Director of Marketing Operations

Position summary

The Director of Marketing Operations is responsible for the operational strategy, infrastructure and effectiveness of the firm's global Marketing & Business Development (MBD) function.

Working closely with the Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer (CMBDO) and MBD leadership team, the Director ensures that the function has the systems, processes, data, resources, financial controls and operating disciplines required to deliver the firm's strategic and revenue-growth priorities efficiently and consistently across practices, industries and geographies.

The Director will lead the continued evolution of MBD operations, with particular responsibility for embedding artificial intelligence into core MBD workstreams to improve productivity, speed, quality and scalability. The role will create greater integration, standardization and transparency across a complex global function while strengthening financial and resource management, optimizing technology and data, developing meaningful performance reporting, and systematically identifying work that can be redesigned, automated or augmented through AI.

A critical component of the role will be translating strategy into scalable operational execution and moving AI from isolated experimentation into practical, governed and measurable day-to-day use. The Director will serve as a senior connector across MBD, Finance, HR, IT, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Risk, Privacy, Information Security, Procurement and other business services functions, ensuring that AI-enabled workstreams, investments and resources are aligned with the firm's highest priorities.

Job duties and responsibilities

Strategy & Operational Leadership
•    Develop and lead the global MBD operations strategy, translating firm and departmental priorities into actionable operating plans, processes, resource requirements and measurable outcomes.
•    Make AI-enabled workflow transformation a core element of the MBD operating strategy, with clear priorities, accountable owners and measurable benefits.
•    Serve as a senior adviser to the CMBDO and MBD leadership team on operational priorities, investment decisions and organizational effectiveness.
•    Establish consistent operating standards across regions and functions, identifying and addressing structural or process barriers while accommodating varying business needs.
•    Drive a culture of accountability, operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Financial & Business Management
•    Lead MBD's annual budgeting, financial planning, forecasting and reporting processes in partnership with Finance and MBD leadership.
•    Provide leadership with clear visibility into MBD expenditure, commitments, resource utilization and investment priorities.
•    Develop frameworks to evaluate the effectiveness and return on MBD investments, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and maximize strategic and commercial value.
•    Support business cases for significant technology, resource and program investments.

AI, Automation & Technology Transformation
•    Define the business requirements and priorities for the MBD technology ecosystem in partnership with IT, Innovation and relevant technology owners.
•    Develop and execute a global AI, automation and technology roadmap for MBD, prioritizing use cases that improve productivity, service quality, speed and commercial impact.
•    Review end-to-end MBD workstreams and redesign them to take advantage of AI, automation and improved data, rather than simply adding new tools to existing processes.
•    Build and manage a portfolio of AI use cases across areas such as pitches and proposals, client and market intelligence, relationship development, campaigns, events, content, directories, reporting and operational administration.
•    Establish appropriate governance for AI and MBD technology, including use-case intake, prioritization, testing, risk review, human oversight, data protection, quality standards and benefits measurement.
•    Lead pilots through to scaled implementation, ensuring successful solutions are embedded into standard workflows, supported by clear ownership, training, playbooks and ongoing optimization.

Data, Analytics & Performance
•    Partner with relevant teams to improve the quality, accessibility and effective use of marketing and client data.
•    Establish consistent frameworks, KPIs and reporting mechanisms to measure MBD operational performance, effectiveness and commercial impact.
•    Develop dashboards and management reporting that provide actionable insights, monitor performance against objectives and support data-driven decision-making and resource allocation.
•    Define and track value measures for AI-enabled workstreams, including adoption, time released, cycle-time improvement, quality, capacity created and commercial impact.

Process & Governance
•    Review and streamline critical MBD processes, establishing scalable workflows, clear accountabilities and consistent operational standards across teams and regions.
•    Create a structured process for identifying, assessing and prioritizing MBD workstreams for AI augmentation or automation, focusing on high-volume, repetitive and insight-intensive activities.
•    Develop and maintain appropriate policies, playbooks, templates and operational guidance.
•    Identify and prioritize opportunities to reduce duplication, eliminate unnecessary complexity and drive continuous process improvement.

Resource & Workforce Planning
•    Partner with MBD leadership and HR on workforce planning, organizational design and resource allocation, including decisions related to hiring, organizational structure and external resources.
•    Develop visibility into departmental workload and capacity, identifying opportunities to optimize resource deployment across teams and geographies.
•    Develop scalable approaches to onboarding, knowledge sharing and operational consistency.

Vendor & Procurement Management
•    Oversee the operational framework for significant MBD vendors and external providers, partnering with Procurement and Finance on contracting, vendor evaluation and commercial negotiations.
•    Establish consistent methods for evaluating vendor performance, utilization and value, identifying opportunities to consolidate services, reduce unnecessary expenditures and improve commercial arrangements.

Change Management & Adoption
•    Develop role-based AI adoption plans, training and practical guidance that help teams integrate new capabilities into everyday work rather than treating AI as a separate initiative.
•    Work with MBD leaders and managers to ensure changes are understood, embedded and sustained.
•    Lead global MBD operational change initiatives, developing and executing implementation and adoption plans for new systems, processes and ways of working.
•    Build a continuous-improvement and AI-enabled working mindset across the department, encouraging disciplined experimentation while maintaining appropriate judgment, quality control and human oversight.

Team Leadership
•    Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing Marketing Operations team, establishing clear accountabilities, objectives and performance expectations.
•    Build strong relationships across the global MBD organization and other business services functions.
•    Develop team capability in AI literacy, prompt and workflow design, technology, data, analytics, project management and process improvement.
•    Create an inclusive, collaborative environment characterized by high standards, curiosity and accountability.

Job duties and responsibilities included are not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary.  Reed Smith reserves the right to revise or modify job duties and responsibilities at any time. 

Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, finance or a related discipline; advanced degree desirable.

Experience: 

• 10+ years of significant senior-level experience in marketing operations, business operations or a related function within a complex global organization.
• Experience in a major law firm or other partnership-based professional services environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading operational transformation and organizational change.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting and investment analysis.
• Experience with marketing technology, CRM, data, analytics, automation and emerging AI capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to design and improve processes across a complex, distributed organization.
• Experience leading teams and influencing senior stakeholders across functions and geographies.
• Excellent communication, judgment and stakeholder-management capabilities.

Skills: Strong program and project-management skills. Superior project management and relationship building skills. Organized and detail-oriented, with ability to synthesize and convey complex information. Comfortable working independently and in a team on deadline. MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint proficiency. Aptitude for evaluating and learning new technologies and harnessing and leveraging data for organizational success. Understanding of process improvement is desired. 

Additional information

Supervisory responsibilities: Directly supervises marketing operations manager.

Equipment used: Personal computer and other office equipment such as telephone, calculator, copier, scanner, etc.

Essential job functions

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and perform tasks requiring prolonged and/or extensive computer use.
• Ability to use computers, telecommunications, and digital collaboration tools to perform core job responsibilities.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to maintain attention to detail while analyzing complex information, managing multiple priorities, and applying sound judgment to strategic decisions.
• Ability to access, use, and safeguard confidential and sensitive information while performing job responsibilities in work environments that support confidentiality, privacy, and information security requirements.
• Travel for meetings and training as required.
• Ability to work extended hours as required to meet project, client, or business needs.
• Flexibility to adjust working hours, including early start times occasionally, to support collaboration with international stakeholders in EMEA.

Working conditions

Works remotely. Occasionally called upon to work hours in excess of your normal daily schedule.

Pay ranges
This represents the presently anticipated low and high end of Reed Smith's pay range for this position. Actual pay may vary based on various factors, including but not limited to location and experience.

• Pittsburgh/Houston/Dallas/Atlanta/Denver - $217,000 - $265,000
• Chicago - $232,000 - $280,000
• Boston - $248,000 - $300,000

Employee benefits overview

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Medical Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Virtual Health Services
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Coverage
• Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Lyra Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Family Leave (for eligible Exempt and Non-Exempt staff)
• Transportation Benefit
• Back-up Child Care Services
• College Coach Program
• Pet Insurance
• Paid Sick Time (for Exempt staff)
• Paid Time Off (available to all full-time, non-temporary employees)

Reed Smith offers a challenging work environment, business casual dress code and a total compensation package that includes a competitive salary, flexible benefits program, tuition assistance, and generous 401(k) plan.

Reed Smith is an Equal Opportunity Employer with Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork & Respect, Innovation, and Impact. Reed Smith also provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with law, including in the application and interview process.

Qualified candidates only. No search firms.