Manager, Practice Operations and Initiatives

About Gowling WLG

Role profile

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of strategic and operational initiatives approved by practice leadership.
• Translate priorities into project charters, business cases, implementation plans, timelines, responsibilities, measures, and expected outcomes.
• Manage initiatives from scoping through evaluation, tracking milestones, dependencies, resources, risks, and outcomes.
• Support consistent implementation across practices and offices; identify operational gaps and recommend solutions.
• Develop practice-management processes, tools, and governance frameworks.
• Coordinate leadership meetings, agendas, materials, decisions, and action-item follow-up.
• Maintain dashboards and reports on performance, initiatives, and operational priorities.
• Analyze revenue, billings, collections, productivity, and utilization; identify trends, variances, risks, and opportunities.
• Partner with practice leaders and business services teams across Finance, People & Culture, Marketing and Business Development, Legal Talent, Knowledge Management, and Innovation and Technology.
• Lead continuous improvement and change management, including communications, stakeholder engagement, implementation support, and follow-up.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Management, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 5–8 years of relevant experience in operations, project management, business management, or professional services; law firm experience is an asset.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with financial and operational reporting and performance metrics.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, project-management, change-management, planning, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder-management skills; ability to influence without direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; reporting, BI, and project-management tools are preferred.
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential and sensitive information; bilingualism is an asset.

Benefits and perks

• Employer-paid health, dental, and mental health coverage, plus an annual lifestyle spending allowance.
• Benefits coverage for firm members and dependents from day one; 20+ vacation days.
• Parental leave top-up after 12 months of full-time employment and a group retirement savings plan with employer match.
• Disability, life, accident, and critical illness insurance; employee and family assistance resources.
• Recognition programs, appreciation events, preferred pricing, referral bonuses, and a collaborative work culture.

Work arrangement

• The posting states that hybrid work flexibility is available.

Compensation

• Starting range is CAD 101,000 to CAD 125,000; starting salary depends on individual skills, competencies, and qualifications.
• Employees may have the potential to exceed the range based on tenure and performance.

Hiring details

• The position is currently vacant and open to internal and external candidates.