Senior Human Resources Compliance Manager

Ropes & Gray • Boston, MA

14d • Hybrid

About The Position

About Ropes & Gray Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years—rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer. Overview The Senior Manager, Human Resources Compliance is responsible for maintaining up-to-date knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, proactively identifying necessary changes, and ensuring firm-wide compliance. This individual serves as a subject matter expert, providing clear and regular guidance through effective communication, project management, and planning. The Senior Manager drives Human Resources policy governance, ensuring that all firm policies, systems, and practices are legally compliant. This role manages compliance initiatives and acts as a trusted advisor to firm leadership and internal teams, supporting the firm’s response to evolving regulatory changes by providing guidance to Human Resources, in partnership with the Office of the General Counsel.

Requirements

• Ability to establish and build credibility as a knowledgeable and trusted Human Resources advisor and serve as a strong role model within the firm.
• Commitment to confidentiality, integrity, ethics, and dedication.
• Strong organizational, writing, presentation, and communication skills.
• Capacity to handle time-sensitive situations with sound analysis and judgment.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with multiple teams.
• Strong project management and execution skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing demands in a professional manner.
• Willingness to travel up to 10%.
• Juris Doctor (JD) required.
• Fluency in U.S. employment and Human Resources compliance laws required.
• Minimum of five years of hands-on Human Resources policy compliance and risk management experience at a professional services firm, law firm, or multinational corporation; prior law firm experience strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Workday preferred.
• Experience with legal compliance in Europe and Asia preferred.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., HR certification, compliance certification) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the subject matter expert on all firm Human Resources compliance policies, procedures, and programs to ensure legal compliance.
• Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws in all jurisdictions where the firm operates, ensuring ongoing compliance of firm policies and practices.
• Develop and update policies in accordance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulatory changes.
• Partner with the Office of the General Counsel to ensure alignment across compliance-related functions.
• Collaborate with the Office of the General Counsel, IT, Information Security, HRIS, Human Resources, and Legal Talent regarding EEO reporting, onboarding, time entry rules, and the introduction of new technology, including AI.
• Maintain and report on compliance metrics and risk assessments, including required federal and state annual compliance reporting.
• Respond to policy-related components of RFPs and client questionnaires on behalf of the Human Resources department.
• Project manage the annual review of Human Resources policies and onboarding processes.
• Conduct proactive Human Resources compliance audits to mitigate compliance risks (e.g., wage & hour, I-9).
• Manage the Human Resources compliance roadmap, providing updates to leadership on the status of ongoing and future compliance initiatives.
• Stay informed on emerging compliance issues, particularly in areas such as AI regulations, pay data reporting and employee data privacy.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address potential compliance challenges and implement proactive measures.

Benefits

• Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members.
• The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture.
• In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree