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Director of Applications - Cleveland Ohio
Company: Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Posted On: 05/04/2025
Who We Are At Benesch we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations and building trust not only with our clients but with our employees - Benesch's #1 asset. Committed to providing not only the highest level of legal service to our clients, Benesch also aspires to create a positive work environment for our employees. Our Firm continues to earn placement on Chicago and Cleveland's Top Workplaces list, along with Cleveland's NorthCoast 99 Top Workplaces rankings. We also continue to advance on the AmLaw 150 list, placing us among the top 150 law firms in the country. Benesch is proud to be recognized for being a Firm that attracts and retains top talent - making Benesch a great place to work. We offer a hybrid schedule, career development and growth, transparent and visible leadership teams, and a place where diversity, equity and inclusion is celebrated. In addition, the Firm offers a full array of benefits which can be viewed at . Working with Us - Come and "Be Benesch!" We are one of the fastest growing firms in the nation, and have offices in Chicago, Columbus, San Francisco, New York City, and Wilmington. We continue to expand our geographic footprint and value the talent that comprises each of our locations. If you are someone who champions a First in Service approach and are ready to be part of an exciting and growing Firm, we would invite you to apply to join our team. Benesch is proud to announce the opening for a Director of Applications in our Cleveland office! This position is hybrid and has work from home flexibility. Position Summary: Are you searching for an opportunity to lead the strategic vision, development, implementation, and management of one of the nation's fastest growing law firm's business-critical software and data solutions? Do you have law firm IT leadership in addition to experience with managing applications and data portfolios, teams and projects? Then our opening for a Director of Applications is the opportunity for you. This role is for the individual who wants to oversee the applications and data platforms from implementation through retirement. The Director of Applications ensures seamless technology integration into business processes, improves operational efficiency and enhances service delivery to internal and external stakeholders. In addition to overseeing applications, the Director will manage the Firm's data architecture, data integration, analytics, and AI initiatives, driving a strategy to leverage structured and unstructured data for business insights and operational excellence. The role demands expertise in legal industry technologies, data management, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, alongside strong leadership, project management, and vendor management skills. ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES Oversees the implementation, upgrade, maintenance, and retirement of all Firm applications and data platforms, ensuring they meet operational and security standards. Maintains and evolves documentation for the application and data landscapes, including data flows, interfaces, workflows, and dependencies. Develops a multi-year application and data roadmap that integrates analytics, AI, and advanced reporting capabilities to support the Firm's strategic initiatives. Acts as a liaison between IT and business units, ensuring alignment of application and data strategies with Firm goals. Partners with Practice Group and Administrative Leaders to assess and define business challenges and identify technical and data-driven solutions. Advocates for leveraging data insights to address business challenges and enhance decision-making. Leads the development and implementation of a data strategy that focuses on data integration, quality, governance, and analytics across the Firm. Manages and optimizes the Firm's structured and unstructured data repositories, ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and accessibility. Oversees the selection and implementation of data visualization and analytics tools to enhance reporting and business insights. Drives initiatives to apply AI and machine learning to improve efficiency, client service, and decision-making. Oversees the IT department's change management framework, ensuring minimal disruption during application and data platform deployments. Identifies and implements process improvements to increase operational efficiency and productivity, leveraging data insights where applicable. Negotiates, manages, and evaluates vendor relationships and contracts to maximize value and performance. Works closely with vendors to ensure timely delivery of updates, fixes, and new features in applications and data platforms. Develops team skill sets to align with current and future business and technological needs. Fosters a collaborative, innovative, and data-driven team culture to achieve high performance. Provides direction, mentorship, and performance management to the Applications and Data teams, including data architects and data analysis roles. Researches and recommends emerging technologies, including AI and advanced data platforms, to improve operations, support business innovation, and address Firm needs. Proactively evaluates industry trends and bring innovative solutions to the Firm to maintain a competitive edge. Defines and executes a long-term vision for the Firm's application and data ecosystems. Partners with stakeholders to align IT initiatives with business strategies and data-driven decision-making. Establishes KPIs for application and data platform support, ensuring regular performance reporting and actionable insights. Optimizes workflows, processes, and data utilization for improved system performance and user satisfaction. Oversees security and compliance efforts for all applications and data platforms, ensuring adherence to industry standards and client requirements. Implements policies to address risk mitigation, data governance, and cybersecurity best practices. KEY COMPETENCIES |
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