Specialist, Strategy, Planning & Infrastructure

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett • New York, NY

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is a leading international law firm. The Client Development & Engagement (CDE) function is central to the Firm’s growth strategy, encompassing business development, marketing, events, and communications. CDE collaborates with Partners and practice leaders to support key initiatives like pitches, RFPs, strategic marketing, and practice-level business development. The team utilizes data, insights, and creative problem-solving to foster sustained growth through consistent excellence and a differentiated client experience.

The Specialist, Strategy, Planning & Infrastructure role is designed to support the planning, coordination, and execution of strategic initiatives that enhance the operational effectiveness of the Client Development & Engagement function. Working under the guidance of the Senior Manager, this position will manage cross-functional workstreams, maintain project governance and documentation, assist with technology and AI initiatives, and ensure the successful completion of high-priority operational projects. This role is suited for a detail-oriented, proactive individual capable of managing both execution and broader operational oversight. The Specialist acts as a crucial operational partner to CDE leadership, ensuring strategic initiatives are organized, visible, on track, and successfully delivered.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum 4+ years of relevant experience in business development, operations, project coordination, executive support, professional services, or a law firm environment
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across levels and functions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, synthesize information, support data-driven decision-making, and advance continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coordinating concurrent cross-functional initiatives, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Experience preparing executive presentations, dashboards, status reports, meeting materials, and operational documentation.
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools, such as Smartsheet, Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Project, Asana, Lupl, or similar platforms.
• Strong organizational, analytical, project coordination, and documentation skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Highly organized, proactive, self-directed, and accountable, with the ability to work independently and drive deliverables to completion.
• Adaptable, resourceful, and comfortable navigating ambiguity in a dynamic environment.
• Collaborative team player with a strong customer-service mindset and commitment to continuous learning, professional growth, and innovation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting strategic planning, operational excellence, PMO, business transformation, or professional services initiatives.
• Familiarity with CRM, Power BI or other analytics tools, and AI-enabled productivity platforms such as Microsoft Copilot, Harvey, Claude, DeepJudge, or similar technologies.

Responsibilities

• Maintain project plans, timelines, trackers, dashboards, status updates, and documentation for CDE strategic initiatives.
• Track milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks, action items, and key decision points to ensure timely progress and appropriate escalation.
• Prepare briefing materials, meeting summaries, project updates, and other materials that support CDE leadership decision-making and visibility.
• Help create scalable templates, processes, and documentation to support consistent planning and execution across initiatives.
• Coordinate internal operations that support the Client Development & Engagement function, including budget tracking, candidate pipeline support, vendor coordination, event logistics, and document preparation as needed.
• Identify opportunities to improve internal workflows, templates, operating rhythms, and team processes in support of scalability and cross-functional visibility.
• Support the development and rollout of new processes, systems, and tools that help CDE manage work more consistently and efficiently.
• Draft, coordinate, and maintain internal communications, including team updates, meeting summaries, project briefs, and process documentation.
• Support technology, AI, and infrastructure-related initiatives by helping organize requirements, track implementation tasks, document decisions, and coordinate stakeholder input.
• Support the evaluation, planning, testing, documentation, and rollout of new technologies that improve operational efficiency.
• Coordinate AI adoption initiatives within CDE for Firm-approved technologies, including Microsoft Copilot, Harvey, DeepJudge, and other emerging AI solutions.
• Develop and maintain implementation documentation, training resources, user guides, and adoption materials supporting technology rollouts.
• Coordinate stakeholder feedback, issue tracking, testing activities, and project documentation during technology pilots and implementations.
• Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders across CDE, IT, Knowledge & Innovation, HR, Finance, and other Firm functions.
• Coordinate project updates, timelines, deliverables, and communications across multiple workstreams.
• Support change management activities associated with new technologies, operational processes, and strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned by the Senior Manager, Strategy, Planning & Infrastructure.

Benefits

• The Firm prohibits discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, marital or partnership status, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other legally protected status.
• This Policy pertains to every aspect of an individual’s relationship with the Firm, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training and development, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level