Latham & Watkins, a global law firm consistently ranked among the top firms in the world, is currently seeking a Director of Global Knowledge Management to join our winning team, located in our Washington, D.C. office. The success of our firm is largely determined by our commitment to hire and develop the very best and brightest, creating a team that provides our clients with the highest quality of work and service. We are driven by our core values: respect, innovation and collaboration.

The Director of Global Knowledge Management will receive a generous total compensation package. Bonuses are awarded in recognition of individual and firm performance. Eligible employees can participate in Latham's comprehensive benefit program including healthcare, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401k plan, and more! In addition, employees receive 10 paid holidays per year, and a PTO program that accrues 23 days during the first year of employment and grows with tenure.

As a Director of Global Knowledge at Latham, you will serve as the primary administrative leader for the Firm’s Knowledge Management initiative and projects.  You will work closely with the Global Department Chairs, Practice Group Leaders, and the Chair and other members of the Knowledge Management Committee to develop strategies and initiatives, formalize projects, and promote and monitor the use and effectiveness of the Firm’s Knowledge Management systems, services, and support offerings.  The Director supports the departments and practice groups to shape and implement individual knowledge management plans and project priorities that align with the strategic objectives of the respective department, practice group, and Firm as a whole. 

The Director will lead and provide guidance to the Firm’s Knowledge Management Counsel, Knowledge Management Lawyers, and Knowledge Management Consulting Attorneys (collectively, the “KM Attorneys”), in collaboration with the relevant Practice Group or Department leaders. 

The Director will work closely in collaboration with the Director of Research & Library and the Senior Manager of Litigation Services, as well as other members of the Firm’s administrative management team. The responsibilities of the Director will include:

• Working with the Global Department Chairs, Practice Group Leaders, and other Firm leaders to ensure that the Knowledge Management function supports the strategic objectives of the departments, practice groups, and the Firm as a whole.
• Providing, alongside the Chair of the Knowledge Management Committee and in consultation with the Global Department Chairs and Project Group Leaders, strategic direction for the Firm’s Knowledge Management initiative.
• Leading the Firm’s KM Attorneys, providing guidance and direction with regard to career development, ensuring a high standard of performance, and fostering communication and dialogue amongst the KM Attorneys and other members of the professional staff. In collaboration with the relevant Practice Group or Department leaders, preparing and delivering annual performance reviews for this group.  Creating a community of practice around the KM Attorneys, building consensus through collaboration and engagement.  Facilitating monthly team calls and in-person meetings as required.
• Through the Knowledge Management Consulting Attorneys, facilitating requirements analysis as to the configuration and implementation of supporting technologies including knowledge databases, document drafting, and automation tools.
• Serving as the final approver for all new Knowledge Management projects, seeking to ensure that they serve the strategic goals of the Practice Groups. Working with the Attorney Development and Knowledge Management Coordinator to monitor ongoing Knowledge Management projects.
• Facilitating the annual progression process for the KM Attorneys, which sees the most senior lawyers offered the opportunity to progress to the Knowledge Management Counsel role.
• Supporting the evaluation of requests to place additional KM Attorneys within the practice, and as needed, support recruitment of any new roles.
• Promoting awareness among all colleagues of KM resources and best practices. Staying abreast of market trends, emerging systems, and services regarding knowledge management.  Participating in relevant forums on knowledge management to gain best practices information and sharing this information with the wider KM team.
• Working closely with the Director of Global Research & Library and the Senior Manager of Litigation Services to ensure regular communication, effective collaboration, and the sharing of information amongst their respective teams.
• Working with the Chief Attorney Development and Knowledge Officer to develop budget requirements for all Knowledge and Management expenses. Working with the management team to budget expenditures and monitor variances.
• Coordinating with other administrative departments of the Firm where overlap exists to develop efficient procedures and communications to streamline processes and satisfy various department needs.
• Completing special projects regarding various issues as needed.
• Promoting effective work practices, working as a team member, and showing respect for co-workers.

As a Director, you will be expected to apply your organizational and communication skills while displaying a positive, high-energy attitude. The successful Director must have the ability to perceive and analyze complex problems, and a capacity to make or recommend sound decisions. The ideal candidate will have the leadership and team building skills necessary to manage and foster cohesiveness among a geographically diverse team, as well as the ability to manage the work of others to ensure compliance and accuracy. The Director will have excellent writing, verbal and presentation skills, along with excellent work ethic, and strong project management skills such as the ability to manage time well, prioritize effectively, and handle multiple deadlines.

A bachelor’s degree and J.D. (or equivalent) are required. A minimum of five (5) years of knowledge management experience and four (4) years of legal experience is preferred. Frequent travel is required.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ link.

Latham & Watkins is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity, equal opportunity and sustainability enables Latham & Watkins to draw from a remarkable wealth of talent to create one of the world's leading law firms.

Required Skills Required Experience

• 2+ years in a customer-facing role
• 2+ years of hands-on experience using AWS services
• In-depth understanding of core AWS services and best practice deployments or design patterns
• Ability to translate customer requirements and needs into proven design patterns
• A passion for coding simple, clean and well-tested solutions
• Understanding of designing and delivering with cost in mind
• Familiarity with translating customer workloads into micro-service driven architectures
• Hands-on experience automating Production-ready infrastructure and solutions
• Strong, practical Linux or Windows system administration skills
• Strong hands-on scripting knowledge and experience - e.g.: Python, Perl, BASH, PowerShell
• Strong hands-on experience with at least one infrastructure configuration management platform - e.g.: AWS OpsWorks, Terraform, Chef, Puppet, Ansible
• Baseline knowledge of IP networking, VPNs, DNS, firewalling, authentication and load balancing concepts
• Basic knowledge of database management systems
• Hands-on experience creating build scripts and/or deployment pipelines
• Familiarity with continuous integration services and supporting tools- e.g.: CodePipeline, Jenkins
• Familiarity with CloudFormation and JSON/YML
• Hands-on experience with containerization platforms and server-less computing desired but not required - i.e.: Docker, AWS ECS, AWS Lambda
• Hands-on experience with AWS ElasticBeanstalk desired but not required.
• Basic experience creating RESTful services desired but not required.
• Basic experience with one or more Content Management System a plus - e.g.: WordPress, Drupal, SharePoint, Sitecore
• Proven ability to document, promote and present your work to other teams and to customers
• Willingness and ability to collaborate across internal practices and with other team members
• Ability to work within an organized and structured delivery-centric team