Legal Research Manager

Harbor is seeking a Legal Research Manager for its Library and Research department. This role will manage a full-service client relationship for a large law client as the primary responsibility, including management of research quality, stakeholder communications, short-term and long-term goal planning and support, and library operations/financial management,

This full-time, fully remote role offers the opportunity to lead library services while guiding a high-performing team to deliver the exceptional service using innovative legal technology solutions.  The primary schedule is Monday - Friday, 2:00pm - 11:00pm EST (11:00am - 8:00pm PST).  This is a remote position that can be worked from anywhere in the United States.

Team Leadership   

• Supervise and provide guidance to department staff, including training, and conducting performance evaluations.   
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment, promoting teamwork and professional development.   
• Delegate tasks effectively, ensuring efficient workflow and timely completion of projects 
• Manage a full client relationship for one or more research and/or library clients as aligned with skillset and expertise. 

Research Leadership & Team Development 

• Lead, mentor, and supervise a team of research professionals, providing direction, coaching, and performance feedback. 
• Foster a collaborative, client-centered research culture that emphasizes analytical rigor, responsiveness, and continuous professional growth. 
• Promote the adoption of best practices in legal research methodology, knowledge synthesis, and information delivery. 
• Oversee and guide complex legal, regulatory, and business research and intelligence activities in support of Client attorneys and practice groups. 
• Ensure research deliverables are timely, accurate, practice relevant, and aligned with Client priorities and risk tolerance. 

Digital Research & Knowledge Enablement 

• Guide the organization, access, and governance of digital research resources to support efficient information retrieval and reuse. 
• Collaborate with knowledge management, practice innovation, and IT teams to align research tools with attorney workflows. 
• Ensure compliance with copyright, licensing, and ethical research standards across all research and intelligence activities. 

Emerging Technology & Innovation 

• Champion the evaluation, rollout, and adoption of AI‑powered legal research, analytics, and intelligence tools. 
• Partner with IT and business services to assess emerging legal technologies that enhance research quality, speed, and insight generation. 
• Stay informed on trends in legal technology, generative and agentic AI, data analytics, and information services, advising Clients on implications and opportunities. 

Client Engagement & Outreach 

• Lead research outreach initiatives tailored to specific Client practice groups or departments. 
• Build strong relationships with attorneys and Client stakeholders to anticipate research needs and proactively deliver value. 
• Occasionally deliver direct research findings, competitive intelligence, or market insights to Clients and Client leadership. 

Project & Initiative Management 

• Lead and contribute to research centric initiatives, such as research workflow optimization, tool implementations, analytics projects, and service enhancements. 
• Develop project plans, timelines, and success metrics to ensure alignment with Client goals. 
• Communicate project progress, risks, and outcomes clearly to stakeholders. 

• Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) or equivalent, required. 
• Minimum of 5 years of experience providing legal research, competitive intelligence, or knowledge services in a law firm, professional services, or corporate environment. 
• Minimum of 3 years of experience managing or leading a research team or function. 
• Deep familiarity with legal research platforms such as Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law, and related analytics tools. 
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex research into practical, attorney focused insights. 
• Experience managing vendor relationships, research budgets, and data driven decision-making. 
• Familiarity with emerging legal technologies and trends, including generative or agentic AI applications in legal research (experience using or training on these tools preferred). 
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage credibly with attorneys, clients, and senior stakeholders. 
• Analytical mindset with strong problem solving skills and attention to detail.