Sutherland Jobs

Position Summary:

The Director of Information Technology leads the Firm’s day-to-day technology operations and is accountable for delivering secure, reliable, and service-focused technology experience to attorneys, business professionals, and clients. Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, the Director oversees end-user computing, the Service Desk, infrastructure and cloud operations, legal and business applications, and IT asset and vendor management, and partners with Information Security, Knowledge Management, and practice leadership to adopt technology, including AI, that improves client service and firm efficiency.

This is an in-office leadership role. The Director is expected to be visibly present in the office, lead the IT team in person, and set the standard for excellence, responsiveness, and accountability across the department.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Strategy

• Partners with the Chief Information Officer to develop and execute the Firm’s IT strategy, multi-year technology roadmap, and annual operating and capital budgets, aligned with Firm priorities.
• Leads, hires, develops, and retains a high-performing IT team, including Service Desk, Desktop Engineering, Infrastructure, and Applications staff; sets clear goals, conducts performance reviews, and builds succession and career paths.
• Establishes and reports on key performance indicators and service levels (e.g., response and resolution times, first-contact resolution, system availability, user satisfaction) to the CIO and Firm leadership.
• Builds a culture of high-touch client service, accountability, and continuous improvement within the IT department.
• Leads IT governance, including project intake and prioritization, change management, and ITIL-aligned service management processes.

Service Delivery and End-User Experience

• Oversees the Service Desk and on-site support in all offices, including high-touch support for partners and executives and after-hours and on-call coverage.
• Directs modern endpoint and mobile device management (e.g., Microsoft Intune and Autopilot), including device standards, imaging, patching, encryption, and hardware refresh cycles.
• Ensures reliable conference room, hybrid meeting, and trial and courtroom technology support.
• Oversees technology onboarding and offboarding for new hires and lateral partners, and ensures effective end-user training and documentation.

Infrastructure, Cloud, and Operations

• Oversees the Microsoft 365 and Azure environment, network and wireless infrastructure, telephony (e.g., Teams Voice), servers, storage, and backup systems.
• Ensures high availability and maintains tested disaster recovery and business continuity plans, with exercises conducted at least annually.
• Monitors system capacity, performance, and health, and directs NOC and operations teams to resolve incidents promptly.

Legal and Business Applications

• Oversees support, integration, and optimization of core legal platforms, including document management (e.g., iManage or NetDocuments), financial and practice management (e.g., Aderant or 3E), time entry, conflicts and intake (e.g., Intapp), CRM (e.g., InterAction), e-billing, and litigation support tools.
• Manages the full application lifecycle, including requirements, evaluation, testing, deployment, upgrades, integration, and retirement.
• Partners with Knowledge Management, Innovation, Finance, and practice groups to identify and deliver technology that improves attorney efficiency and client service.

AI and Innovation

• Leads the secure deployment, adoption, and support of generative AI and legal technology tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot and legal AI platforms) in partnership with Information Security, the Office of the General Counsel, and Risk Management.
• Supports AI governance, including acceptable-use standards, data protection, vendor review, user training, and measuring adoption and value.
• Identifies opportunities for automation and process improvement across the Firm.

Cybersecurity, Risk, and Compliance

• Partners with Information Security to implement and maintain security controls, including multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability and patch management, privileged access management, and data loss prevention.
• Supports client security audits and questionnaires, outside counsel guideline requirements, cyber insurance requirements, and alignment with frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NIST.
• Participates in incident response and ensures IT practices comply with Firm policies, privacy and data protection requirements, and records retention and legal hold obligations.

Vendor, Budget, and Asset Management

• Manages IT budgets and forecasts with strong fiscal discipline.
• Negotiates and manages contracts, licensing, and service levels with technology vendors and service providers, including vendor risk assessments.
• Maintains accurate hardware and software asset inventories, license compliance, and lifecycle management.
• Maintains current documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base content, and communicates technology changes clearly to attorneys and staff.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive IT experience, including 5+ years in an IT leadership role managing managers and technical teams.
• Law firm or professional services experience strongly preferred (Am Law 200 preferred).
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft 365, Azure, Intune, and enterprise networking.
• Experience supporting legal applications such as document management, financial and practice management, and conflicts and intake systems.
• Proven track record leading enterprise technology projects (e.g., cloud migration, endpoint modernization, application upgrades).
• Experience managing IT budgets, vendor contracts, and IT asset management.
• Experience supporting client security audits and security and compliance frameworks.
• Executive presence and the ability to build trusted relationships with partners and Firm leadership.
• Strong service orientation and commitment to excellence.
• Working knowledge of generative AI tools, their risks, and practical uses in a law firm.
• Sound understanding of cybersecurity principles and controls.
• Excellent project management, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including explaining technical topics to non-technical audiences.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage conflict and maintain a positive, high-performance team environment.
• Ability to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and handle competing priorities.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent experience considered

Certifications / Licenses

• Preferred certifications include: ITIL 4 Foundation; Microsoft 365 or Azure (e.g. Enterprise Administrator, Azure Administrator; PMP

This is an onsite role and the salary ranges for this position vary depending on the geographic location and other factors such as experience, internal equity, market data, and job-related considerations. The range for this position is $190,000 +, with offers contingent upon the various factors. The firm’s compensation strategy includes not just a base salary but also comprehensive benefits such as healthcare, paid time off, discretionary merit bonuses, life and disability insurance, retirement plans and tailored learning opportunities.

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within our Firm and in the larger legal profession. We believe that diverse skills, knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger firm. Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP maintains a policy of affording all employees and applicants equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity, gender expression or being transgender), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital or familial status, domestic violence victim status, ancestry, amnesty, citizenship status, ethnicity, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation will not be tolerated in any of the Firm’s offices or any other work-related setting. Qualified individuals with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a position or to enable them to perform the essential functions of a position for which they are otherwise qualified. EEO.