Strategy Manager

Summary

DLA Piper’s Strategy & Ops function sits under the COO/CFO and exists to turn ambiguous, high‑stakes problems into decisions and execution that move the business forward, especially when the issue is cross‑functional in nature and does not otherwise have a clear owner. The department is empowered by senior leadership to pursue and deliver opportunities that are too important for the Firm, too messy, and too cross‑cutting to sit cleanly in one function.

Strategy & Ops is designed to bring direction and momentum in situations that otherwise lack both.

The Strategy & Operations Manager is a senior individual‑contributor role responsible for leading cross‑functional, firm priority initiatives from inception through execution, acting as a trusted partner to executive sponsors, functional leaders, and project owners. The role sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and operational problem solving, and is accountable for ensuring that high impact initiatives progress with clarity, rigor, and momentum.

This role is not traditional project management. Rather, it combines program leadership, strategic judgment, and executive communication to help the Firm reliably execute its most critical back‑office priorities while shaping future opportunities.

This position can sit in any of our US office locations and offers a hybrid work schedule.

• Lead complex, cross‑functional initiatives aligned to Firm strategic priorities.
• Translate ambiguous executive asks into clear problem statements, success metrics, workplans, and governance structures.
• Design and maintain integrated program plans, key decisions, risks, dependencies, and milestones.

• Serve as a day‑to‑day thought partner to executive sponsors and business owners.
• Prepare concise executive‑level updates and recommendations for senior audiences.
• Proactively surface issues, trade‑offs, and decision points, and drive timely resolution or escalation.

• Build and guide cross‑functional working teams, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and accountability while respecting functional ownership.
• Break down organizational silos by aligning functions around shared objectives.
• Coordinate selectively with external vendors and advisors to advance projects.

• Partner with leadership to identify high‑impact opportunities, assess feasibility, and shape Firm priorities.
• Apply structured problem‑solving, financial reasoning, and data‑driven analysis to inform recommendations.
• Support development of Firm playbooks, standard operating approaches, and reusable frameworks.

• Leverage collaboration tools and AI capabilities to improve efficiency across planning, documentation, reporting, and communications.
• Identify repeatable processes suitable for automation and partner in developing AI agents where appropriate.

• 4+ years of experience in strategy consulting, internal strategy / operations, corporate development, or a comparable role in a complex organization.
• Proven track record leading enterprise‑scale, cross‑functional initiatives with senior stakeholders.
• Exceptionally strong executive communication skills (written and verbal).
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and shaping structure where none exists.
• High judgment, low‑ego collaborator with the ability to influence without formal authority.
• Familiarity with professional services, legal, or financial services environments preferred.

• Firm‑priority initiatives move faster, with clearer ownership and fewer surprises.
• Executives trust the role as a reliable extension of their strategic intent.
• Cross‑functional teams are aligned, engaged, and focused on outcomes.
• The Strategy & Ops function is seen as essential to “getting the hardest things done.”

Dynamic individual with experience in strategy and operations, preferably within a professional services firm setting. Experience and demonstrated impact in strategy and operations consulting with project management, data and financial analysis, and analytics‑based…