Innovation Manager

Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP•Washington, DC

22h•$160,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an entrepreneurial and technology-forward Innovation Manager to help drive the strategic adoption and implementation of legal technology, artificial intelligence, and generative AI solutions across the firm. This role will work closely with lawyers, firm leadership, IT, practice support, and operations teams to identify opportunities to improve legal service delivery, streamline internal workflows, and enhance client value through innovation. The ideal candidate combines experience working in legal environments with a sophisticated understanding of emerging technologies, particularly generative AI tools, workflow automation, and agent-based systems. This individual should be equally comfortable collaborating with lawyers and business professionals, conducting requirements gathering and design workshopping sessions with stakeholders, and translating complex technology concepts into practical solutions that support antitrust, intellectual property litigation, commercial litigation, and other complex litigation practices. This role requires strong communication and relationship management skills, including the ability to present recommendations, strategy, and technology solutions to senior leadership and key stakeholders across the firm.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; J.D. or advanced degree is a plus but not required.
Five plus years of experience working in a legal environment, preferably within a law firm, legal technology company, legal operations team, or consulting organization serving the legal industry.
Knowledge of legal technology, artificial intelligence, and generative AI platforms.
Experience conducting requirements gathering, process analysis, and solution design sessions with cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong presentation and communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership and influencing decision-making.
Strong project management, collaboration, relationship management, and change management skills.
Demonstrated growth mindset, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and willingness to continuously learn, and experiment with emerging technologies.
Curiosity, creativity, and a hands-on approach to problem-solving and innovation.

Nice To Haves

Experience working within a law firm innovation, legal operations, knowledge management, or legal technology role.
Prior experience as a paralegal, legal technology professional, legal operations professional, consultant, project manager, or similar role strongly preferred.
Prior experience managing, mentoring, or leading teams and cross-functional initiatives.
Experience building and implementing generative AI workflows, agents, and prompting strategies.
Familiarity with workflow automation tools, API integrations, low-code/no-code platforms, and AI orchestration frameworks.
Experience evaluating AI governance, ethical considerations, and confidentiality risks in legal environments.
Knowledge of eDiscovery, litigation support, document management, or knowledge management systems.
Experience training lawyers and professional staff on technology adoption.
Relevant certifications in project management, legal technology, AI, or change management are a plus

Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and implement innovative legal technologies and AI-driven solutions to improve lawyer productivity and client service.
Support the development and execution of the firm’s innovation strategy in collaboration with firm leadership.
Conduct stakeholder interviews, requirements gathering, and workflow analysis to identify opportunities for process improvement and technology adoption.
Facilitate design workshops and collaborative working sessions to develop practical, user-centered solutions.
Monitor developments in legal technology, generative AI, automation, and emerging legal service models.
Partner with lawyers and business teams to identify and implement technology solutions that support litigation and client service workflows.
Design, build, and optimize generative AI workflows for legal and business operations.
Develop AI-enabled solutions using prompting frameworks, agent-based systems, automation tools, and workflow orchestration platforms.
Experiment with and evaluate large language models, AI research tools, drafting platforms, and legal-specific AI products.
Create repeatable prompting methodologies and best practices for lawyers and staff.
Partner with internal stakeholders to pilot and scale AI-driven initiatives.
Serve as a trusted resource for lawyers and professional staff adopting AI and legal technology tools.
Conduct training sessions, workshops, and demonstrations on generative AI capabilities and responsible use.
Assist in developing policies, governance frameworks, and best practices relating to AI usage, confidentiality, security, and ethics.
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous learning, and continuous improvement throughout the firm.
Evaluate legal technology vendors and AI products for functionality, security, and business value.
Manage relationships with technology vendors and external consultants.
Collaborate with IT and information security teams to assess implementation risks and compliance considerations.
Assist with implementation planning, product rollouts, and user adoption initiatives.
Improve knowledge-sharing systems and internal legal workflows through automation and AI integration.
Identify opportunities to reduce administrative burden and increase efficiency in litigation and business operations.
Assist with development of internal AI resources, playbooks, templates, and knowledge repositories.
Track adoption metrics, user feedback, and project outcomes to support continuous improvement.
Manage innovation team members, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and growth-oriented environment.
Prioritize and assign team workloads, project assignments, and resource allocation across multiple innovation initiatives and firm priorities.
Provide coaching, guidance, and performance feedback to team members to support professional development and continuous improvement.
Collaborate cross-functionally with lawyers, IT, practice support, operations, and firm leadership to align innovation initiatives with strategic goals.
Build strong working relationships across practice groups and administrative departments to encourage adoption of new technologies and innovative ways of working.
Help establish team processes, operational standards, and project management best practices to support scalability and effective delivery.
Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of innovation and legal technology personnel as the team grows.
Promote a culture of accountability, experimentation, collaboration, and client-focused innovation throughout the organization.

Benefits

Competitive starting pay and annual discretionary bonus and raise eligibility
Generous paid time off benefits (vacation, personal days, holidays, and sick leave)
Firm paid short and long-term disability, plus life and accident insurance
401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Cash Balance Retirement Plan with generous employer contributions
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options
Flexible spending and health savings accounts (medical plan dependent)
Firm paid comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Student loan refinancing discounts
Fitness/Gym dues reimbursement program
Hybrid remote work schedules are available for most employees