Assistant Director: Technology Services (EMEA & Asia)

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.

We are a collegial and collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realise their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Technology department in our London office.

Position Summary:

The Assistant Director: Technology Services will work closely with the business and legal practices in EMEA and Asia to establish effective and lasting partnerships. This position requires a thorough understanding of stakeholder requirements, the ability to communicate the value of IT services, and the responsibility to align IT initiatives with the Firm’s strategic goals.

The role supports oversight of daily IT operations, focusing on maximizing availability, performance, and user satisfaction in coordination with the Director: Global Technology Services. The Assistant Director will cultivate robust relationships with local office leadership, promote a client-focused approach, and ensure that US operations contribute to and benefit from the Firm’s global standards and initiatives.

The Assistant Director: Technology Services will support the Director: Global Technology Services in delivering exceptional IT services, driving consistency, efficiencies, operational excellence, and continual service improvement across the Firm. This position is a key proactive point of contact for lawyers and business services staff with regard to current and future technology opportunities, including the responsible adoption of Gen AI capabilities that enhance productivity, improve service delivery, and support the Firm’s broader technology strategy. This position is also a primary point of contact for office Directors of Administration within the region to address IT questions and concerns.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Director: Global Technology Services to define services and agree on meaningful service levels with the business, including service level expectations, key performance indicators, and customer experience measures.
• Support managers by providing leadership and guidance in alignment with the Global Director’s strategic direction for planning, designing, developing, and implementing technology projects.
• Engage with stakeholders to capture and reflect the Voice of the Client in IT service delivery, including feedback mechanisms such as workshops, pilots, and surveys.
• Coordinate and support the execution of IT projects, process improvements, and change initiatives aligned with global IT strategy.
• Oversee day-to-day IT support operations to uphold service standards, performance, security, and user satisfaction in alignment with the Global Director’s strategic objectives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with office leadership, practice groups, and business units in EMEA and Asia to ensure IT services meet evolving business needs.
• Support and promote adoption of firm-approved technologies, including AI-enabled tools and automation capabilities, to improve service efficiency and user productivity.
• Supervise and develop IT support teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Support the Global Director in promoting cost-effective operation and maintenance of information systems, business processes, and project delivery.
• Support the effective operation of the service support desk following global standards by monitoring issue resolution, trend data, and adherence to SLAs and KPIs.
• Monitor and report on service performance metrics, user satisfaction, adoption trends, and budget utilization; identify issues and recommend process improvements.
• Assist in asset and configuration management for offices in EMEA and Asia, ensuring alignment with global standards.
• Support the implementation, adoption, and optimization of ServiceNow as a key platform for IT service management.
• Participate in major incident coordination and ensure post-incident reviews are completed, and improvement actions are tracked.
• Participate in vendor management and contract negotiations for EMEA and Asia IT services, monitoring vendor performance against service expectations and business outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with Firm policies, security standards, governance requirements, and specific regulatory obligations.
• Prepare dashboards aligned with global standards, executive-ready updates, and regular reporting on service levels, KPIs, operational health, and improvement opportunities for the Director: Global Technology Services.
• Travel to offices as needed to meet with lawyers, administrators, business leadership, and local IT teams to better understand service needs, adoption opportunities, and operational challenges.
• Collaborate with peers and global counterparts to enhance IT services, improve utilization, eliminate non-value-added activities, and standardize service delivery where appropriate.

The Firm may modify and amend this job description at any time at its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment.

Qualifications, Experience and Personal Attributes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Management or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience considered.
• Demonstrated progressive IT experience, with a strong track record in leadership or senior roles.
• Experience in a legal or other professional services environment strongly preferred.
• Strong experience in IT operations, service delivery, stakeholder engagement, and business alignment.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain strong long-term relationships and to interact professionally with a diverse group of executives, managers, lawyers, business staff, and subject matter experts.
• Experience developing or improving policies, procedures, documentation, and service frameworks that support an effective IT function.
• Proven change management skills and experience leading operational or organizational improvements.
• Ability to work on own initiative and without close supervision in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience managing IT operations, projects, support teams, and service delivery performance.
• Familiarity with IT service management tools and best practices, including ServiceNow, Agile/DevOps methodologies, and project portfolio management.
• Understanding of AI-enabled workplace technologies and automation opportunities that can improve service efficiency and user productivity.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to interpret service data and recommend practical improvements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate effectively and professionally with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors.
• Ability to work in a diverse team environment and effectively support the demanding needs of the Firm.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while managing shifting priorities.
• Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative and independent judgment.
• Strong customer service skills, able to anticipate needs and deliver practical, business-aligned solutions.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to oversee multiple projects.
• Analytical and data-driven mindset with the ability to use metrics, trends, and feedback to drive service improvement.
• A strong appreciation of value achieved through astute financial management, including budget planning, operational expense awareness, and cost-effective decision-making.
• A high level of discretion in preserving the confidentiality of sensitive information.
• The ability to be proactive and creative in identifying and solving problems and issues.
• Exercise solid strategic thinking and problem-solving skills while balancing operational needs and longer-term objectives.
• Resilient and able to handle setbacks; adaptable in a changing technology and business environment.
• Possesses self and team awareness and can leverage that awareness effectively to drive results.
• Ability to act as a role model for other members of the department regarding leadership, work ethic, self-improvement, and career development; able to mentor and guide staff toward a continuous improvement mentality.
• Willingness to challenge the status quo and advance innovation where it improves service delivery or business value.

Management Accountabilities:

• Provide direct and indirect leadership to IT support teams in EMEA and Asia.
• Manage processes for direct reports on performance appraisals, annual goals, development planning, and performance counseling.
• Leadership and supervisory experience, including coaching, mentoring, and building team capability.
• Participate in operational budget analysis and recommendations, with attention to cost-effectiveness and service impact.
• Conduct analysis of staffing levels and participate in the recruitment process as needed.
• Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies and service quality.
• Process and service-oriented with strong leadership, delegation, and project management skills.
• Able to set priorities, balance workload, and delegate in an efficient manner.

At Mayer Brown, we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment that offers our people the opportunity and support they need to succeed. Our culture promotes mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation and productivity among people from all backgrounds and values different perspectives and ideas. One of our core values at Mayer Brown is to promote inclusion at all levels within the business which is actively supported by our Employee Resource Groups - LGBTQI+, Fusion (Race & Ethnicity), Multi-faith, Women, Enable (Disability), Social Inclusion and Opportunities Network and Work and Me (Family). We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that individuals may require throughout the recruitment process and once they have joined the Firm.