Project Manager, OD Labs

Position Summary

The Project Manager is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of technology initiatives including custom software development, third-party platform deployments, AI adoption, and workflow design. This role manages project scope, schedule, budget, risks, and vendor relationships, and keeps practice groups, firm leadership, and vendors aligned throughout delivery. The position works in partnership with the AI Architect and Business Analysts assigned to OD Labs and reports to the Director of OD Labs.

Essential Functions

These are the essential functions of the position. Successful job applicants will be able to perform these essential functions with or without requested reasonable accommodation:

Manage end-to-end delivery of OD Labs initiatives, including custom development, vendor platform deployments, AI adoption, and firm-wide rollouts, from initiation through active use.

Manage initiatives through the OD Labs delivery model of prototype, pilot, production, enhancements, and operational handoff, validating each phase before scaling, with a focus on the minimum viable product (MVP), the critical path, and no more than two active projects at a time.

Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource plans, coordinate internal and external resources, and track status against scope, schedule, and budget, recommending adjustments as needed.

Plan and lead project team meetings, including setting agendas, coordinating attendees, and following up on action items.

Maintain risk, issue, and dependency logs, and escalate items that may affect schedule, cost, or scope with a recommended resolution.

Manage relationships with outside technology vendors, including forward-deployed engineers, holding them accountable to deliverables, quality standards, and timelines and keeping vendor scope aligned with the current MVP objective.

Support process mapping by capturing current and future-state workflows, facilitating working sessions, and translating practice group needs into actionable requirements, in coordination with Business Analysts.

Prepare and deliver project status updates to multiple levels of firm leadership, including senior leadership, identifying upcoming decisions and their impact.

Plan and support change management and adoption, including rollout planning, training materials and user guides, tracking of adoption metrics and user feedback, and operational handoff.

Identify project stakeholders and communicate project direction and upcoming milestones so that practice groups and team members remain informed.

Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive firm and client information.

Requirements

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelors’ Degree preferred

5+ years of experience working inside a law firm in a role connected to the delivery of legal work, such as legal assistant, paralegal, practice group coordinator, legal operations, or recruiting. Experience within or alongside practice groups is preferred.

2+ years of experience managing technical projects, such as custom software development, systems rollouts, or technology adoption initiatives.

Experience owning project budgets, tracking project financials, and reporting status to stakeholders.

Demonstrated ability to identify, track, and escalate risks and dependencies with proposed solutions.

Strong knowledge of project management practices, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, and change management.

Working understanding of how attorneys communicate and set priorities, and how decisions are made within a law firm.

Ability to drive work forward with incomplete requirements and changing priorities.

Ability to build alignment among attorneys, firm leadership, vendors, and technical team members.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to senior leadership.

Preferred Experience:

Experience as a legal assistant, paralegal, practice group coordinator, or legal recruiting coordinator, particularly within a Labor & Employment practice, and familiarity with single plaintiff litigation or class action matter structures.

Experience in a legal innovation unit, legal technology function, or practice group technology initiative.

Experience in process mapping and business analysis, including capturing workflows, facilitating working sessions, and translating operational needs into requirements. Familiarity with tools such as Visio or Lucidchart is helpful.

Experience supporting or managing the adoption of AI platforms or similar emerging technologies in a legal setting.

Wage Transparency

The pay range for this remote position varies by location. Pursuant to the applicable state and local regulations the pay range for each location is listed below. Actual compensation is contingent on relevant experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors as permitted by law. This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses and the benefits described below .

Ogletree is a multi-state employer. The pay ranges listed reflect compensation for the specific location identified. For roles performed in locations not listed, compensation will be determined based on the applicable location for the position.

• California: Pay range $109,051 - $162,733 • Colorado: Pay range $115,161 - $149,032 • Connecticut: Pay range $115,161 - $155,970 • Hawaii: Pay range $125,748 - $162,733 • Illinois: Pay range $120,522 - $155,970 • Jersey City, New Jersey: Pay range $125,748 - $162,733 • Maryland: Pay range $109,051 - $149,032 • Massachusetts: Pay range $125,748 - $162,733 • Minnesota: Pay range $109,051 - $141,125 • Nevada: Pay range $105,653 - $136,728 • New Jersey: Pay range $125,748 - $162,733 • New York City, New York: Pay range $125,748 - $162,733 • New York State: Pay range $105,653 - $162,733 • Ohio: Pay range $105,653 - $136,728 • Rhode Island: Pay range $105,653 - $136,728 • Washington, D.C.: Pay range $120,522 - $155,970 • Washington: Pay range $120,522 - $155,970

Benefits

Ogletree Deakins offers a robust suite of benefits for our Staff including: Paid Time Off, Paid Sick Leave, a 401(k) matching program, Profit Sharing, Paid Holidays, Paid Parental Leave, affordable Health and Life Insurance including Dental & Vision coverage, Health Savings Account /Flexible Spending Accounts to help offset the cost of dependent care and/or health care expenses, Tuition Reimbursement and an Employee Assistance Program.

Contact Information

If you have questions, please e-mail Andrew Doucet at Andrew.Doucet@Ogletreedeakins.com with “Project Manager, OD Labs" in the subject line. Please note, applications submitted via e-mail will not be considered.

Firm Overview

With more than 1,200 attorneys in 62 offices worldwide, Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management. We handle all types of employment-related legal matters, including traditional labor and employment, workplace safety, employee benefits, and business immigration matters. Guided by our Client Pledge , we focus on understanding clients’ business and objectives, collaborating and anticipating needs, harnessing technology and innovation, communicating effectively, and providing quality representation with exceptional value.

We are fully committed to the importance of diversity within the legal profession, as well as all workplace environments.

Equal Opportunity Employer.

These are the essential functions of the position. Successful job applicants will be able to perform these essential functions with or without requested reasonable accommodation:

Manage end-to-end delivery of OD Labs initiatives, including custom development, vendor platform deployments, AI adoption, and firm-wide rollouts, from initiation through active use.

Manage initiatives through the OD Labs delivery model of prototype, pilot, production, enhancements, and operational handoff, validating each phase before scaling, with a focus on the minimum viable product (MVP), the critical path, and no more than two active projects at a time.

Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource plans, coordinate internal and external resources, and track status against scope, schedule, and budget, recommending adjustments as needed.

Plan and lead project team meetings, including setting agendas, coordinating attendees, and following up on action items.

Maintain risk, issue, and dependency logs, and escalate items that may affect schedule, cost, or scope with a recommended resolution.

Manage relationships with outside technology vendors, including forward-deployed engineers, holding them accountable to deliverables, quality standards, and timelines and keeping vendor scope aligned with the current MVP objective.

Support process mapping by capturing current and future-state workflows, facilitating working sessions, and translating practice group needs into actionable requirements, in coordination with Business Analysts.

Prepare and deliver project status updates to multiple levels of firm leadership, including senior leadership, identifying upcoming decisions and their impact.

Plan and support change management and adoption, including rollout planning, training materials and user guides, tracking of adoption metrics and user feedback, and operational handoff.

Identify project stakeholders and communicate project direction and upcoming milestones so that practice groups and team members remain informed.

Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive firm and client information.

Required Education and Experience:

Bachelors’ Degree preferred

5+ years of experience working inside a law firm in a role connected to the delivery of legal work, such as legal assistant, paralegal, practice group coordinator, legal operations, or recruiting. Experience within or alongside practice groups is preferred.

2+ years of experience managing technical projects, such as custom software development, systems rollouts, or technology adoption initiatives.

Experience owning project budgets, tracking project financials, and reporting status to stakeholders.

Demonstrated ability to identify, track, and escalate risks and dependencies with proposed solutions.

Strong knowledge of project management practices, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, and change management.

Working understanding of how attorneys communicate and set priorities, and how decisions are made within a law firm.

Ability to drive work forward with incomplete requirements and changing priorities.

Ability to build alignment among attorneys, firm leadership, vendors, and technical team members.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to senior leadership.

Preferred Experience:

Experience as a legal assistant, paralegal, practice group coordinator, or legal recruiting coordinator, particularly within a Labor & Employment practice, and familiarity with single plaintiff litigation or class action matter structures.

Experience in a legal innovation unit, legal technology function, or practice group technology initiative.

Experience in process mapping and business analysis, including capturing workflows, facilitating working sessions, and translating operational needs into requirements. Familiarity with tools such as Visio or Lucidchart is helpful.

Experience supporting or managing the adoption of AI platforms or similar emerging technologies in a legal setting.