Director of Knowledge Management

At Seyfarth, we understand that great people are the key to our success, and we provide the opportunities to match. If you join us, you’ll work in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment supported by state-of-the-art technology, where innovation, design, and continuous improvement are central to how we operate. If you want the freedom to build, lead, and shape the future at a firm that is invested in what’s next, keep reading.

Seyfarth is seeking a visionary Director of Knowledge Management (KM) to design, build, and lead the firm’s next-generation KM function within the Office of Innovation & Strategic Design.

This is a high-impact, firmwide leadership role responsible for defining how knowledge is captured, structured, shared, and applied across a global platform of approximately 1,000 lawyers. Reporting directly to the Chief Innovation & Strategic Design Officer (CISDO) and working in close partnership with the Chief Data & AI Officer (CDAIO), the Director of Knowledge Management will translate the firm’s innovation strategy into a scalable, sustainable KM program that strengthens attorney experience, client value, and firm competitiveness.

This role is ideal for a strategic, hands-on leader who thrives in a design-led, collaborative, and change-oriented environment and is excited to build a modern KM function from the ground up.

On any given day, you will:

• Serve as the primary architect of the firm’s knowledge management strategy, working closely with the CISDO to translate innovation vision into a practical, firmwide KM operating model.
• Collaborate across the Office of Innovation & Strategic Design to ensure KM principles are embedded in service design, product development, and process improvement initiatives.
• Partner with the Chief Data & AI Officer to align KM assets with the firm’s data ecosystem, supporting analytics, semantic search, automation, and responsible AI initiatives.
• Help to establish firmwide taxonomy, metadata standards, and knowledge architecture that balance consistency with attorney autonomy.
• Oversee existing or the selection of new KM-related platforms and tools in partnership with Innovation, Data, and IT teams, including the DMS, knowledge portals, search tools, and collaboration systems.
• Drive continuous improvement in knowledge findability, search performance, and reuse.
• Assess and support adoption of AI-enabled KM tools grounded in authoritative, trusted content.
• Build, mentor, and lead KM professionals as the function grows, while fostering strong collaboration with Research & Library Services and other operational teams.
• Define and track KPIs related to KM adoption, reuse, efficiency, data quality, and client value, and report regularly on impact and ROI to firm leadership.

• 10+ years of experience in knowledge management, innovation, legal operations, or related disciplines within a law firm or professional services environment.
• Demonstrated success leading KM programs, transformation initiatives, or enterprise-scale change efforts.
• Experience working directly with senior partners, practice leaders, and firm executives.
• Strong familiarity with document management systems, KM platforms, legal research tools, and emerging AI-enabled technologies.
• Experience with data governance, taxonomy development, metadata standards, or information architecture (strongly preferred).
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence, build trust, and drive adoption in a partner-led environment.
• A strategic mindset paired with a practical, hands-on approach to execution.
• High professional integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.

Seyfarth provides competitive salary and benefits at all levels, and a culture that embraces innovation, collaboration, and the entrepreneurial spirit of its professionals. Our teams work together to define and deliver a distinctive client experience, and we invest in the people, systems, and ideas that shape the future of legal services. At Seyfarth, everyone plays a role in driving excellence.

With approximately 1,000 lawyers across 17 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide. Learn more about The Seyfarth Experience at https://www.seyfarth.com/careers/.

Seyfarth Shaw is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Chicago, IL: The full time salary range for this role is $180,000 to $210,000 annually, which is based on a 40 hour work week.

New York, NY: The full time salary range for this role is $200,000 to $230,000 annually, which is based on a 40 hour work week.

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role in the locations listed above at the time of this posting. An employee’s pay within the salary range will be based on numerous factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, geographical location and business or organizational needs. This job is also eligible for an annual merit increase and bonus pay. 

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k). 

This position is based in Chicago, IL 60606

This position is based in New York, NY 10018

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