Professional Development Coordinator - Finance

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP•New York, NY

1d•$70,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Professional Development Coordinator, Finance will oversee the professional development of staff attorneys, associates and counsel in the Banking & Credit and Capital Markets practices. This role includes managing staffing, talent engagement initiatives, and mentoring. The Professional Development Coordinator, Finance will be part of the Legal Talent Team, reporting to the Manager-Professional Development, Banking & Credit, and will support the Staffing Partners and Group Heads for the departments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
3-4 years of comparable experience
Prior experience in a law firm preferred
Staffing experience preferred but not required
Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact well and build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality; collaborative approach to working with others of all seniority levels.
Strong interest and experience in professional development.
Ability to self-direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs and implement solutions.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for both long and short-term projects and responsibilities.
Must be team oriented, contributing as needed on unexpected projects or requests.
Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and comfortable working in web-based databases/software, e.g., viDesktop.
Must be flexible to adjust hours to meet departmental needs.

Responsibilities

Work closely with staffing partners and Professional Development Managers to help maintain an equitable level of utilization across the department/teams, particularly with respect to certain sub-groups within the broader practices.
Make staffing recommendations/match staffing needs with the appropriate resources, based on availability, experience, and desired exposure to various matters/teams.
Provide associates with the opportunity to work on a variety of matters while balancing growth opportunities with client needs.
Strive to maintain a consistency of experiences and equitable distribution of assignments across the practice area.
Update staffing database and charts.
Participate in and assist in scheduling staffing/welcome meetings, lunches, etc.
Update any applicable group lists.
Track absence time and maintain vacation calendar.
Coordinate any necessary matter team coverages.
Track vacation carryover.
Develop professional rapport and relationships with staff attorneys/associates/counsel through regular check-in calls; gain understanding of their professional experiences and objectives; evaluate associate and counsel availability, and general wellness.
Escalate issues to Legal Talent management.
Work closely with the Legal Talent team to pair associates/counsel with mentors and partner advisors.
Ensure associates/counsel are connecting with their respective mentors and advisors and engaged in dialogue about ongoing professional development goals.
Provide an active feedback loop between associates/counsel, Legal Talent, and the partners in the group.
Collaborate with the Professional Development Managers to plan and facilitate a variety of team-building events to foster connectivity.
Ensure that each associate/counsel has thorough evaluations and developmental objectives.
Assist with verbal intake of feedback from partners.
Update VI feedback tracking system.
Coordinate regularly with other professional service team members (e.g., Director of Practice Management, Knowledge Management Counsel, Training and Development Manager, etc.) to further practice group initiatives.
Work on a variety of ad hoc projects as needed.