Director of Business/Practice Development

Seward and Kissel LLP has an opening for a Director of Practice Support. We are seeking a leader who is innovative, collaborative, and firmly committed to the success of the Firm. You will possess the emotional and social intelligence required to successfully navigate the complexities of a sophisticated and high-performing law firm. You are comfortable in a fast paced and rapidly evolving environment.  You are excited to build. You champion and shepherd change while honoring a rich and culturally important history.  The ideal candidate should demonstrate unwavering integrity, humility, and a non‑hierarchical mindset, consistently putting the organization’s needs first; embrace strategic risk‑taking, inspire and develop high‑performing teams, and know when to delegate while remaining capable and fully willing to roll up their sleeves to get things done. You bring solutions, not just problems. Leadership is a responsibility and as such you lead with compassion, you care deeply about people, and approach difficult situations with both passion and objectivity. You embody an unwavering commitment to excellence in customer service and possess a deeply held desire to train, mentor, and elevate those around you, fostering a culture of continuous growth and development. If this description matches your core values, we want to hear from you!

Job Summary: The Director of Practice Support will oversee at a high-level, operational, administrative, and strategic support to Firm practice groups, ensuring the smooth and efficient management of assigned legal support service teams and their respective functions with a focus on white glove customer service. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in managing teams such as legal assistants (legal secretaries), paralegals, practice assistants, managing clerk, and other cross functional teams. Reporting directly to the COO, the Director of Practice Support will play a key leadership role in helping teams maximize their full potential within their respective teams but also individually. 

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy:

• Serve as a key business partner to cross functional teams providing legal support services to practice groups firmwide, managing and identifying practice group needs, supporting workflows, and helping to guide decision making for each team.
• Provide direction and supervision to management reporting directly to the role, developing and monitoring key performance indicators for both managers and teams under your supervision, tracking progress and identifying areas for growth and improvement.
• Collaborate with leadership to support the firm’s strategic objectives and initiatives.
• Work with COO and leadership team on strategic firm goals, budget monitoring and profitability analysis.
• Collaborate with internal departments (Finance, HR, IT, Marketing) to support the practice group needs. 

Operations & Technology:

• Drive the implementation efforts of firm technologies (e-discovery, EDGAR, document management systems, etc.) enhancing operational efficiency.
• Work with management on vendor relationship, contracts and pricing as it relates to different departmental needs.
• Support the development and implementation of processes directly to enhance operational efficiency

Client and Attorney Support:

• Prioritize client needs through a client-centric strategy.
• Champion business growth through strategic promotion of team expertise and quality attorney support.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership background with a proven track record of successfully leading and developing teams across multiple practice groups.
• 8+ years of experience in leadership and management within a law firm or professional services.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a focus on white glove customer service.
• Multi-disciplinary experience in functions and technologies of assigned teams. 
• Bachelor’s degree required, J.D. or MBA a plus.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage a dynamic calendar and competing priorities.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Ability to work independently, exercise discretion, and maintain confidentiality.

EEO Statement

The firm is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.