Job Description

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Type

Permanent - Full Time


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Location

London


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Job Role

Project Management Office

Withers

Job title:

Legal AI and Innovation Delivery Lead

Reporting to:

Global Head of Portfolio Management

Location:

London

The Role

Aligned to a continuous drive to innovate, Withers has recently launched a new business strategy which focuses on reviewing and improving how our firm operates across all regions and divisions in order to optimise productivity through the better use of technology, and ultimately to deliver the best service to our clients.


This will be achieved through a number of means including examining and optimising technology skills, the processes that our people use, and the technologies which they are using. It will address both the better use of our existing systems, and the purchase and /or development of new tools aligned to business needs. Given the scope of the firm's strategy, the work will cover a wide breadth of technology areas including legal-specific and more general operational systems, including the embedding of new technologies such as generative AI into working practices.


In support of this, we are recruiting a number of roles to constitute the core of a new 'AI & Innovation' team (supplemented by resources from our project management office, IT team and external consultancy as required) which will lead the delivery of this work. In order to ensure better alignment to the firm's standards and to provide supplemental support as required, the members of this team will be 'homed' inside the IT and PMO teams (as appropriate) but will work together as a ring-fenced team dedicated to delivering the AI & Innovation work under the direction of a multi-disciplinary steering group.


As part of this AI & Innovation team, we are seeking an experienced and driven Legal Innovation and AI Delivery Lead who has a passion for delivering innovation and change, and for working with stakeholders across all disciplines and seniority levels.


This is a very exciting opportunity to be a core part of a new capability for our firm, with sponsorship from the highest levels of the firm, and high visibility for the value delivered. It is a hands-on, strategic role ideal for a self-starter who thrives in an innovative, fast-paced and pragmatic environment, who excels in inter-personal relationships, and wants to make a lasting impact by delivering change to the working practices of a global law firm.


A high level of personal organisation and professionalism is critical to this role, together with a 'can-do' attitude and an ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure. You must inspire a positive work environment and help champion quality, innovation, teamwork and service to the business.


Working as part of our Project Management Office your primary work base will be the London office, but travel may be required. The chosen candidate will line-report to the Global Head of Portfolio Management (based in London) and work closely with them and the global team, to assist with delivery of the firm's strategy and expectations. You will be working alongside a team of Programme Managers, Project Managers, Business Analysts and PMO Analysts (based in London and Los Angeles).

Tasks and responsibilities

Innovation Leadership

Schedule, facilitate and manage the AI and Innovation leadership group meetings, prepare agendas, create meeting notes and ensure follow-up on decisions and actions. Provide delivery leadership, working closely with the trainer, business analyst and solution architect to help define and drive the innovation agenda. Assist the AI and Innovation delivery group in the development and maintenance of the legal innovation roadmap, aligning AI initiatives with firm-wide or departmental strategic goals. Identify emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI, NLP, predictive analytics) with potential to transform legal services. Lead ideation and process mapping workshops and innovation sprints with prioritized legal teams to surface pain points and co-create solutions using existing tools better, by either improving processes or 'tailoring' tools to specific needs or identifying and using new tools where required.

Project Delivery

Manage end-to-end delivery of AI and Innovation projects, from business case development to post-implementation review. Define project scope and approach, plans, success metrics, and resource requirements. Coordinate with IT, legal operations, compliance, and external vendors to ensure seamless execution.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management

Act as a trusted advisor to partners, management committee and legal operations teams on AI and innovation strategy. Working with the AI and Innovation Trainer, manage the development and delivery of training, demos, and communications to drive adoption and change readiness Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure alignment across technical and non-technical audiences.

Governance, Risk & Ethics

Working with the AI and Innovation solution architect, ensure all AI solutions comply with legal, ethical, and regulatory standards (e.g., GDPR, client confidentiality). Ensure alignment with Withers governance frameworks and policies for responsible AI use, including bias mitigation and explainability. Monitor and report on AI performance, risks, and impact across legal functions.

Continuous Improvement & Market Awareness

Stay up to date with developments in legal and general technology, including AI regulations, and Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities. Track legal tech trends, vendor landscape, and regulatory developments. Benchmark internal capabilities against industry standards and competitors. Foster a culture of experimentation, feedback, and iterative improvement. Assist the PMO and IT teams with queries as required. Assist the Head of Portfolio Management with additional responsibilities where requested.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Skills, knowledge, qualifications and competencies

Technical & Analytical Skills

AI & Legal Tech Fluency: Deep understanding of AI technologies (e.g., NLP, machine learning, generative AI) and their application in legal contexts such as contract review, legal research, and compliance. Data Literacy: General understanding of data structure and its role in AI and Innovation delivery. Solution Architecture Awareness: Familiarity with system integration, cloud platforms, APIs, and legal tech ecosystems.

Project Management

Project Delivery Expertise: Qualified and skilled in project delivery methodologies including agile (e.g. Scrum, Kanban, DSDM) and iterative delivery of innovation projects. Risk & Issue Management: Proactive identification and mitigation of delivery risks, especially around data privacy, ethics, and regulatory compliance. Budgeting & Resource Planning: Experience managing project budgets, vendor contracts, and internal resource allocation.

Stakeholder & Change Leadership

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work across legal, IT, compliance, and operations teams to align goals and drive execution. Change Management: Expertise in driving adoption of new technologies and processes within traditionally risk-averse environments. Influencing & Communication: Strong storytelling and presentation skills to communicate complex AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Strategic & Innovation Thinking

Innovation Strategy Development: Ability to define and evolve a legal innovation roadmap based on business priorities and market trends. Design Thinking: Skilled in user-centric design approaches to ensure solutions meet real-world legal needs. Market & Trend Awareness: Up-to-date knowledge of legal tech vendors, regulatory developments, and competitive benchmarks.

Governance, Ethics & Compliance

Responsible AI Practices: Understanding of ethical AI principles, bias mitigation, and explainability in legal applications. Regulatory Compliance: Familiarity with GDPR, data protection laws, and legal privilege considerations in AI deployment. Governance Frameworks: Ability to establish and maintain governance structures for innovation and AI initiatives.

Personal Qualities

Inspires confidence Enthusiastic and friendly Able to work under pressure Flexible approach to working hours during upgrades and other ad hoc duties carried out by IT Excellent attention to detail and organisation skills Excellent written and oral communication skills Excellent interpersonal skills Smart and professional manner Be well organised in calendar management and scheduling Collaborative mindset with a consultative approach Adaptability to work across diverse legal practice and business services areas Passion for innovation and continuous learning

The Essentials

9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, but flexibility is a must Hybrid working policy with a minimum of 2 days per week worked in the office 12 week probation period 12 week notice period Flexible benefit package including pension, private medical insurance, denplan, season ticket loan, subsidised gym memberships, lifestyle discount scheme, the ability to buy and sell holidays, flu jabs, doctors consultation service, cycle to work scheme, on site cafe and more

About Withers

Withers has been acting for successful individuals, families and institutions for over 100 years. We advise clients on the full range of their business, personal and philanthropic legal needs, both at home and abroad. With offices in the key financial centres of Europe, Asia-Pacific, the United States and the Caribbean, we provide coverage and services that other law firms focussed on the needs of the individual cannot. We have represented 70% of the Top 100 in The Sunday Times Rich List, 25% of the Forbes 400 List, 35% of the Hong Kong Forbes Rich List, and 35% of Forbes Asia's Richest Families list.

Information for Recruitment Agencies

Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement

It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion. Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.