, and learning materials for audiences with varied technical skills.
Understanding of legal workflows, client confidentiality, data protection, information security, responsible AI practices, and human review of AI-generated work.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills, including documenting workflows, testing prompts and outputs, identifying failure modes, organizing pilots, and measuring results.
Excellent written and verbal communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills; an approachable, service-oriented style with sound judgment, discretion, curiosity, and the ability to build trust across the firm.

Nice To Haves

Prior direct supervisory experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Work with the COO, CIO, Technology Committee, and firm stakeholders to establish a practical roadmap for AI adoption, emerging technology, and analytics.
Lead, mentor, and develop team members, while establishing clear goals, team priorities, and delivery schedules, balancing ongoing reporting commitments with approved innovation initiatives.
Serve as the primary point of contact and subject matter resource for approved AI and emerging technology tools, providing hands-on expertise and guiding the team’s delivery.
Partner with practice groups, attorneys, and business professionals to understand workflows, identify valuable opportunities, and translate needs into clear use cases and requirements.
Evaluate products for business fit, usability, accuracy, cost, and support needs; coordinate security, confidentiality, and integration reviews with the appropriate technical teams and firm stakeholders.
Monitor AI developments, vendor roadmaps, legal technology trends, and industry practices to make practical recommendations. Work with the Enterprise Applications team in the configuration, testing, implementation, and deployment of new innovation tools.
Design, test, and refine prompts, reusable prompt libraries, AI-assisted workflows, and low-code or no-code automations for approved use cases.
Develop and deliver a role-based training and adoption program for approved innovation and emerging technology tools, aligned with firm priorities and user needs.
Promote approved tools and effective practices through clear communications.
Help users understand where innovation & emerging technologies can improve their work.
Collect user feedback and usage data, identify barriers to adoption, and improve training, communications, configurations, or workflows in response.
Provide responsive day-to-day guidance, triage questions, troubleshoot usage issues, and coordinate escalations with vendors and internal technical teams.
Lead the development, delivery, and maintenance of accurate reports, dashboards, and analyses using authorized data from across the firm to support operational, financial, practice, and management decisions.
Partner with stakeholders to define reporting requirements, meaningful measures, consistent business definitions, and delivery schedules; explain findings in clear, actionable terms.
Establish and oversee quality review processes for data preparation, analysis, reports, and visualizations; resolve discrepancies with analysts and data owners.
Identify opportunities to automate recurring reporting.
Partner with appropriate firm leaders and key stakeholders to implement AI and data governance practices consistent with firm policies, client confidentiality, data-handling standards, and access requirements.
Reinforce responsible use through training, documentation, output verification, and appropriate human oversight; escalate risks and material quality issues promptly.
Track adoption, user satisfaction, reporting reliability, and agreed measures of business value; communicate results and recommend improvements to firm leadership.