With the legal tech market moving at such a fast pace this role is pivotal in helping the firm make good choices and then making the best use of the latest technologies. The role plays a significant part in championing the adoption and effective use of technology in legal services delivery and will design and implement strategies to develop the technical legal expertise of colleagues. The role also looks to bring our knowledge direct to clients, leading on client-facing knowledge initiatives.
By fostering a culture of knowledge sharing, continuous improvement and leveraging technology, the Director of Knowledge enables the delivery of outstanding, efficient, and risk-managed client services.
Main duties and responsibilities:
1. Design and deliver an innovative knowledge strategy directly contributes to our firm’s success.
2. Contribute to the firm’s AI strategy and ensure that the components related to knowledge and use of know how are prioritised and delivered.
3. Design and deliver group, sector, and country-specific Knowledge plans in partnership with firm leadership, encompassing technical training, knowledge sharing, and client value-added services to maintain market-leading legal capability.
4. Lead a passionate team to pioneer new ways of working, harnessing the latest legal technologies and AI to deliver exceptional client service and foster a culture of continuous learning. Teams include Research, Information Services, and Knowledge Systems, ensuring they adapt to changing business needs and deliver maximum value.
5. Champion the PDL team as a cohort, fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and leveraging their expertise to advance firm-wide knowledge initiatives.
6. Promote and facilitate the adoption of legal technology (including Copilot, and other AI tools or platforms), supporting the transition to new ways of working and maximising technology’s impact on service delivery.
7. Deploy and manage knowledge-driven technology projects such as the intranet, horizon scanning, templates (Templafy) and client-facing eLearning.
8. Lead client-facing knowledge initiatives including the use of the learning management system, delivery of value-added services, horizon scanning, and content-driven marketing via platforms like Out-law.
9. Act as Business Owner for key knowledge technologies, driving value and adoption of: Intranet KnowHow Lawyer efficiency tools (t, Lexis Protégé) Document management Learning (Absorb /Inteleap) DocuSign Drafting tools And other knowledge / efficiency tools. diagramming Develop and oversee strategies to enhance technical legal expertise across the firm, leveraging learning management systems and other relevant technologies. Manage relationships with external partners (. Thomson Reuters, Lexis Nexis, translation firms) to ensure high-quality support for legal service delivery. Manage the annual Knowledge budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to support strategic priorities.
Collaborate with other Business Operations leaders to coordinate strategic projects and provide unified support to the practice groups.
Relevant Experience:
10. A qualified lawyer with experience of working in a commercial law firm, or in a significant in-house legal function.
11. An understanding of professional services knowledge management strategy and experience of high quality implementation in a legal environment.
12. Experience and knowledge of Generative AI technology and other technology applications and their relevance to the Knowledge operations of professional services firms.
13. Team management experience.
14. Some contract procurement and negotiation experience.
15. Experience of high level budget management
Key Skills:
16. Strong inter-personal skills, well-honed influencing and presentation skills.
17. A thorough understanding of delivering in a fast changing environment.
18. Excellent networker, including with peers in the industry
19. Persuasive – the ability to change and influence senior personnel.
20. Ability to lead, inspire and motivate a team.
Personal Qualities / Behaviours:
21. A strategic thinker with a confident and outgoing personality.
22. Highly collaborative and able to work among a group of high-performing peers.
23. Attention to detail and ability to handle a demanding workload.
24. Drive, enthusiasm, resilience and adaptability.
25. Self-starter – innovative, takes the initiative and follows through.
26. Creates confidence with partners and forges co-operative working relationships with colleagues.
27. Manage multiple projects and stakeholders in a fast-paced and demanding environment, and ability to work flexibly within and across functional organisational lines
28. Exhibits approach and behaviours consistent with the firm's core values of 'approachable', 'bold' and 'connected'
At Pinsent Masons we value diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating a better workplace where all our talent can succeed and feel like they belong. We want to attract, retain and develop people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability/ long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristics protected by local law in the jurisdictions in which we operate. #LI-LRSS