Senior Manager: Information Governance Compliance

Mayer Brown•New York, NY

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Mayer Brown is an international law firm that represents major corporations, funds, and financial institutions. The firm is seeking a Senior Manager: Information Governance Compliance to join its Information Governance department in New York, Chicago, or Washington, D.C. This role is responsible for ensuring the firm’s Information Governance (IG) policies are operationalized, monitored, and enforced consistently and defensibly, aligning with regulatory requirements, data protection laws, and professional ethics. The Senior Manager will lead the development of compliance frameworks, controls, and reporting across key IG domains, including data retention, legal holds, client requirements, access controls, and AI governance. Reporting to the Director: Global Information Governance, this position will identify and remediate compliance gaps through ongoing assessment and continuous improvement, acting as a central point of coordination across IG, Legal Risk Management (LRM), Information Technology (IT), and business stakeholders to enhance the firm’s risk and compliance posture. The role is empowered to escalate compliance concerns and recommend corrective actions to senior leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field required.
8+ years of experience required in IG, Risk, Compliance, or a related field.
Relevant certifications preferred, such as IGP (Information Governance Professional), CIP (Certified Information Professional), CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional), or CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Controls).
Experience within a law firm, legal department, or professional services environment strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience implementing and monitoring compliance programs.
Strong understanding of data privacy, regulatory requirements, and client confidentiality obligations.
Experience supporting audits, regulatory inquiries, or client compliance reviews.
Ability to translate policy into practical, operational workflows.
Experience managing or supporting legal hold programs, including governance frameworks and defensibility requirements.
Experience developing or supporting AI governance frameworks, policies, or controls preferred.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
Experience interpreting and operationalizing client requirements or OCGs preferred.
Experience developing compliance metrics, dashboards, or executive-level reporting.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and M365 applications including Teams, Copilot, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
Familiarity with IG related technologies (e.g., Microsoft Purview, iManage, Intapp, LegalKEY, iCompli) and other enterprise data platforms.
Familiarity with data analytics or reporting tools (e.g., Power BI or similar platforms) preferred.
Ability to influence stakeholders across functions without direct authority, building consensus and driving accountability through collaboration.
Sound judgment and the ability to navigate ambiguity, particularly in emerging areas such as AI governance.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect operational details to broader risk and compliance objectives.
Executive-level communication and reporting capability, including the ability to distill complex compliance topics into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership.
Takes initiative and operates independently, proactively identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Anticipates stakeholder needs and exercises independent judgment to deliver solutions aligned with firm and client expectations.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and professionally across all levels of the Firm.
Maintains strict confidentiality and exercises discretion in handling sensitive firm and client information.
Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and workstreams simultaneously.
Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in an environment with shifting priorities.
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience.
Operational budget analysis and recommendations.
Process and service-oriented with strong leadership and project management skills.

Nice To Haves

Relevant certifications preferred, such as IGP (Information Governance Professional), CIP (Certified Information Professional), CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional), or CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Controls).
Experience developing or supporting AI governance frameworks, policies, or controls preferred.
Experience interpreting and operationalizing client requirements or OCGs preferred.
Familiarity with data analytics or reporting tools (e.g., Power BI or similar platforms) preferred.

Responsibilities

Translate IG policies (e.g., retention, data classification, legal holds, AI governance) into clear, actionable procedures and workflows.
Define and document compliance standards, controls, and decision frameworks.
Partner with IT to align policy requirements with system capabilities (e.g., Microsoft Purview, iManage).
Identify and remediate gaps between policy requirements and current-state practices.
Design and implement ongoing monitoring processes to assess adherence to IG policies.
Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting to provide visibility into compliance across systems and user groups.
Conduct periodic control testing and compliance reviews.
Identify trends, risks, and areas of non-compliance and drive remediation efforts.
Establish and maintain the governance framework for legal holds, including roles, responsibilities, and workflows.
Partner with LRM to ensure legal holds are consistently implemented and managed across systems.
Monitor compliance with legal hold requirements, including timely application and release.
Support audit readiness and defensibility related to legal hold processes.
Develop and manage a structured approach to reviewing and operationalizing client OCGs.
Translate client-specific requirements (e.g., retention, notification, destruction, AI usage, data handling) into enforceable policies and workflows.
Define and oversee processes for client notification requirements related to data destruction, where applicable.
Maintain visibility into client-driven restrictions and ensure alignment across IG processes.
Support the development and operationalization of the Firm’s AI governance framework, including policies, controls, and oversight mechanisms.
Define and implement guidance for appropriate data use within AI tools, aligned with client requirements and firm policy.
Partner with stakeholders to align data classification, labeling, and access controls with AI governance requirements.
Establish monitoring and reporting to assess adherence to AI-related policies and identify emerging risks.
Establish frameworks for periodic access and entitlement reviews across key systems and repositories.
Ensure alignment between access controls, data classification, and client restrictions.
Oversee execution of access reviews in partnership with IT and Information Security.
Monitor and report on access-related risks and compliance gaps.
Develop and implement a targeted, compliance-focused training program aligned to key risk areas.
Create role-based guidance for lawyers and business services professionals.
Support training initiatives related to retention, data handling, AI usage, and client requirements.
Measure effectiveness of training and adjust approach based on observed behaviors and risk.
Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for IG compliance.
Deliver concise, risk-based reporting to senior leadership.
Support governance forums and stakeholder discussions with structured insights and recommendations.
Establish and manage processes for policy exceptions, including documentation and risk assessment.
Perform other duties as assigned or required to meet firm goals and objectives.
Manages processes for direct reports in regards to performance appraisals, annual compensation, goal setting and performance counselling.
Conducts analysis of staffing levels and participation in the recruitment process.
Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies.
Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner.