The Professional Development Manager will be based in Houston, TX and will have primary responsibility for supporting the professional development of lawyers in Sidley's Houston office.

Drawing on superior relationship-building skills, the Manager will conduct ongoing formal and informal outreach to individual lawyers; leaders at the practice, office, and committee level; and other key stakeholders to facilitate dialogue and maintain a practice of continuous needs assessment on matters of professional development.

The Manager will collaborate broadly within and beyond the Professional Development team to create and implement local, regional, and firmwide programs and initiatives to advance our lawyers’ development, engagement, and satisfaction; meet our clients’ needs; and ensure the satisfaction of relevant continuing legal education and other requirements. The Manager will collaborate with the firm’s broader Learning & Development team, be supported by a Dallas-based Professional Development Coordinator, and report to a Dallas-based Director of Professional Development.

Lawyer Orientation, Integration, and Training

• Assist in local and regional implementation of the firmwide strategic direction for attorney professional development.
• Develop and deliver regional and firmwide training offerings that meet professional, business, and client-service goals. Propose, design, introduce, and support new initiatives as needed.
• Collaborate with the Director and appropriate firm committees to deliver and continually enhance attorney orientation programs and lateral attorney integration initiatives, coordinate and implement summer associate training, respond to identified training and development needs, and otherwise further attorney training and development.
• Track and evaluate the quality and quantity of attorney training opportunities, including collecting relevant data and producing related reports.
• Produce professional development resources and craft professional development communications as needed.

CLE Compliance

• Assist with and oversee the Professional Development Coordinator’s tracking of lawyers' Texas CLE compliance.
• Communicate with Texas-admitted lawyers in Houston regarding their compliance status; work with the Professional Development Coordinator, Director, and Office of General Counsel to help ensure 100% compliance for Texas-admitted lawyers firmwide.
• Assist with tracking other CLE compliance requirements for Texas-based attorneys licensed elsewhere, as identified and delegated by the Director.

Career Development and Mentoring

• Promote a work environment that helps lawyers reach their highest potential.
• Counsel lawyers on career-development matters as needed.
• Help support firm mentoring programs, including implementing training and other resources for mentors and mentees.

Employee Development and Management

• Help train, develop and mentor the Professional Development Coordinator.
• Conduct annual performance reviews.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources). 

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• J.D. degree
• A minimum of 5 years of work experience in learning and development, law, or related field
• Ability to format presentations, graphs, charts, and other visual methods of presenting information
• Ability to work effectively across offices and time zones
• Availability to travel occasionally to other offices within the US

Preferred:

• Texas practice experience
• Adult education and program design experience
• Teaching or public-speaking experience
• Familiarity with CLE rules and regulations
• Experience with a global or national law firm

Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Superior relationship building skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer