Job Description

The Director, Strategic Projects (Project Management Office) serves as a strategic leader and trusted partner to Firm leadership, collaborating with Professional Staff department heads across the Firm to develop, oversee, and execute the Firm’s portfolio of projects. Leading a team that includes an Associate Director and a group of Project Managers, this role will help Firm leadership set the agenda, drive end-to-end project delivery, and ensure every initiative is scoped with firm-wide impact in mind. This leader brings execution discipline and strategic judgement, knowing how to navigate the organizational dynamics of a complex, high-stakes professional services environment.

This role demands a combination of capabilities: deep project management expertise at scale; strong business and financial acumen; and the communication and relationship-building skills needed to influence across a firm of sophisticated stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a creative problem solver who anticipates friction before it becomes conflict, leads with clarity, and continuously elevates the quality and credibility of the PMO as a strategic function. Critical Firm-wide projects include the implementation of an HRIS platform, a client relationship management tool, and a staff platform solution.

Role & Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to Firm leadership and various Professional Staff teams including, but not limited to, Technology, Knowledge, Client Development & Engagement, Human Resources, Legal Talent, and Finance, translating Firm-wide priorities into actionable project roadmaps.
• Drive end-to-end lifecycle of 100+ projects annually, ensuring alignment with Firm strategy and operational landscapes across practice groups and business functions.
• Lead and develop a high-performing PMO team and fostering a culture of collaboration, strategic thinking, excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a visible presence across the Firm, navigating organizational complexity and building strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Proactively identify, assess, and resolve project risks, competing priorities, and resource constraints, applying political acumen to keep initiatives on track.
• Own PMO financial oversight, linking resource planning and budget management to project scope, with ongoing monitoring and course-correction as conditions evolve.

• Provide clear, consistent, and executive-ready project communications, synthesizing complex information into concise updates that enable Firm leadership to make confident, informed decisions.

• Champion the adoption of industry best practices across all phases of project execution, including risk management, issue resolution, stakeholder engagement, and quality assurance, elevating the PMO’s credibility as a center of excellence.
• Continuously evaluate portfolio performance through data and analytics, identifying systemic opportunities for improvement and implementing enhancements that drive measurable, Firm-wide outcomes.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification required
• Advanced degree (MBA) preferred

Skills & Experiences

• 10+ years of project management leadership, preferably in the professional services industry with track record of driving complex cross functional projects end to end
• Effective people leader with demonstrated ability to delegate and prioritize work, coach and mentor team members, and drive a culture of performance and accountability
• Strong project management skills and experience with resource management, financial management, project planning and resource allocation; ability to link project execution to organizational priorities

• Strategic mindset with expertise in PMO governance, process improvement, and change management
• Superior problem-solving skills, with conceptual and analytical abilities to anticipate and address challenges
• Proven track record of developing talent and fostering high-performance teams

• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to manage relationships with senior leaders, stakeholders, peers and direct reports across a highly matrixed environment
• Expertise with project management software tools (i.e. Jira, Smartsheet, MS Project), methodologies, and best practices
• Excellent knowledge of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project
• Strong presentation, written, and communication skills
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management abilities

Salary Information

NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $300,000 to $350,000 at the time of posting.

The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. This role is exempt meaning it is not overtime pay eligible.

Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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