Director of New Business intake

About the role

Focused on employment and labor law since 1958, Jackson Lewis P.C.'s 1,000+ attorneys located in major cities nationwide consistently identify and respond to new ways workplace law intersects business. We help employers develop proactive strategies, strong policies and business-oriented solutions to cultivate high-functioning workforces that are engaged and stable, and share our clients' goals to emphasize belonging and respect for the contributions of every employee.

The Firm is ranked in the First Tier nationally in the category of Labor and Employment Litigation, as well as in both Employment Law and Labor Law on behalf of Management, in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms".

Position Summary

The Director of New Business Intake leads the firm's client and matter intake function, overseeing the people, processes, technology, and controls that support client and matter onboarding, maintenance, and closure. This role ensures an efficient, client-focused intake experience while maintaining data quality, risk management, compliance, and operational excellence.

Working closely with attorneys and key business teams, the Director serves as the business owner for Intapp Open, establishes service standards, and drives process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce downstream operational issues.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Governance, and Service Delivery

• Develop and execute the firm's strategy and operating model for client and matter intake, including staffing, service levels, and technology enablement.
• Establish governance, controls, approval processes, and escalation protocols across intake, conflicts, risk review, and matter opening.
• Lead initiatives to enhance data integrity, service delivery, and the client and attorney intake experience.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex or high-priority intake matters.
• Maintain intake policies, procedures, standards, and training materials.

Intake and Matter-Opening Operations

• Direct the end-to-end client and matter intake lifecycle, including onboarding, maintenance, approvals, engagement documentation, transfers, and matter closure.
• Ensure the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of client, matter, billing, and related business data.
• Establish and optimize intake workflows for standard and specialized engagement scenarios.
• Partner with Finance, Billing, Pricing, Case Management, and other stakeholders to support efficient matter setup and downstream operational readiness.
• Oversee intake queues, workloads, and service levels, proactively addressing delays, bottlenecks, and escalations to ensure timely matter opening.

Conflicts, Risk, and Compliance Partnership

• Partner with Conflicts Counsel, the Office of General Counsel, and firm leadership to support conflicts clearance, risk management, and compliance processes.
• Oversee operational aspects of client due diligence, engagement documentation, outside counsel guidelines, and related risk-control requirements.
• Ensure required approvals, waivers, engagement terms, and supporting documentation are properly obtained, maintained, and integrated into intake workflows.
• Support audits, regulatory reviews, and internal control activities through effective documentation, reporting, and process oversight.
• Maintain appropriate separation between operational ownership and legal decision-making, ensuring substantive risk determinations remain with authorized attorneys and committees.

#LI-LM1

Data, Technology, and Process Improvement

• Establish and maintain data governance, quality standards, and controls for client and matter information.
• Serve as the business owner for Intapp Open and related intake technologies, overseeing system strategy, enhancements, integrations, and vendor relationships.
• Lead process optimization, workflow automation, and change management initiatives that improve efficiency, accuracy, transparency, and user experience.
• Partner with Technology, Information Security, Pricing, and other business stakeholders to enhance data quality, system performance, and operational effectiveness.
• Drive continuous improvement through analytics and root-cause analysis to reduce risk, strengthen controls, and prevent downstream operational issues.

Team Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Provide strategic leadership and development for the New Business Intake team, including talent management, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, service excellence, sound judgment, and continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with firm leadership, attorneys, business professionals, and key stakeholders across the organization.
• Champion training, communication, and change management initiatives that promote adoption of intake processes, policies, and systems.
• Oversee relationships with external vendors and service providers, ensuring performance, quality, and alignment with firm objectives.

Performance Management and Reporting

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators, service levels, operational trends, and capacity metrics to drive performance and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the delivery of accurate, timely, and confidential reporting for firm leadership, clients, and other stakeholders.
• Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making, resource planning, and business growth.
• Develop forecasting, quality assurance, and control programs to ensure operational effectiveness, compliance, and accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree, law degree, MBA, or relevant professional certification preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in new business intake, conflicts, risk management, legal operations, finance operations, or a comparable professional-services environment.
• 5+ years of people-leadership experience, including responsibility for managers or a multi-level operational team.
• Strong knowledge of law firm client and matter intake, conflicts processes, engagement requirements, client/matter master data, and the downstream impact of intake decisions on billing, collections, reporting, and client service.
• Advanced working knowledge of Intapp Open or a comparable NBI platform, including workflow configuration, testing, upgrades, reporting, and vendor coordination.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook and Excel, including the ability to organize, validate, analyze, and communicate detailed operational data accurately.
• Demonstrated success leading firmwide process improvement, technology implementation, workflow automation, or operating-model change.
• Experience developing service levels, controls, dashboards, and executive reporting in a high-volume, deadline-sensitive environment.
• Exceptional discretion and judgment in handling confidential, privileged, sensitive, or reputationally significant information.

Pay and benefits

For New York city metro area and New Jersey, the expected salary range for this position is between $190,000 and $220,000. This position is also eligible for annual bonuses. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits

Jackson Lewis offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Flexible Spending & Health Savings Account
• firm-paid holidays, vacation, and sick time
• Employee assistance program and other benefits

• For Massachusetts, Washington DC, and White Plain's, NY area, the expected salary range for this position is between $180,000 and $210,000.
• This position is also eligible for annual bonuses.
• The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits

Jackson Lewis offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 401(k) Retirement Plan