Temporary Pricing Manager

Wilson Sonsini

2d•$119,000 - $161,000•Remote

About The Position

Wilson Sonsini is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The firm has approximately 1,100 attorneys in 17 offices: 13 in the U.S., two in China, and two in Europe. Our broad spectrum of practices and entrepreneurial spirit allow exceptional opportunities for professional achievement and career growth. The Pricing & Legal Project Management (LPM) team supports the firm’s attorneys with full spectrum strategic financial and commercial insights, including: creation and management of alternative fee arrangements, development of pricing strategies, and application of creative approaches to important business problems that impact client acquisition and retention. These objectives enhance operational efficiency, client satisfaction, and firm profitability. The team supports a broad range of practice areas across all departments and offices by delivering strategic advice, leveraging advanced project management principles, and integrating technology solutions to maintain and advance the firm’s premier market position. The Pricing Manager will lead and manage pricing requests, while having responsibility (either directly or indirectly) for overseeing a team of analysts. The Manager will ensure client and attorney responsiveness while presenting sophisticated pricing recommendations that balance market competitiveness with firm financial targets. This will entail both maintaining existing processes and systems, while driving the design and implementation of more streamlined procedures, including enhanced reporting and comparable analysis. The Manager will work with Pricing, Pricing Operations, and LPM leadership to create and refine pricing infrastructure. Additionally, they will develop, iterate, and utilize sophisticated pricing and profitability models to support lawyer pricing requests and other pricing projects and initiatives. This position is available as a fully virtual position.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, accounting, or related field; an MBA or equivalent is a plus.
5+ years of financial analysis and/or pricing experience in a professional services setting (2+ years of legal industry experience required).
Extensive financial modelling experience and ability to maintain complex spreadsheets (creative use of formulas, sophisticated data presentation, pivot tables, etc.).
Proficiency in financial software and tools, including SQL, VBA, Power BI, and Aderant is a plus.
Flexibility to adjust work schedule according to workload demands.
Self-motivated with a strong sense of urgency and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
A strong commitment to professionalism, teamwork, excellence, ownership, and accountability.
Highly responsive with a customer-service mindset.
Strong delegation skills, with an ability to iterate work product with junior staff in a fast-paced environment while maintaining quality.
A proactive self-starter, with a drive to grow and enhance the function.
Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with staff, senior leadership, and lawyers.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills capable of building and maintaining strong relationships.
Excellent negotiation skills, capable of effectively articulating the reasoning driving pricing strategies and influencing key stakeholders.
Considerable familiarity with LPM practices and how they intersect with pricing strategy to drive efficiency and client value.
Ability to develop, refine, and improve utilization of pricing tools.
Highly effective creating business process documentation.

Nice To Haves

Pricing experience and familiarity with the following practices is a plus: Litigation, Regulatory & Compliance, Antitrust (including both litigation and actions involving government regulatory bodies), Patents (prosecution and litigation), and Technology Transactions.
Pacific or Mountain time zone preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop, define, and implement creative pricing strategies based on the firm's financial objectives.
Collaborate with stakeholders across functions, including lawyers, Finance, IT, and Business Development, to create tailored pricing solutions for our clients, prepare RFP responses, and integrate pricing strategies within the firm's broader operational and technological frameworks.
Heavily support the annual client rate review and negotiation processes, ensuring competitive positioning while maintaining firm profitability, including analyzing and recommending rates across seniority tiers, geographies, and practice areas.
Collaborate closely with LPM, Pricing Operations, Finance, and IT to leverage data analytics and technology solutions, such as Power BI and SQL, to refine pricing models and decision-making processes.
Utilize financial modeling to evaluate pricing structures and their impact on the firm's bottom line, incorporating best practices in financial reporting and internal controls.
Collaborate with the Pricing Operations and LPM teams to develop workflows that highlight opportunities for improved financial performance via annual client rate review.
Leverage LPM principles and resources to enhance pricing models and profitability analyses.
Proactively assess workload demands and fluctuations, while prudently managing expectations accordingly with stakeholders.
Draft and edit highly professional, accurate, and actionable email correspondence.
Assist with other team deliverables as needed.