Principal Research Specialist - USA in London

This role is an exciting opportunity for development and specialization, offering the chance to take responsibility and oversight across the broad range of research sections in the USA guide. The PRS will be responsible for several sections essential to maintaining coverage of key prestige areas in the USA guide, including the sophisticated Capital Markets, Securities Regulation and Financial Services Regulation sections. The PRS must become familiar with the interaction between Fortune 500 companies, government entities such as the SEC and CFTC, and the lawyers and firms in our rankings. The PRS will also need to stay on top of the legal, political and economic trends that might influence our rankings and overall coverage in these areas.

The PRS will also be expected to take on core-section responsibilities that affect issuers in transactional, commercial and regulatory fields. This responsibility may range across a variety of targeted areas as needs change, supporting the team as a whole to ensure our coverage is complete. The PRS will work with the other senior members of the US team to drive the fulfilment of strategic objectives for the team and the Research department. The successful candidate will be a full member of the senior USA team working with the US Research Managers and Principal Research Specialists to set targets for researchers, assess ongoing research and edit copy.

The PRS will work with RMs to offer feedback on Researcher performance and understanding of their areas. In addition to ranking editor responsibilities, the PRS will further disseminate their specialist knowledge to the wider research team through the creation and delivery of training materials and presentations. There will be further opportunity to write website copy and other freeform pieces beyond Chambers editorial. The PRS will also serve as an external point of contact for law firms across these specialist areas, addressing queries, engaging with senior firm leadership, and staying on top of developments and trends in the field. The role affords the opportunity to engage in the highest level of research, and working with colleagues to drive innovation, set strategy and influence the overall direction of the US project.

As part of the external outreach and market evaluation asked of the Principal Research Specialist – a key facet of the role will be engaging with the smaller plaintiff, boutique and specialist firms common to the legal landscape. We welcome applications from all parts of the business.

• Conduct research at the highest level of your area of expertise in the assigned jurisdictions, having overall responsibility for the quality of research, rankings and editorial in your specialist areas as directed.
• Work autonomously to develop your in-depth market research knowledge, sharing this knowledge across the team.
• Assess the Chambers coverage, suggesting additions, amendments and removal of sections.
• Work with D&I and research teams to implement D&I initiatives.
• Keep up to date with the development of the area of practice of your expertise across the work with focus on the assigned jurisdiction.
• Work within deadlines and balance the responsibilities of this multi-faced role.
• Interview key players in the relevant legal practice area to gather information about law firms' strategies and plans.
• Assess the quality of the research and editorial of researchers regarding your area of expertise, identifying areas of improvement and providing feedback to Research Directors.
• Influence and persuade all who conduct research within their specialized area, using data and analytics to identify growth opportunities.

• Regularly communicate with the Research Directors and researchers the latest updates, developments and trends in the market.
• Coach core researchers in the areas of your specialism, providing guidance, information regarding best practice.
• Collaborate with Learning and Development in the planning and delivery of training to researchers concerning your area of expertise.
• Run internal seminars and knowledge sharing sessions for your specialism.
• Liaise with Events, Marketing, Sales, Technology and senior leadership (when necessary) to drive the commercial growth, research participation and market penetration of our products.

• Share knowledge with the external market via webinars and articles for our website.
• Support the commercial team by providing updates on new research areas and benefits, passing on sales leads etc.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness as to where and how we can monetise our products better, with the support and corresponding recognition of other relevant business functions.
• Work closely with the Product Team on the continuing evolution of Chambers products.
• Act as an ambassador and internal/external reference point for your area of specialism.

• Demonstrate the aspiration to be the globally recognised market leader in your practice area.
• Commitment to commercial/business objectives of the USA guide, North America team and Research Department.
• Extensive experience in conducting research of the highest quality.
• Thorough understanding of relevant legal practice areas.
• Strong understanding of different jurisdictions.

• Demonstrated history of taking on responsibilities above and beyond the current level.
• Demonstrated history of hitting research targets and driving expansion.
• Intellectually curious and willing to break new ground in research topics.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong attention to detail.
• The ability to work effectively across teams and with all levels of the organisation.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to work under pressure.

We are committed to fostering and promoting an inclusive professional environment for all of our employees, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Diversity and inclusion are integral values of Chambers and Partners and are key in our culture. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. This commitment applies across all of our employment policies and practices, from recruiting and hiring to training and career development. We support our employees through our internal INSPIRE committee with Executive Sponsors, Chairs and Ambassadors throughout the business promoting knowledge and effecting change. As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview.