Manager of Desktop and Application Engineer

The Manager, Desktop & Applications Engineering is a senior leadership role within the End User Computing group of the Information Technology department, reporting to the Senior Manager of Advanced Endpoint Engineering. This individual will own the strategy, delivery, and continuous improvement of the firm””s desktop environment and enterprise application portfolio, with a particular emphasis on Microsoft 365 cloud-based capabilities and the legal technology stack, including iManage, Litera, Big Hand, and related platforms.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on leader who combines deep technical expertise with a relentless focus on user experience excellence. This person thrives in a fast‑paced, high‑expectation legal environment and understands that every desktop, every application update, and every escalation directly impacts the productivity of the firm””s attorneys and business professionals. The role demands someone who proactively manages the full lifecycle of application deployments and updates, owns Level 3 escalation resolution, and instills a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and engineering rigor across the team.

This position will be hybrid with the expectation that work will be conducted in office 2 days a week.

• Directly lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing team of desktop engineers and application analysts, setting clear expectations for service delivery, technical excellence, and professional growth.
• Foster a collaborative team culture oriented around continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and cross‑training to ensure bench strength and operational resilience.
• Partner with the Senior Manager of Advanced Endpoint Engineering to shape and execute the End User Computing (EUC) roadmap, aligning desktop and application strategy with the firm””s broader technology vision.

• Drive the firm””s modern desktop experience strategy, leveraging Microsoft 365 and cloud‑based capabilities, including Microsoft Intune, One Drive, Teams, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Edge, to deliver a seamless, secure, and performant end‑user environment.
• Oversee the configuration, optimization, and governance of the Microsoft 365 suite, including Office application add‑ins, toolbar customizations, and integrations with the firm””s legal application ecosystem.
• Champion a cloud‑first, modern management approach to endpoint management, transitioning legacy processes toward contemporary, scalable solutions.

• Serve as the firm””s subject matter authority on legal desktop applications, including iManage Work 10, the Litera Desktop suite (Litera Compare, Innova, Contract Companion), Big Hand digital dictation and workflow tools, Int App Time, and Adobe Acrobat DC.
• Manage the full application lifecycle for legal and business applications, from packaging, testing, and deployment through to patching, version upgrades, and end‑of‑life transitions.
• Ensure that application updates and releases are rigorously tested, clearly communicated, and deployed with minimal disruption to the user community.

• Own Level 3 escalation management for desktop and application issues, driving root cause analysis and permanent resolution with urgency and accountability. Identify, research, and resolve complex application and platform issues, collaborating with software vendors, Microsoft support, and internal infrastructure teams as needed to eliminate recurring problems. Proactively monitor application and system performance using enterprise tools, identify bottlenecks and failure patterns, and implement improvements that measurably enhance stability and user satisfaction.

• Analyze, design, and implement enterprise application solutions, deploying software with user personalization across physical and virtual desktop environments.
• Integrate and support end‑user applications by profiling, configuring, customizing, and troubleshooting within zero‑trust or hybrid security frameworks.
• Configure operating system and system‑level settings, and manage user, system, and enterprise…