DEI Manager - Sidley Austin LLP

The DEI Manager (“Manager”) helps develop, implement, and administer key diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) projects firmwide.  The Manager will report to the DEI Director who sits in the New York office (“DEI Director”). The Manager will also interact with the firm’s lawyers, including, but not limited to, women, minority/ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, and disabled lawyers (“Lawyers”), firm leadership, as well as the firm’s Marketing, Strategic Planning, Human Resources, Event Planning, Technology, Creative, Wellness, Learning & Development, and Legal Recruiting Departments (“Strategic Partners”) to accomplish the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

The Firm’s global DEI Team works in a warm and cooperative manner to advance the Firm’s overall DEI goals and to implement, create and evolve industry-wide best practices, and to support the Firm, diverse communities within the Firm, and individual lawyers and members of professional staff.

(This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary and appropriate.)

• Manages assigned regional and firmwide programs, office specific heritage month celebrations and commemorations, and other projects in collaboration with Strategic Partners.  For the referenced and other assigned projects, the Manager helps engage participants, develop program agendas, research and obtain speakers, manage the budget, and organize all program related events
• Provides support for the DEI Director in her role in providing leadership to develop approaches to drive strategic investment in the Firm’s Diverse Lawyers.  Strategic investment takes the form of development and management of certain of the Firm’s DEI processes related to attorney development, retention, and promotion.  This responsibility will require extensive collaboration with the Diversity Infrastructure and the Strategic Partners
• Provides support for the DEI Director in her role in evaluating the Firm’s attorney pipeline programs and processes. Helps the DEI Director collaborate with the Diversity Infrastructure and Strategic Partners to evolve and standardize the pipeline programs and processes
• Assists the DEI Director and collaborate with Strategic Partners to efficiently research, plan, organize and execute diversity, equity and inclusion programming and projects to support the development of Lawyers
• Assists the DEI Director with the management of work of the DEI and SidleyWomen Committees, including the organization of meetings, development of agendas, response to complaints and problems, staffing of events by Lawyers and other Strategic Partners. In addition, the Manager will provide data, program ideas, and other resources as requested, in service of the DEI Team’s and Committees’ strategic goals
• Tracks the firm’s office specific sponsorships of local lawyer affinity organizations to help the DEI Director and Chief Diversity Officer (“CDO”) measure the impact of such sponsorships on Lawyers and the applicable office
• Assists the DEI Director and CDO in collaborating with Strategic Partners to enhance the firm’s current mentoring processes for Lawyers
• Develops, organizes and attends DEI functions in NY and elsewhere, as needed, both at and outside of Sidley, in collaboration with the DEI Director and CDO the firm’s Strategic Partners
• Assists with the management of Sidley’s relationships with selected DEI-related organizations in NY, including attendance at programs and development of joint programming, as desirable, as well as negotiation of sponsorships, recruitment of Lawyer participation, and reporting
• Collaborates with DEI team members across all offices, as needed
• Performs other duties as assigned. This position may require working non-standard hours and the ability to travel and work overtime, as needed
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New York Applicants: Salaries may vary by location. In New York, the estimated target salary range of this role is $135,000 - $157,000, in addition to bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefit package. Salary determinations are made based on numerous factors, such as, but not limited to, the relevant market and the skill, experience, class or graduation year, and education of the selected candidate.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources). 

Education and/or Experience: 

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• A minimum of 2 years of prior work experience
• Experience in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and web-based services and related applications
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to spot concerns and issues and to formulate and execute responses or solutions
• Demonstrated ability to marshal the resources of the Firm across many departments to present excellent programs and effective initiatives

Preferred: 

• Law firm, corporate experience
• Prior work experience where collaboration on projects was required 

Other Skills and Abilities:

In addition to the above, the following may also be required of the successful candidate:

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• The use of good judgment and ability to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Well-developed analytical and problem solving skills
• Works harmoniously and effectively with others as part of a team
• A self-starter who desires to show ownership and commitment to the job
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities
• Ability to travel and work effectively from remote locations

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer