Mayer Brown LLP is a leading global law firm with offices in 27 key business centers across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. We are a collegial, collaborative and diverse firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support and development they need to grow, thrive and realize their greatest potential.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are achievement, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Human Resources department in Chicago or New York as a Corporate Resource Manager.

As part of the Human Resources Business Partner Advisor team, the Resource Manager, in collaboration with Practice Group, Product / Industry Group leadership, will be responsible for creating and implementing an effective resource utilization and work allocation strategy and serve as the lead person in the Corporate Practice U.S. wide for managing the allocation of work from senior lawyers to associates and staff attorneys.  The role will focus on optimizing the allocation of work and the deployment of associates and staff attorneys taking into consideration project needs, product areas, utilization levels, seniority and career interests and experience.

• Identifies all current and upcoming work assignments including the anticipated duration of the project, budget constraints, legal and professional skills needed and expected, description of the work and existing team members
• Serves as expert as to the full range of corporate work and the components of corporate matters, key industries, geographies and product groups, practice strategy and priorities, etc. and ensure alignment with the resource allocation operation.  Develops full understanding of team structures, product groups, matter types, individuals and capabilities
• Develops strong understanding of the individual associates and staff attorneys as to their skill levels, needs for experience and skill development, and interests and goals for developing a particular expertise
• Develops strong relationships with partners and counsel who will utilize the staffing system for their matters and maintains an active connection, soliciting regular feedback on the staffing process. Acts as an expert and trusted advisor for all resourcing requests
• Serves as the champion of the merits of the work assignment system to all members of the practice; primary consultant and advocate of resource management to supervising lawyers who need staffing and to associates and staff attorneys being assigned work, aiming to ensure processes are fully up to date and embedded in the practice
• Ensures a high degree of responsiveness to staffing requests, thorough communications and a service oriented operation for staffing
• Assigns associates and staff attorneys to matters and incorporate into staffing decisions
  • Optimization of the allocation of work and the deployment of staff based on projected workflows, product group needs, utilization levels, skills, seniority and career interests and goals.
  • Balancing of the workload across the associate and staff attorney groups by monitoring utilization,
  • Identifying areas of opportunity to develop associate skills and expertise at the next level,
  • Effective integration of all lawyers – especially women and diverse attorneys;
  • Effective integration of newly hired lawyers, return from leave lawyers;
  • Effective transition of work for departing lawyers who are leaving the firm, going on leave or a secondment
  • Achieving matter staffing efficiencies such that the right level lawyer is doing the right type of work so that efficient matter pricing is achieved
  • Advance planning for necessary staffing support for lateral partner hires
  • Ensure staffing models are aligned with business objectives
  • Proactively drive resourcing decisions
• Monitors current and anticipated activity levels, capacity and matter staffing, help smooth utilization levels where possible. Provides regular reports for key stakeholders on progress and status
• Ensures effective coordination and communication on the program across offices and the members of the practice; keeps all stakeholders informed on utilization trends, initiatives, developments, business issues, etc.; provides support and coordination with peer Resource Managers in other practices
• Reports to practice leaders, product / industry group leaders and any designated practice liaison on status of the work allocation initiative and solicits input and guidance on challenges that arise
• Trains practice area users on the Vantage software through which associates report their forecasted work availability; monitors data regularly in Vantage; maintains system and ensure it is current and accurate
• Where training or recruitment needs or other associate development related information surfaces, works with HR Director on the necessary follow up with other functional experts
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives