Overview

The Manager of Professional Development will work with the Director of Professional Development, Chief Talent Officer, and various firm leaders to design and implement innovative programs and approaches to developing and engaging our attorneys over the arc of their careers. Responsibilities will cover a range of professional development areas, with a focus on feedback and evaluations, mentoring, flexible work arrangements, office transfers, leaves of absence, and more.

Responsibilities

• Manage and facilitate the evaluation and review process for all associates, senior counsel, special counsel, patent and public affairs professionals.
• Develop and participate in relevant training programs and professional development opportunities to enhance the evaluation experience for evaluators and evaluatees alike.
• Analyze evaluation comments and data to address concerns, ensure consistency, and improve the overall quality of the feedback provided through the formal evaluation process.
• Drive the firm’s feedback and feed forward initiatives, including fostering best practices around real time feedback and through forward-looking career development conversations.
• Assist with the development of competency models that establish benchmarks and set clear expectations for associates and senior counsel to progress in their careers.
• Oversee the systems that run many aspects of the talent functions, including the learning management system and the systems that power attorney recruiting, performance management, work utilization, surveys, and other key areas that contribute to attorney professional development as well as business professional training tracking.
• Evaluate, coordinate and manage firm-wide mentoring programs, including creation and oversight of mentor-related communication, training, and events, and the collection and dissemination of related data and feedback.
• Oversee and facilitate Foley Engage, a work utilization tool that captures associate availability and interest areas and pairs them with existing productivity data to support intentional staffing decisions on new matters.
• Counsel attorneys on various lifecycle events, including flexible work arrangements, office transfers, and leaves of absence; oversee flexible work arrangement and transfer requests; work with HR/Benefits as necessary; help develop programs and initiatives to support attorneys embarking on and returning from leave.
• Present on various topics, including feedback, mentoring, core competencies, and other areas.
• Coordinate with the Diversity & Inclusion team on training and initiatives to support the firm’s D&I efforts and strategic plan.
• Monitor trends in professional development, including with regard to development-related technologies and tools, in order to propose new and innovative solutions that improve the attorney experience.
• Develop strong relationships with attorneys and professional staff so as to best leverage the Professional Development teams’ expertise, programs and materials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required; JD preferred.
• Minimum five (5) years of legal practice in a large law firm and/or experience working in professional development required.
• Large law firm or professional service firm experience preferred.