{"id":2527023,"url":"https://alion.io/job/sidley-paralegal-senior-manager","title":"Paralegal Senior Manager","company":{"id":15213,"name":"Sidley","domain":"sidley.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/sidley","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":null},"role":"Legal","role_family":"Legal","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Chicago, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":175000,"max":250000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":250000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-01","last_verified_at":"2026-10-23T10:24:48Z","board_verified":false,"closed_at":null,"days_open":25,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":25},"description":"Under the direction of the Litigation and Practice Support Director, the Chicago office Paralegal Senior Manager is responsible for leading and maintaining a high-performing department that includes Paralegals and Project Assistants supporting approximately 500 lawyers. The Manager oversees performance, productivity, employee relations, and workflow across the department, and works closely with peer managers in other offices to ensure consistent standards firm-wide. This individual leads the annual performance management and compensation process, forecasts staffing needs, directs recruiting efforts, and interprets and applies firm policy.\nDuties and Responsibilities:\nProvide day-to-day leadership and management of the Chicago paralegal and project assistant department, including direct supervision of the paralegal supervisor and oversight of paralegal and project assistant staff.\n\nPartner with paralegal and project assistant managers in other offices to promote consistent policies, standards, and practices firm-wide while addressing the specific needs of the Chicago office.\n\nResearch, develop, and adapt departmental plans and priorities to address resource and operational challenges.\n\nBuild strong relationships with firm lawyers, paralegals, project assistants, firm administration, and fellow managers, establishing a reputation as a key problem solver.\n\nPromote and maintain a unified, collaborative team across practice groups through regular communication and meetings.\n\nPartner with department leadership, practice group heads, and Human Resources to develop staffing strategies that address current and future talent needs.\n\nParticipate in the recruiting, interviewing, and selection of paralegal and project assistant staff.\n\nManage new hire onboarding, integration, and the overall employee experience.\n\nManage the onboarding and training of new Project Assistant classes, as well as the ongoing Project Assistant \"Brown Bag Lunch\" Series.\n\nAssess the department's training and continuing education needs and support firm-wide initiatives that increase paralegal and project assistant efficiency and effectiveness.\n\nManage the performance management and compensation process, including obtaining lawyer feedback, writing annual appraisals, making compensation recommendations, and conducting performance review meetings.\n\nCounsel staff on employee relations issues, resolve conflicts, facilitate performance improvement plans, and coach and develop high performers, including the paralegal supervisor.\n\nMonitor lawyer feedback, staff productivity, and morale to drive high performance; recommend engagement and recognition initiatives to firm leadership.\n\nManage paralegal and project assistant-driven technology programs, including Graphics Support; Trial, Hearing & Arbitration support; and specialty practice applications.\n\nMonitor paralegal and project assistant utilization and productivity by preparing monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports of hours to support workflow coordination and resource allocation.\n\nTrack progress toward billable-hour and utilization targets, and work with firm lawyers, paralegals, and project assistants to balance workloads across the Chicago office.\n\nOversee timekeeping, time-and-attendance records, and related departmental reporting, ensuring compliance with firm policies and wage-and-hour requirements.\n\nPerform other related duties as required and assigned.\n\nEducation and/or Experience:\nRequired:\nBachelor’s degree\n\n10 years experience in professional services or related field\n\n5 years experience managing at least 15 direct/indirect reports\n\nExcellent communication skills, verbal and written\n\nAbility to quickly connect with various levels of stakeholders\n\nAbility to build trust and gain buy-in from firm leadership\n\nPreferred:\nExperience working in the legal industry\n\nExperience with legal services technologies\n\nOther Skills and Abilities:\nThe following will also be required of the successful candidate:\nStrong organizational skills\n\nStrong attention to detail\n\nGood judgment\n\nStrong interpersonal communication skills\n\nStrong analytical and problem solving skills\n\nAble to work harmoniously and effectively with others\n\nAble to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion\n\nAble to work under pressure\n\nAble to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities\n\nThe target salary range for this role is:\n$175,000 - $250,000 if located in Illinois.Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.\nTo perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email  (current employees should contact Human Resources).\nSidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5351,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Legal Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-14T12:24:39Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":69,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":0.9,"p_active":0.846,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":25,"expected_fill_days":40,"reasons":["conf:67","velocity","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":250000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/sidley-paralegal-senior-manager","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/sidley-paralegal-senior-manager.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-26T09:00:58Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":12054,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":15213},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=15213"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fsidley-paralegal-senior-manager"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fsidley-paralegal-senior-manager"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fsidley-paralegal-senior-manager"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/sidley-paralegal-senior-manager\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fsidley-paralegal-senior-manager"}]}