Manager, Innovation

Practising Law Institute • New York, NY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Practising Law Institute (PLI) educates and informs lawyers and other professionals with innovative programs, publications, podcasts, and additional resources. With a sterling reputation developed over 90 years, PLI is a trusted source of professional development and knowledge for the legal community. A nonprofit organization, PLI is also known for its dedication to providing pro bono training and resources to ensure access to justice. PLI’s client base includes a large array of prestigious law firms, corporations, and government agencies. We are also proud to have recently been named one of the “Brands That Matter” by Fast Company. More information about PLI may be found on our website www.pli.edu.
PLI is searching for a professional to fill the role of Manager, Innovation (responsibilities and qualifications are described below). Work in a collaborative environment with a diverse, employee community where staff enjoy a generous benefits package and a genuine commitment to a work-life balance (4+ weeks of paid time off and hybrid remote/in-person schedules for most roles).
The Manager, Innovation will report to the Director of Innovation and will help advance PLI’s innovation strategy through a portfolio of innovation initiatives across PLI. This role supports both ongoing and new projects and will help translate ideas into action through clear program management, stakeholder coordination, and practical measurement.
The ideal candidate brings strong program management skills with a blend of operational excellence and product-minded execution. They are comfortable operating in ambiguity, can build trust across internal and external stakeholders, and have an entrepreneurial mindset that enables them to ideate, pitch, and execute solutions with appropriate guardrails.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Demonstrated program or project management experience, with strength in driving execution, coordinating stakeholders, and delivering outcomes in a dynamic environment.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence across functions and navigate organizational dynamics.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to ideate, pitch, test, learn, and iterate with appropriate guardrails.
• Data-forward approach to tracking progress and communicating results in a way that supports decision-making.
• Comfort partnering with both operational and technical stakeholders, with interest in supporting pilots, tooling decisions, and adoption planning.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in legal tech, legal education, access to justice, or nonprofit partnership ecosystems.
• Product management experience, including translating program engagement into product ideas and supporting implementation.
• Experience developing with low-code and no-code tools and a track record of successful experimentation and use case development. Formal software engineering experience is not required.
• Experience educating others, especially attorneys and nonprofits, about new technology and supporting adoption.
• Interest or experience in content creation and modern storytelling approaches that increase engagement.
• JD is not required.

Responsibilities

• Support the Director of Innovation in driving PLI’s innovation strategy across a portfolio of initiatives, including internal enablement, external collaborations, and new product opportunities.
• Help identify, evaluate, and manage collaborations that advance PLI’s innovation strategy and pro bono mission, including partnerships with nonprofits and mission-aligned organizations in the access to justice ecosystem.
• Support collaboration development and execution from concept to delivery by coordinating internal and external stakeholders and maintaining momentum across workstreams.
• Manage collaboration project operations, including administrative coordination and, when needed, technical project management for integrations or shared technical workstreams.
• Support existing innovation programs and infrastructures, including planning, documentation, and operational processes that make initiatives easier to run and scale.
• Identify innovation and product opportunities aligned with organizational goals, translating stakeholder needs into actionable product concepts, process improvements, or technical pilots, and leading their development from pilot through deployment and adoption in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Help structure governance-forward innovation by supporting controlled pilots and safe enablement approaches that reinforce responsible use and compliance expectations in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
• Drive execution of innovation initiatives by building clear plans, timelines, owners, and escalation paths, and coordinating work across internal teams.
• Use data to track progress and business impact and to inform prioritization, iteration, and stakeholder decision-making.
• Lead or support innovation programming that builds confidence and capability across PLI, including upskilling initiatives and hackathon-style events designed for both novice and experienced participants.
• Support modern storytelling and communications that generate excitement and engagement for innovation initiatives, including interest in short-form and other creative formats using AI and other digital tools.
• Perform other duties, as assigned.

Benefits

• PLI offers a generous benefits package and is committed to creating an interesting, collegial, and supportive work environment:
• Medical, dental and vision plans for employees and their families
• Generous employer contribution to employee retirement savings account
• Ample paid time off and holidays, summer Fridays
• Flexible hybrid remote/in-person scheduling for most roles
• Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning web-based training along with other career development opportunities
• Work-life balance initiatives
• One-time $500 Home Office Allowance
• Gym/Wellness Allowance of up to $300 each calendar year

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees