Director of AI & Automation

Faegre Drinker is a firm designed for clients and designed for you. We understand that our people are critical to our success and we are committed to investing in our paraprofessional, administrative and operations professionals. We are always looking for talented, service-focused individuals to join our flexible and high-performing culture. With technology tools and resources that support our hybrid work environment, our colleagues enjoy a culture of learning, support for work and personal goals, opportunities to give back to our communities, and competitive benefits and rewards programs. At Faegre Drinker, you will have the opportunity to share your expertise within and across teams and contribute to our success.

Job Description Summary:

Faegre Drinker has an opportunity for a Director of AI & Automation to work within our Technology & Innovation department in our New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C. office. You will be part of a dynamic team dedicated to serving as the senior technical leader responsible for the hands-on design, implementation, and ongoing operation of the firm's innovation program. This position will work with other talented individuals who share a passion for doing great work in the best interest of our clients.

Job Description:

What you would do:

• Leads the technical design, deployment, and continuous refinement of the firm’s enterprise AI platforms, Harvey and Microsoft Copilot, anchored by the PLIL architecture: a commercial AI platform base, a proprietary integration and workflow layer, and practice-specific AI agents, with a longer-term goal of building custom AI capabilities, potentially leveraging frontier models such as Anthropic’s Claude
• Architects and operates the firm’s AI gateway, including the Privilege Firewall API, Zero Data Retention (ZDR) contractual controls, matter-level data isolation, and RAG-based retrieval frameworks in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory standards
• Evaluates, pilots, and operationalizes AI tools and vendors in partnership with the CTIO and firm stakeholders. This includes leading structured assessments, proofs of concept, and production rollouts
• Ensures AI deployments adhere to Model Context Protocol (MCP) orchestration principles and are built to support agentic execution with appropriate guardrails for a professional services environment
• Drives automation initiatives across matter intake, invoice review, contract renewal monitoring, and other high-value operational workflows in close collaboration with attorneys and professional staff.
• Maintains a clear architectural distinction between AI-assisted automation and fully agentic execution, and implements appropriate oversight, audit, and escalation controls for each tier.
• Builds and continuously improves automation standards, playbooks, and governance frameworks that scale across practice groups and operational departments
• In collaboration with the CTIO, defines (and then independently executes) the firm’s innovation, AI, and automation roadmap aligned to business priorities, practice needs, client expectations, and the firm’s technology strategy
• Provides technical guidance on tool configuration, user experience, and capability rollout sequencing to ensure adoption tracks alongside broader innovation program delivery
• Manages the Catalyst Studio, the firm’s shared, cross-functional engineering and automation build team, distinct from the client-facing Design Lab
• Leads and develops a high-performing multidisciplinary team spanning enterprise architecture, process automation, AI engineering, legal workflow innovation, and AI governance
• Partners with the Data Management function, which engages Finance (Elite 3e), HR (Workday), DMS (iManage), and CRM (Legal 360) stakeholders, to align data products with AI platform needs
• Special projects and other duties as assigned

What is expected:

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and diplomacy skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a virtual environment (e.g., via phone, web/videoconference)
• Ability to concentrate on tasks, make decisions and work calmly and effectively in a high-pressure, deadline-oriented environment
• Demonstrated ability to use good judgment in taking initiative while asking for direction or clarification and consulting others, as appropriate
• Willingness to be flexible with time and adjust to a changing work environment
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships, both internally and externally, while maintaining a client service orientation in a collaborative environment
• Ability to use sound judgment and discretion in dealing with highly confidential information
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, organize and accurately prioritize work, be detail-oriented, understand when urgency is required and use good judgment in varied situations

What we offer:

• Flexible working environment for work-life success
• Opportunity to participate in firm-sponsored volunteer events
• Wellness programming with personalized content and activities
• Professional environment and the opportunity to work with experts at the top of their fields
• Variety of health plan options, as well as dental, vision and 401(k) plans
• Generous paid time off

The anticipated initial annual salary range for someone who is hired into this position is $251,400 – $293,300.

Actual initial salary may be above or below the above-identified range and will be based on the relevant skills, training, experience, and other job-related factors, including the location where the position is filled, in all cases consistent with applicable law.  This is an exempt role and the initial salary range listed above is just one component of Faegre Drinker's total compensation and benefits package for professional staff, which includes, but is not limited to, a discretionary bonus; life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.

What is required:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Data Science, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent years of professional experience
• Minimum of 10+ years of leadership and management experience in technology within a complex professional services, legal, or similarly regulated environment, including a demonstrated history of developing team members professionally
• Demonstrated experience designing, deploying, and managing AI platforms in production environments, including hands-on experience with enterprise AI platforms such as Harvey and Microsoft Copilot, LLM integration, prompt architecture, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and API gateway design
• Familiarity with frontier model providers such as Anthropic’s Claude is a plus. Hands-on experience with UiPath or an equivalent enterprise automation platform, including bot development, process design, and operational governance. Working familiarity with enterprise data platforms and AI-ready data products, sufficient to collaborate effectively with the firm’s Data Management function
• Deep, demonstrable command of the security and privacy requirements specific to this role’s AI and automation domain, including AI security and privilege risk; Zero Data Retention (ZDR) controls; matter-level data isolation; the Privilege Firewall API; RAG data handling; automation/bot access controls and audit; and applicable data privacy and confidentiality obligations, together with the implications of legal rulings on AI-generated content, in a risk-sensitive, privilege-aware legal environment
• Strong understanding of modern data and AI ecosystems, including integration architecture, data platforms, BI, process automation, generative AI, applied machine learning, and governance controls
• Proven ability to operate credibly with C-level leaders and translate strategy into funded priorities, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes

Apply now if you are ready to join the Faegre Drinker team!

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspects of employment, including retirement, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.