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Description
The Research Lead is a research and operations role, assisting the Research Manager in upskilling, mentoring and developing research analysts; helping to plan strategic research processes and best practices; as well as ensuring quality control over all substantive research work product. This role requires candidates to have 1 year of management, project management or other leadership experience; as well as 8 years of relevant legal, corporate, or industry research experience. Successful candidates must exercise leadership competencies, independent judgment, and technical competency. Candidates must also demonstrate initiative and vision, with the ability to support a collaborative team on both firm-wide research and departmental projects geared towards strategic organizational goals.
Key Responsibilities Include
- Support Research Manager in leading global team of Research and Senior Research Analysts while emphasizing collaborative team values and culture
- Help to implement strategic research processes and best practices as part of Research leadership team
- Lead research team mentorship efforts, developing best practices to mentor, coach, and develop individual and team research capabilities through upskilling and training on appropriate techniques, methodologies, and strategies
- Under the guidance of the Research Manager, help to review and assess individual researcher work product output according to quantitative and qualitative best practice metrics
- Schedule review of research work product and help to maintain quality control over all substantive research work product ensuring consistency and high quality deliverables
- Manage updates to Research Services training materials, including show sheets and training manuals, ensuring accuracy of all instructional material with content approval from the Research Manager
- Advise on and lead the development of Research Services internal marketing efforts, project managing the quarterly research team newsletter, content development for the newsletter, as well as the related writing and editorial committee
- Provide research support, responding to research requests from lawyers and professionals, as needed for coverage
- Assist and coach research analysts, answering daily questions related to individual research assignments
- Project manage regular audits of litigation and current awareness alerting
- Expand content on and promote use of the Research Services knowledge base as a knowledge management tool
- Support content improvements to the Research Services intranet page and related practice pages under the direction of the Research Manager and Digital Solutions Manager
- Support effective team structure, helping to delegate areas of responsibility equitably and appropriately
- Advise on improvements and efficiencies in research workflow and output through technology, research tools, templates, knowledge creation, and other means
- Support Research Manager with management of proactive outreach initiatives including the Practice Group Liaison program
- Support Research Manager in the development and improvement of team assessment metrics, including research request metrics as well as billing and collection metrics
- Help to assess and report on resource or technology needs, as well as collection strengths and weaknesses, through conversations with firm lawyers and other key stakeholders
- Stay abreast of and advise on the information needs, workflow, and preferences of users and stakeholders in order to recommend improvements to information access and best-in-class research service
- Under the direction of the Research Manager, help to schedule appropriate staffing to meet research deadlines
- Support the scheduling of regular research training, legal vendor training, knowledge sharing sessions, and other continuing education toward maintaining highest quality service output
- Assist with and advise on a data-driven initiative to assess and improve research time entry guidelines, in concert with the Research Manager and Digital Solutions Manager
- Advise on and support research team knowledge management improvement, including DMS organization
- Act as steward of the firm's information resources; complying with all information security, privacy, confidentiality and licensing requirements while enforcing researchers’ adherence to the same
- Special projects and additional duties as assigned
Qualifications
Research and Analysis
- Minimum of 8 years legal, corporate, or industry research experience required; preferably in a law firm setting or equivalent
- Fundamental understanding of legal systems and concepts, with an awareness of the legal industry and current trends
- Expert knowledge of research methods and competencies, including a demonstrated understanding of efficient and cost-effective research strategies across legal and non-legal information sources
- Demonstrated ability to conduct and apply research plans, engage in reference interviews, analyze information, logically organize information, and integrate findings into work product
- Independently identify and resolve problems, managing creation of response templates and modeling research best practices across all written research work product and presentation material
- Demonstrated ability to scope, correctly identify, and anticipate attorney research needs, training all team members on how to provide this best-in-class support
- Critical thinking skills and evidence of sound judgment, including attention to detail and ability to add value to research requests by offering information solutions across creative avenues
- Demonstrated ability to conduct and apply research plans, engage in reference interviews, analyze information, logically organize information, and integrate findings into work product
- Critical evaluation skills, including a demonstrated ability to answer research questions; identify relevant legal authority and information sources; assess the credibility, currency, and validity of information; as well as explain thought process and scope of research in solutions
- Demonstrated ability to teach and train firm lawyers on legal and corporate research, as well as represent research department services and capabilities across practice and industry sector group (ISG) meetings
- Expert research and database competency, including proficiency with Lexis, Westlaw, Lex Machina, Bloomberg, Intelligize, VitalLaw, RIA Checkpoint, S&P Capital IQ, Pitchbook, PACER, HeinOnline, or equivalent
- Familiarity with APIs and data visualization
Management and Business Acumen
- Minimum of 1 years management or leadership experience preferred, as demonstrated through leadership or project management roles or outcomes
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically, plan efficient processes, and implement best practices
- Experience managing resources to successfully complete project objectives within specified deadlines
- Understanding of and demonstrated engagement in supervisory best practices including fostering leadership qualities and teamwork, as well as clearly communicating expectations and goals
- Experience with benchmarking and data analysis, with a commitment to using data actionably in scoping opportunities and identifying solutions
- Demonstrated ability to mentor, develop, and advocate for all research team members
- Hiring experience and expertise, including knowledge of successful recruitment tactics and interview skills
Professionalism and Leadership
- Commitment to strong service values with demonstrated ability to exhibit sound professional judgment, discretion, strategic thinking, independent problem solving, and accountability
- Best-in-class communication skills, including active listening, clear writing, professional speaking, cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, and civility
- Strong presentation skills, including persuasive and confident speech and writing
- Understanding of and proven commitment to relationship building, team building and collaboration
- Future-focused outlook with a demonstrated ability to engage stakeholders towards surfacing and communicating problems, challenges, and opportunities
- Self-awareness of knowledge gaps with personal effort toward continuing education
- Team-minded and diplomatic, with a history of mentorship and knowledge sharing
- Independently motivated
Practical Skills
- Proficiency with MS Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Ability to adapt and apply new technologies and workflows
- Demonstrated stress management skills and effective prioritization of workload
- Basic troubleshooting skills with common IT issues involving access to databases and online content
Minimum Education
- Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA accredited school or equivalent degree
- Bachelor's Degree with more than 10 years of relevant experience may be substituted in exceptional circumstances
This position may be filled in New York City, Colorado, or California. In accordance with the New York City Human Rights Law, the Colorado Equal Pay Act, and the California Pay Transparency Law, the pay range for this position in New York City is $118,600-$177,800/yr, in Colorado is $103,800--$155,600/yr., and in California is $113,600-$154,400/yr. These ranges are specific to these three locations and may not be applicable to other locations. An individual's actual compensation will depend on the individual's qualifications and experience.
Benefits: Four weeks paid time off per year, increasing every 5 years; ten paid holidays per year; comprehensive health (PPO and HDHPs), dental and vision plans including for domestic partners; life and AD&D insurance; short and long term disability insurance; FSA or HSA for medical; dependent care FSA; AFLAC and umbrella coverage available; Employee Assistance Program; 401(k) Plan, with profit sharing components; pre-tax transit and parking program; up to 12 weeks disability/parental leave; backup child/adult care/senior care planning through Care@Work; Rethink Benefits.
Benefits may vary by position and office.
Holland & Knight is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, marital status, protected veteran or any other protected class.
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