Senior Manager, Enterprise Applications and Systems

The Senior Manager, Enterprise Applications and Systems is responsible for the operational management, technical leadership, and continuous improvement of the firm’s enterprise application ecosystem. This role oversees the delivery, support, and performance of critical business and legal systems across practices, business services, and risk and compliance domains.

This leader will drive a strategic transformation of the firm’s application ecosystem, leveraging emerging technologies and AI to modernize operations, enhance efficiency, and deliver innovative business solutions. They will ensure all systems remain secure, stable, and optimized to meet evolving business needs while leading a high-performing technical organization that delivers reliable, responsive, and scalable application services. Additionally, this role will play a critical part in assessing current team structures, identifying skill gaps, implementing targeted reorganization strategies, and championing modern delivery practices—such as Agile and Scrum—to accelerate digital transformation.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

These essential functions are primary job duties that incumbents must be able to perform unassisted or with some reasonable accommodation.

Operational Leadership

• Lead daily operations and support for a complex portfolio of firm applications and services, ensuring high availability, reliability, and performance.

• Oversee incident, problem, and change management processes for application services, ensuring adherence to ITIL and firm standards.

• Establish and track operational KPIs, including system uptime, performance, service quality, efficiency improvements.

• Drive continuous improvement in application delivery, support processes, and technical documentation.

• Ensure that upgrades, patches, and enhancements are delivered with minimal disruption to firm operations.

Technical Oversight

• Provide hands-on technical guidance and direction for application engineers, administrators, and analysts.

• Oversee integrations, configurations, and performance tuning across platforms.

• Maintain a deep understanding of the firm’s core systems, including: Practice Solutions, Enterprise Platforms, Finance, Productivity & Collaboration, and Risk & Compliance.

• Lead adoption and governance of no-code/low-code platforms such as the Microsoft Power Platform and ServiceNow App Engine.

• Partner with business and practice teams to evaluate, adopt, and integrate AI into services, processes, and systems.

• Collaborate with infrastructure, cloud, and cybersecurity teams to ensure secure, compliant, and optimized hosting environments.

• Support system integrations and automation initiatives to reduce manual effort and improve user experience.

Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of application professionals focused on operational excellence and customer service.

• Assess team capabilities, identify skill gaps, and realign responsibilities or reorganize teams as needed to meet evolving business and technology needs.

• Develop and implement retraining programs to enhance technical competencies and cross-functional collaboration.

• Foster a culture of accountability, technical rigor, and continuous learning with an AI and data first foundation.

• Promote Agile and Scrum methodologies to improve collaboration, delivery cadence, and responsiveness to change.

• Manage workloads, priorities, and resource planning to meet service expectations and project commitments.

• Partner with HR and firm leadership to attract and retain top technical talent.

Vendor & Platform Management

• Oversee vendor performance, contracts, and support agreements for assigned platforms.

• Manage escalation of technical issues with vendors and coordinate resolution efforts.

• Evaluate and recommend platform updates, technical roadmaps, and lifecycle plans.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to firm policies, data protection, and regulatory standards.

• Collaborate with Risk, Compliance, and Information Security teams to maintain proper controls and audit readiness.

• Develop, maintain and test business continuity and disaster recovery plans for responsible applications and platforms.

• Perform other duties, as assigned.

• Be present at work during regularly scheduled working hours and as needed in the position, consistent with the Firm’s attendance expectations.

SPECIFIC SKILLS REQUIRED

• Proven experience with legal or professional services applications such as iManage, Intapp products, Elite 3E, Office365, Litera products, Bighand Create, or similar platforms.

• Experience leading team restructuring, workforce development, and technical upskilling initiatives.

• Demonstrated success implementing Agile or Scrum practices in technical operations or application delivery teams.

• Deep understanding of system administration, integration, and performance optimization.

• Experience leading application operations in hybrid or cloud environments (Azure preferred).

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on service delivery and root-cause analysis.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and vendor management skills. Familiarity with AI tools (e.g., LLMs, document automation, workflow orchestration) and data analytics concepts.

SPECIFIC SKILLS PREFERRED

• Hands-on technical leader who thrives in a complex, fast-paced environment.

• Strong operational discipline and commitment to service reliability.

• Thorough understanding of modern data and concepts and technologies such as relational databases, data lakehouses, and data virtualization.

• Ability to balance immediate operational needs with longer-term system improvements.

• Experience working within ITIL or similar service management frameworks.

• Proven success driving organizational change and building high-performing Agile teams. Demonstrated experience designing or managing AI or automation solutions within professional services or technology-driven environments.

EDUCATION, LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field; equivalent experience considered.

• 10+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 5 years managing enterprise applications and technical teams.

• Azure Fundamentals, ITIL Foundations, and Agile Scrum Master training preferred.

At Perkins Coie, we look for self-motivated individuals dedicated to providing value and superior service and who have a high degree of integrity and enthusiasm for their work. We have created a company culture based on collaboration, devotion to serving our clients, and mutual respect. Perkins Coie is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion both within the firm and throughout our collective communities. Work with one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and receive great health insurance, tuition reimbursement, and paid sabbaticals. 

This position is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, 401(k) plan, medical, dental, and vision insurance, accrued paid time off plan starting at 20 days annually, personal medical and parental leave, up to 10 paid holidays, and family care benefits. More information regarding benefits and programs may be found here. 

This position may be filled in the following location(s). The listed compensation range reflects the typical pay for this role, though it is rare for new hires to receive an offer at the top of the range. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, skills, market conditions, and internal equity. 

Illinois compensation range: $154,870 to $246,600 annually 

Washington state compensation range: $154,790 to $246,480 annually