Senior Manager, Pricing

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett•San Francisco, NY

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Pricing helps lead the firm’s pricing strategy and execution by partnering with lawyers, business development, practice group leadership, and finance teams to design, implement, and track client fee agreements. The role combines advanced financial analysis, matter budgeting, and direct partner support with leadership of a team responsible for pricing processes, tools, and databases. The Senior Manager helps embed firm-wide best practices and ensures pricing data and insights are captured, maintained, and used effectively. This is a collaborative, hands-on leadership role requiring commercial judgment, analytical rigor, strong communication, process management, and people leadership, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders. The role advises partners and firm leadership on fee proposals, budgets, alternative fee arrangements, pricing trends, client expectations, risk-sharing structures, and firm guidelines. It oversees matter budgets and pricing performance, identifies risks and opportunities, and delivers reporting and strategic insights. The Senior Manager leads and develops a pricing support team, establishes scalable workflows, oversees pricing tools and databases, and partners with IT and finance teams on technology and automation improvements. The role also leads pricing guidance and training, supports RFPs and client negotiations, and works with the Chief Financial Officer and other leaders to advance the firm’s commercial and growth priorities. A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related field is required. An M.B.A., J.D., or other advanced degree is preferred. The position requires 8–10 years of relevant experience, including 3–5 years in a leadership or management capacity. The estimated base salary range for New York is $200,000 to $230,000. The role is exempt and not eligible for overtime pay. The firm will not sponsor work visas for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related field.
8–10 years of experience in pricing, financial analysis, or related roles within professional services; law firm experience is strongly preferred.
At least 3–5 years of leadership or management experience.
Proven ability to lead and develop teams and build collaborative, high-performing groups.
Demonstrated experience advising and influencing senior partners, practice group leaders, and executive- or committee-level stakeholders.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
Deep understanding of and comfort with generative AI.
Experience with Claude, Harvey, and DeepJudge.
Advanced financial modeling and analytical skills, including using tools to analyze data and recommend or implement solutions to complex problems.
Deep working understanding of alternative fee arrangements and pricing professional services, including structuring and negotiating complex, high-value AFAs.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions using logical thinking.
Ability to develop and execute pricing strategy and translate analysis into firm-level recommendations and measurable commercial outcomes.
Ability to work as a self-assured self-starter in a dynamic environment.
Experience working with all levels of personnel within law firms and with clients.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex financial concepts to senior stakeholders.
Strong problem-solving and negotiation skills.
Ability to adapt to and lead through change, while balancing competing demands and priorities.
Organized, proactive, commercially minded, and attentive to detail.
Advanced proficiency in developing and maintaining pricing tools and databases, and experience leading process improvement and technology implementation projects.

Nice To Haves

M.B.A., J.D., or another advanced degree.
Law firm experience.
Experience managing managers or senior professionals.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with partners to develop and evaluate fee proposals, budgets, and alternative fee arrangements.
Provide financial modeling and analysis to support client negotiations and business development opportunities.
Support partners in preparing business cases and seeking Finance Committee approvals with data-driven insights and recommendations.
Advise partners, practice group leaders, and firm leadership on pricing trends, client expectations, risk-sharing structures, and firm guidelines.
Escalate and assess complex or sensitive pricing matters, considering risk, profitability, and client relationships.
Oversee matter budgets and provide updates and insights to partners and leadership.
Track performance against pricing assumptions and identify risks, revenue leakage, and optimization opportunities.
Analyze pricing outcomes and client behavior to refine strategy and improve commercial results.
Develop and deliver pricing performance reports, dashboards, insights, and recommendations for the Finance Committee and firm leaders.
Contribute to pricing strategy, including rate and realization analysis, profitability analysis, and competitive market positioning.
Lead, manage, coach, and develop the pricing support team; set goals and conduct performance reviews.
Ensure the team delivers accurate, timely, high-quality support to partners and practice groups.
Establish and maintain efficient, consistent, and scalable pricing workflows.
Oversee the maintenance and accuracy of pricing databases, tools, and templates, and ensure consistent data capture.
Partner with IT and finance teams to improve tools and processes, define requirements, and lead technology and automation implementations.
Evaluate pricing technologies, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions and recommend adoption where appropriate.
Create and roll out pricing playbooks, guidelines, and templates, and drive consistent approaches to scoping, budgeting, and fee negotiations.
Lead and contribute to firm-wide initiatives that improve value delivery, efficiency, and financial outcomes.
Deliver training for partners, associates, and professional staff on pricing, scoping, and project management principles.
Participate in RFPs, pitches, client meetings, negotiations, and fee discussions as needed.
Develop and present strategic, value-driven, competitive proposals and support relationships with client procurement and legal operations teams on pricing matters.
Partner with the Chief Financial Officer, finance leadership, business development, and practice group leaders to advance pricing priorities and execute initiatives supporting commercial and growth objectives.
Manage and mentor senior team members and act as a thought leader on pricing and legal industry trends.