Project Manager, PMO - AI

Project Manager, AI Initiatives

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world's leading international law firms. With offices across the globe, the firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to a remarkable roster of clients—including many of the world's largest corporations, financial institutions, and private equity firms. For more than 130 years, Simpson Thacher has built a reputation for superior performance, intellectual rigor, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

The Project Manager will be a strategic leader responsible for creating and driving the project charter, plan, adoption, implementation, and governance of AI technologies across Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. This role sits at the intersection of technology, legal practice, and program management, requiring an individual who can translate complex AI capabilities into tangible, firm-wide value. The successful candidate will oversee a portfolio of AI projects, manage cross-functional teams, and work closely with senior stakeholders to ensure that AI initiatives align with the firm's strategic objectives and deliver measurable outcomes.

• Lead the strategic planning, execution, and delivery of AI programs and initiatives across the firm, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and business objectives.
• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of AI projects, including requirements gathering, vendor evaluation, implementation, change management, and post-deployment optimization.
• Oversee the deployment and adoption of AI platforms including Anthropic's Claude, Harvey (AI for legal professionals), and Microsoft Co-Pilot across practice groups and business services.
• Report into the Program Management Office (PMO), implementing governance frameworks, reporting structures, and standardized methodologies.
• Apply Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) to manage iterative AI development cycles, ensuring rapid delivery of value while maintaining quality standards.
• Serve as the primary liaison between technology teams, legal professionals, firm leadership, and external AI vendors, translating technical capabilities into business language.
• Develop and maintain program roadmaps, budgets, risk registers, and status reports for executive-level stakeholders and steering committees.
• Contribute to driving organizational change management to foster AI adoption and digital literacy across the firm, including training programs and communication strategies.
• Ensure all AI implementations comply with legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements, including data privacy, confidentiality, and responsible AI principles.
• Manage relationships with key technology partners and outside partners including Anthropic, Harvey AI, and Microsoft, negotiating contracts and ensuring service-level performance.
• Mentor and coach the PMO team on best practices for running AI programs.

• Bachelor's degree
• PMP, Prince2 or CAPM preferred

• 5–10 years of progressive experience in program or project management, with at least 4 years managing AI/ML projects or digital transformation initiatives.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale AI programs in complex organizational environments, preferably in professional services or legal.
• Demonstrated experience with Anthropic's products and platform, including hands-on familiarity with Claude for enterprise use cases.
• Experience implementing and managing Harvey AI or similar AI platforms purpose-built for legal professionals.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft Co-Pilot deployment and integration, including configuration for enterprise-grade workflows.
• Advanced proficiency in Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) with relevant certifications (CSM, PMI-ACP, or SAFe Agilist).
• Extensive PMO experience, including establishing governance frameworks, portfolio management, resource planning, and executive reporting.
• Exceptional communication skills—both written and verbal—with the ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences, including partners and C-suite executives.
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent project/program management certification required.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, natural language processing, large language models, and their practical applications in knowledge-intensive industries.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with a track record of building trusted relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Coaching and mentoring fellow PMO team members.

Preferred

• Experience working in a top-tier law firm, Big Four consultancy, or large financial institution.
• Familiarity with legal technology ecosystem (document management, e-discovery, contract lifecycle management).
• Certifications in AI/ML (e.g., Google Cloud AI, AWS Machine Learning, or Microsoft AI certifications).
• Experience with responsible AI governance frameworks and ethical AI deployment.
• Knowledge of legal industry regulations around data privacy, confidentiality, and…