Intelligence Transformation Manager
Cooley is seeking an Intelligence Transformation Manager to join the Data team.
Position summary: As a leading technology law firm, Cooley is determined to become a leader in the digital practice of law. The Intelligence Transformation Manager leads a team of Intelligence Transformation Analysts embedded in the firm's Intelligence functions, studying how manual intelligence work gets done, identifying what can be automated or transformed, and builds the bridge between the Intelligence function and the firm's technical delivery teams. The Intelligence Transformation Manager and the team of analysts document the what and explore the how, producing well-structured requirements and lightweight prototypes that the Data Products team can build into production solutions. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Position responsibilities:
Technical Delivery Partnership:
- Serve as the primary subject matter expert liaison to the firm's technical delivery teams, ensuring Matter Intelligence and Resource Management domain knowledge and requirements are clearly represented in planning, prioritization, and delivery
- Translate business, legal, and operational requirements from the Intelligence functions into structured, actionable specifications that the Data Products team can build from. Translate technical constraints and capabilities back into terms that Intelligence function stakeholders can understand and act on
- Participate in relevant delivery ceremonies as the standing Intelligence subject matter expert representative, escalating strategic or resourcing questions to the Associate Director as needed
- Build and maintain working relationships with the Data Engineering & Platform, Platform Governance & Quality, and Data Products functions to support effective ongoing collaboration and to stay current on platform capabilities the Intelligence function can benefit from
Transformation and Automation Identification:
- Lead the team in conducting structured, ongoing review of business as usual activity across the Intelligence functions to identify candidates for automation or transformation. Build and maintain a prioritized backlog of opportunities assessed against clear criteria including volume, manual effort, error rate, technical feasibility, and dependency on legacy tooling
- Direct analysts in developing business cases for automation and transformation candidates, ensuring recommendations are grounded in evidence and clearly communicate the value, effort, and dependencies involved
- Own a rolling transformation and automation roadmap that tracks which functions have been automated, are in flight, or are queued. Report progress regularly to the Associate Director and flag risks or blockers early
- Work with analysts to explore how automation candidates could be addressed, including lightweight prototyping and investigation of platform capabilities, before handing well-specified requirements to the Data Products team for production build
- Identify where existing tooling can be retired, consolidated, or integrated as part of the transformation program, working with the Resource Vendor and Content Manager and the Matter Intelligence Manager to assess operational impact
Data Skills & Reskilling Program:
- Lead delivery of the data skills and reskilling program defined by the Associate Director and the Director, Intelligence & Client Services, translating the target skillset into a practical curriculum and training plan for the broader Intelligence team
- Deliver, or coordinate delivery of, training sessions and on the job stretch assignments that build skills, drawing on the team's developing technical experience
- Track individual and team progress against the reskilling plan, identify gaps, and adjust program content and pace accordingly
Governance and Reporting:
- Maintain clear documentation of the transformation backlog, automation decisions, and reskilling progress in a form suitable for Data Council reporting and governance purposes
- Escalate risks, blockers, or resourcing gaps affecting the transformation program to the Associate Director in a timely manner
People Leadership:
- Lead, develop, and retain a team of Intelligence Transformation Analysts, providing clear expectations, regular feedback, and deliberate development support with particular focus on building each analyst's technical fluency alongside their intelligence domain depth
- Serve as direct supervisor and mentor to direct reports
- Provide day-to-day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with assigned work hours and monitor for compliance with all firm and department policies. Manage staffing coverage, review and process time logs/time off requests
- Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities
- In collaboration with immediate supervisor and central HR, participate in hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination and other employee lifecycle events
- All other duties as assigned or required
Skills and experience:
Required:
- After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage, and other firm applications
- Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
- Ability to travel, as required
- 5+ years of applicable experience in the field (e.g., legal intelligence, competitive intelligence, knowledge management, or a related intelligence or information services role, with technical fluency in data analysis)
- Hands-on SQL proficiency sufficient to query, analyze, and validate data from structured data environments, and to review and coach analyst-level SQL work
- Demonstrated experience partnering with technical or engineering teams, including familiarity with Agile or Scrum delivery ceremonies and backlog management
- Experience identifying, scoping, and building the business case for automation or process transformation opportunities in an intelligence or information services context
- Experience designing or delivering training, upskilling, or reskilling programs for a team
Preferred:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Supervisory experience
- Experience with legal research or intelligence platforms such as Research Monitor, EOS, Litera Foundation, Westlaw, or LexisNexis
- Working familiarity with Databricks, data lake concepts, or comparable cloud data platform environments, sufficient to understand platform capabilities and communicate effectively with data engineering and product teams
- Experience with matter or experience management data, or with resource and vendor management in a law firm context
- Experience using AI-assisted tools or lightweight prototyping approaches to explore automation candidates before handing off to a technical build team
- Data Management Body of Knowledge (DAMA-DMBOK), Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), or comparable data management certification, or Agile or Scrum certification
Competencies:
- Strong intelligence domain expertise combined with genuine technical curiosity and the drive to continuously build data and analytics capability in themselves and their team
- Excellent bridge-building instincts with the ability to work credibly with both intelligence domain stakeholders and technical delivery teams, translating effectively in both directions
- Strong analytical approach to identifying and prioritizing transformation and automation opportunities, grounded in evidence rather than assumption
- Excellent people leadership skills with genuine investment in the development of each analyst's intelligence domain depth and technical fluency simultaneously
- Strong teaching and coaching orientation with the patience and clarity to build technical confidence in colleagues from non-technical backgrounds
- Strong program and backlog management discipline, comfortable operating within Agile or sprint-based delivery environments
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong judgment
- Unwavering ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, and client data
- Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent
- Team-player with collaborative spirit
- High level of professionalism at all times
Cooley offers a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and is committed to fair and equitable employment practices.
EOE.
The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $175,000 - $225,000. Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate.
We offer a full range of elective benefits including medical, health savings account (with applicable medical plan), dental, vision, health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, long-term care coverage, backup care for children and/or adults and other parental support benefits. In addition to elective benefit options, benefited employees receive firm-paid life insurance, AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits as well as 21 days of Paid Time Off (“PTO”) and 10 paid holidays each year. We provide generous parental leave and fertility benefits. New employees will attend a detailed benefit orientation to learn more about our many benefits and resources.
