Senior Coordinator, Professional Development & Corporate Staff Attorneys

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett•New York, NY

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s Legal Talent Department supports attorneys’ professional development and works with firm leadership, staffing partners, and practice group heads on onboarding, staffing, mentoring, performance reviews, training, and talent engagement. Professional Development team members work with designated practice groups to support attorneys’ development, staffing, and day-to-day experience. The Senior Coordinator manages associate development activities for a practice group, including staffing, mentoring, and talent engagement. The role also manages the employment cycle for corporate staff attorneys, including recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluation, and retention. The Senior Coordinator works closely with the Associate Director, Professional Development, relevant Staffing Partners and Practice Group Leaders, and the broader Professional Development team. The position requires at least three days per week in the New York office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Minimum of 3–4 years of comparable experience.
Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality.
Collaborative approach to working with people at 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 across long- and short-term projects and responsibilities.
Team-oriented approach and willingness to contribute to unexpected projects or requests.
Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and comfort using web-based databases and software such as viDesktop.
Flexibility to adjust hours to meet departmental needs.
Excellent judgment and problem-solving skills, including assessing competing priorities and making sound, timely decisions.
Tact, discretion, and strong judgment in handling confidential employee information.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in a law firm setting.
Demonstrated experience managing staffing, resource allocation, utilization, and workflow coordination.
Knowledge of legal principles and practices.

Responsibilities

Manage annual and interim evaluation processes for staff attorneys, ensuring evaluations and developmental objectives are completed; assist with verbal feedback intake and update the VI feedback tracking system.
Assist with staff attorney hiring by scheduling candidate interviews and preparing hiring approval requests and offer letters.
Coordinate orientations and welcome lunches for new staff attorneys and update relevant group lists.
Develop and facilitate the staff attorney mentor program, pair staff attorneys with mentors, track meetings, and encourage dialogue about development goals.
Coordinate departing staff attorney processes, including exit interviews and work transitions.
Serve as a resource for staff attorneys, guide and mentor them, connect them with Firm resources, monitor morale, address concerns, and help resolve problems.
Organize training programs, group lunch presentations, group events, and communications that support team cohesion and engagement.
Assist with annual budget preparation, operational costs, and related reporting.
Work with staffing partners to allocate associate assignments and structure teams based on availability, experience, skills, and utilization.
Track and analyze associate metrics, including hours and availability; conduct associate check-ins about workload, morale, and engagement.
Coordinate cross-departmental staffing and secondments with staffing partners and the Legal Talent team.
Track associate vacation schedules, leaves of absence, and related coverage.
Support timely, robust associate performance feedback, including intake of verbal evaluations as needed.
Support practice group leaders and staffing partners in developing mentoring connections and team interactions; coordinate associate mentor and partner-advisor pairings and follow up on development goals.
Plan team-building and mentoring events and serve as a feedback link among associates, Firm leadership, and practice partners.
Support Training Partners with regular departmental meals and practice-specific training programs, including presenter coordination, scheduling, registration, facilities, food service, technology, training materials, communications, and email lists.
Provide on-site support for training programs, including practice-specific sessions during STBReady and STBAdvance.
Liaise with Recruiting to support integration of summer and lateral associates.
Coordinate with professional service teams, including Knowledge Management, Inclusion, and Training, to advance practice initiatives.
Work on ad hoc projects and perform other duties as assigned.