Strategy Manager

DLA Piper•Washington, DC

1d•$100,787 - $160,255•Hybrid

About The Position

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let’s see what we can achieve. Together. Summary DLA Piper’s Strategy & Ops function sits under the COO/CFO and exists to turn ambiguous, high-stakes problems into decisions and execution that move the business forward, especially when the issue is cross-functional in nature and does not otherwise have a clear owner. The department is empowered by senior leadership to pursue and deliver opportunities that are too important for the Firm, too messy, and too cross-cutting to sit cleanly in one function. Strategy & Ops is designed to bring direction and momentum in situations that otherwise lack both. The Strategy & Operations Manager is a senior individual-contributor role responsible for leading cross functional, firm priority initiatives from inception through execution, acting as a trusted partner to executive sponsors, functional leaders, and project owners. The role sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and operational problem solving, and is accountable for ensuring that high impact initiatives progress with clarity, rigor, and momentum. This role is not traditional project management. Rather, it combines program leadership, strategic judgment, and executive communication to help the Firm reliably execute its most critical back-office priorities while shaping future opportunities.

Requirements

Dynamic individual with experience in strategy and operations, preferably within a professional services firm setting.
Experience and demonstrated impact in strategy and operations consulting with project management, data and financial analysis, and analytics-based decision-making.
Team players with a growth-mindset, strong critical thinking abilities, a problem-solving approach, strong communication skills, an ability to take ownership of and tackle new challenges in a fast-paced environment, and a great work-ethic.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, or a related field.
4 years’ experience in strategy consulting or with related experience or minimum two years' post-MBA experience.
Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.
Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.
Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
Foster positive work relationships.
Comply with all firm policies and practices.
Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.
Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.

Nice To Haves

Strategy and operations consulting within Big Law legal industry or other large professional services firms is preferred.
Master’s degree in MBA or other advanced degree in a relevant field.

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning: Collaborate closely with the Director of Business Affairs and Strategy to set up and execute a program management structure for the organization’s strategic planning sessions and quarterly business reviews, to include i) strategy session planning, ii) strategy session execution, iii) strategic plan development, iv) strategic plan execution, and v) formal tracking and reporting mechanism to ensure the program is being executed against agreed-upon goals and that progress is being communicated effectively throughout the organization and into its leadership.
Oversee the strategy session planning process, including i) leading, guiding, and coordinating with relevant stakeholders across each function to prepare for the strategic planning sessions and ii) ensuring logistics (i.e., scheduling, communications, agendas, and materials) are handled timely and consistently for each function.
Facilitate strategy sessions and quarterly business reviews, including i) contributing to driving meetings towards clearly defined goals and outcomes, ii) helping to manage the conversation to ensure alignment and engagement amongst the participants, iii) ensuring the proper documentation of key takeaways, actions, questions, and themes as the sessions unfold for subsequent follow up, and iv) synthesizing the takeaways and next steps for the participants.
Aggregate insights from strategy sessions into clear, well-defined priorities and action plans.
Leverage insights to develop strategic plans by function, ensuring consistency in approach across all functions.
Distill and aggregate insights across all functions into cohesive firm-level strategic plans that cover all practices, subgroups, and sectors.
Maintain these plans through a standard operating and reporting cadence.
Support the execution of strategic plans, helping problem-solve with relevant stakeholders across various practices groups and sectors to ensure progress is made against strategic plans.
Lead efforts to ensure follow-through on strategic initiatives, making adjustments as necessary to address evolving priorities and challenges.
Set up a routine check-in cadence to ensure accountability against the initiatives.
Collaborate closely with senior leadership – including i) practice group, practice subgroup, and sector leadership, ii) practice group management teams, and iii) the organization’s internal strategy function – to shape insights stemming from the various strategy sessions, to reach consensus on priorities, and to achieve alignment with overall firm objectives.
Establish and maintain tracking and reporting mechanisms to communicate progress against strategic objectives to firm leadership, facilitating data-driven decision-making and helping the firm steer in a cohesive direction.
Liaison between internal strategy function, communications department, and other individuals responsible for overall change management to ensure an effective communications strategy around the firm’s strategic planning sessions.
Champion a culture of continuous improvement by implementing feedback mechanisms and processes to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the team and drive measurable impact on firm performance.
Strategic Initiatives: Collaborate closely with the Director of Business Affairs to lead and manage high-impact strategic initiatives and special projects that are top-priority for the organization, collaborating closely with strategic leadership and across cross-functional teams to ensure successful execution.
Collaborate with key stakeholders across the organization to garner support and ensure alignment with strategic goals for special projects.
Execute change throughout the organization in a manner effectively by deploying best practices and techniques in change management.
Ensure the efficient and effective execution of special projects, meeting established timelines and delivering measurable impact on firm performance.
Drive innovative solutions and approaches to address complex business challenges, leveraging a deep understanding of industry trends and best practices.
Implement feedback mechanisms and continuous improvement processes to enhance the team’s efficiency and effectiveness.
Respond to ad-hoc requests and projects as needed by the organization’s strategy function, demonstrating flexibility and agility in addressing strategic needs.