Operations Project Manager

LOCATION: Any Spencer Fane Office Location with a preference for Dallas, TX;
Denver, CO;
Kansas City, MO; and Phoenix, AZ (hybrid work environment)

REPORTS TO: Director, Operations Integrations

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under general direction, the Operations Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and successfully completing cross-functional initiatives that improve the firm's management of mergers and acquisitions and process changes. This role plans and executes projects end-to-end from discovery and design through implementation and stabilization, ensuring stakeholder alignment, risk management, clear communications, and measurable outcomes. The Project Manager partners cross functionally with business leadership to deliver a consistent employee and client experience across the firm.

COMPENSATION: At Spencer Fane, we carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to location, skillset, experience, training, licenses, certifications and other business or organizational needs. Compensation will be determined based on the above factors along with the requirements of the position. We expect the starting salary for this position to be between $100,000 and $137,000.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead operational integration initiatives utilizing established project management methodologies governing scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, resource allocation, and change management activities.
• Maintain oversight of documentation, reporting files, and centralized repositories to ensure accuracy, organization, version control, and ongoing visibility throughout the project lifecycle.
• Facilitate intake, discovery, and planning activities by defining objectives, success metrics, dependencies, assumptions, scope parameters, and resource requirements.
• Direct and synchronize cross-functional work streams across firm departments including Facilities, Records, Conflicts, Billing, Finance, HR, IT, Knowledge Management, and Practice Support to support timely and seamless implementation activities.
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings, guide decision-making discussions, document outcomes, and maintain accountability for action items and deliverables through completion.
• Monitor performance against established targets including budget, timelines, resource utilization, and deliverables; identify variances and implement corrective action plans and mitigation strategies as needed.
• Escalate critical risks, constraints, and time-sensitive issues to appropriate stakeholders and decision-makers to minimize disruption to timelines and business objectives.
• Analyze data, operational impacts, and workflow challenges to support informed decision-making, issue resolution, and successful implementation outcomes.
• Promote consistency and continuous improvement of integration processes, workflows, templates, and implementation methodologies.
• Orchestrate enterprise-wide execution activities by aligning stakeholders, synchronizing dependencies, facilitating resource coordination, and maintaining follow-through across business functions, office leadership, shared services teams, and external partners.
• Ensure initiatives comply with firm policies, information security requirements, confidentiality obligations, and regulatory considerations applicable to legal services.
• Advance process improvement efforts through refinement of operational playbooks, standardized templates, integration procedures, and repeatable implementation practices.
• Manage vendor relationships and third-party deliverables, including statements of work, implementation milestones, acceptance criteria, and execution accountability.
• Supervise and/or provide direction to administrative support staff assisting with coordination activities, documentation management, and operational support functions.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, Operations Management, Project Management, or related field preferred.
• Certifications (Preferred): Project or Program Management certification through a globally recognized organization (e.g., PMI) desirable. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher certification desirable.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS &

COMPETENCIES:

• Experience: Minimum of 4+ years in project management, including leading cross-functional initiatives in a professional services environment (law firm experience strongly preferred).
• Project Management Methodology & Delivery: Demonstrated experience managing operational and cross-functional initiatives through full project life cycles, including discovery, planning, execution, implementation, stabilization, and post-project follow-through. Proven ability to manage scope, timelines, dependencies, risk mitigation, resource coordination, and change management activities while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and service expectations.
• Operational Integration & Execution: Proven capability to coordinate complex operational initiatives involving multiple departments, office locations,…