Practice Group Manager - Energy

Sidley Austin LLP•Houston, TX

18h

About The Position

The Practice Group Manager (PGM) for the Energy Global Practice Group (GPG) will support the group’s strategic, operational, administrative and talent-management needs across offices. The role includes driving the development and execution of strategic plans/initiatives for the Energy GPG and its Practice Area Teams (PATs), improving operational processes, providing administrative support to Global Practice Leaders (GPLs), PAT leaders and local Practice Group Heads (PGHs), and managing associate talent.

Requirements

J.D. with several years of law firm practice experience; candidates with prior in-house legal experience are also strongly considered.
Proficient in the understanding of law firm economics, attorney incentives, staffing dynamics, and overall practice operations.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, Resource Management/Scheduling Tools, Excel and other related applications.
Strong presence in the face of complexity and time-constrained challenges.
Proficient at negotiating and managing conflict.
Proven client service focus, with an ability to resolve issues quickly and a sense of urgency.
Strong organizational skills
Strong attention to detail
Good judgment
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Superior relationship building skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
Able to work under pressure
Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Responsibilities

Provide hands-on support for the GPG and its PATs by building strong relationships with Global Practice Leaders (GPLs) and Practice Group Heads (PGHs), partners, associates and staff to understand and advance the group’s goals.
Provide administrative support to the Global Practice Group (GPG) and its Practice Area Teams (PATs) through organization of practice group meetings and through the development and management of communications, including presentation materials and meeting documentation.
Work with GPLs, PGHs and Accounting to design customized KPI and other reports.
Work with the GPLs and PGHs to create and implement a strategic business plan or select strategic objectives; stay abreast of industry trends to help inform and augment those strategic priorities.
In coordination with the relevant departments and practice groups, support cross practice or firm wide strategic initiatives/special projects (e.g., working with Marketing/Business Development to capture and monitor cross-practice group referrals).
Manage special projects for the GPG and its PATs, such as operational or process improvement projects.
Function as a liaison for other administrative departments and existing resources, i.e. Learning & Development; Inclusion; Knowledge Management; Marketing and Business Development; Accounting; Finance, etc.
Maintain and administer resource management-dashboards; act as a liaison and advocate to facilitate workflow and evaluate associate capacity and skill development needs for staffing purposes.
Responsible for assessing the GPG associates across offices to ensure associates are sharing equal workloads to maximize performance and eliminate disparate hours amongst lawyers and to ensure associates are building appropriate skills in accordance with rubrics and their career development goals.
Track and analyze utilization to guide staffing or talent decisions, including recruiting.
In connection with the GPG, its PATs, and the appropriate functional departments, help determine hirings needs and facilitate practice-group recruiting, onboarding and integration of entry-level and lateral associates.
In connection with Learning & Development, help support mentoring and other morale and retention initiatives for the GPG and its PATs.
Collaborate with GPLs, PGHs, HR and others to oversee attorney performance and career development initiatives, including managing the performance appraisal process and supporting the partner and counsel promotion process.