Professional Development Manager

Sidley Austin•Dallas, TX

9d•$102,200 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Professional Development Manager will be based in Dallas, TX and will have primary responsibility for supporting the professional development of lawyers in Sidley's Dallas office. Drawing on superior relationship-building skills, the Manager will conduct ongoing formal and informal outreach to individual lawyers; leaders at the practice, office, and committee level; and other key stakeholders to facilitate dialogue and maintain a practice of continuous needs assessment on matters of professional development. The Manager will collaborate broadly within and beyond the Professional Development team to create and implement local, regional, and firmwide programs and initiatives to advance our lawyers’ development, engagement, and satisfaction; meet our clients’ needs; and ensure the satisfaction of relevant continuing legal education and other requirements. The Manager will collaborate with the firm’s broader Learning & Development team, report to a Dallas-based Professional Development Director, and supervise, develop, and mentor a Dallas-based Professional Development Specialist.

Requirements

J.D. degree
A minimum of 5 years of work experience in learning and development, law, or related field
A minimum of 2 years of supervisory experience
Ability to format presentations, graphs, charts, and other visual methods of presenting information
Ability to work effectively across offices and time zones
Availability to travel occasionally to other offices within the US
Superior relationship building skills and judgement
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong project management and organizational skills
Strong attention to detail
Strong interpersonal communication 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
Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including the ability to create visual methods to present information

Nice To Haves

Texas practice experience
Adult education and program design experience
Teaching or public-speaking experience
Familiarity with CLE rules and regulations
Experience with a global or national law firm

Responsibilities

Assist in local and regional implementation of the firmwide strategic direction for attorney professional development.
Develop and deliver regional and firmwide training offerings that meet professional, business, and client-service goals.
Propose, design, introduce, and support new initiatives as needed.
Collaborate with the Director and appropriate firm committees to deliver and continually enhance attorney orientation programs and lateral attorney integration initiatives, coordinate and implement summer associate training, respond to identified training and development needs, and otherwise further attorney training and development.
Track and evaluate the quality and quantity of attorney training opportunities, including collecting relevant data and producing related reports.
Produce professional development resources and craft professional development communications as needed.
Assist with and oversee the Professional Development Specialist’s tracking of lawyers' Texas CLE compliance.
Communicate with Texas-admitted lawyers in Dallas regarding their compliance status; work with the Professional Development Specialist, Director, and Office of General Counsel to help ensure 100% compliance for Texas-admitted lawyers firmwide.
Assist with tracking other CLE compliance requirements for Texas-based attorneys licensed elsewhere, as identified and delegated by the Director.
Promote a work environment that helps lawyers reach their highest potential.
Counsel lawyers on career-development matters as needed.
Help support firm mentoring programs, including implementing training and other resources for mentors and mentees.
Help train, develop and mentor the Professional Development Specialist.
Conduct annual performance reviews.