IT Senior Project Manager I

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don't just meet the standard for legal excellence - we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 22 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers' commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You'll Do

Are you an experienced project leader who thrives in complex environments and knows how to turn strategy into execution? As a Senior Project Manager I, you'll lead medium to large-scale, cross-functional initiatives from concept through deployment-driving results, managing risk, and ensuring delivery aligns with firmwide goals.

In this role, you'll operate with a high degree of autonomy, making informed decisions, providing strategic direction, and serving as a trusted advisor to business and Information Technology (IT) stakeholders, including senior leadership. You'll apply disciplined project management principles, influence outcomes across diverse teams, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of project management practices across the Firm.

• End-to-End Project Leadership - Lead one or more simultaneous, cross-functional projects from initiation through deployment, ensuring outcomes are delivered on time and within budget.
• Methodology & Governance Execution - Apply the Firm's project management methodology, required deliverables, and checkpoint gates to drive consistent, high-quality execution.
• Stakeholder Partnership - Engage business and IT partners as a peer and trusted advisor, including frequent interaction with senior leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Planning & Work Management - Develop and manage work breakdown structures (WBS), timelines, milestones, and dependencies, tailoring views appropriately for project teams and senior leadership.
• Meeting & Communication Leadership - Lead project meetings, provide timely recaps, and actively manage action items outside of meetings to maintain momentum.
• Risk, Issue & Dependency Management - Proactively identify, track, and mitigate risks, issues, and dependencies; escalate when time, cost, or resources are at risk.
• Resource & Portfolio Management - Coordinate and track resources across projects, escalating constraints as needed and maintaining real-time project data within the project portfolio management system.
• Reporting & Executive Readouts - Prepare and present clear, actionable materials for project status meetings, stakeholder reviews, and steering committees.
• Vendor & Solution Assessments - Lead vendor evaluations, including request for proposal (RFP) development, demonstrations, scoring, selection support, and contract finalization in partnership with business teams.
• Coaching & Enablement - Act as a project management coach for functionally led initiatives, supporting adoption of Project Management Office (PMO) methodologies, templates, and best practices.
• Continuous Improvement - Contribute to the evolution of project management and broader business practices through insights gained from complex delivery efforts.

What You'll Bring

Are you an experienced project leader who thrives in complex environments and knows how to turn strategy into execution? As a Senior Project Manager I, you'll lead medium to large-scale, cross-functional initiatives from concept through deployment-driving results, managing risk, and ensuring delivery aligns with firmwide goals.

In this role, you'll operate with a high degree of autonomy, making informed decisions, providing strategic direction, and serving as a trusted advisor to business and Information Technology (IT) stakeholders, including senior leadership. You'll apply disciplined project management principles, influence outcomes across diverse teams, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of project management practices across the Firm.

What You'll Do

• End-to-End Project Leadership - Lead one or more simultaneous, cross-functional projects from initiation through deployment, ensuring outcomes are delivered on time and within budget.
• Methodology & Governance Execution - Apply the Firm's project management methodology, required deliverables, and checkpoint gates to drive consistent, high-quality execution.
• Stakeholder Partnership - Engage business and IT partners as a peer and trusted advisor, including frequent interaction with senior leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Planning & Work Management - Develop and manage work breakdown structures (WBS), timelines, milestones, and dependencies, tailoring views appropriately for project teams and senior leadership.
• Meeting & Communication Leadership - Lead project meetings, provide timely recaps, and actively manage action items outside of meetings to maintain momentum.
• Risk, Issue & Dependency Management - Proactively identify, track, and mitigate risks, issues, and dependencies; escalate when time, cost, or resources are at risk.
• Resource & Portfolio Management - Coordinate and track resources across projects, escalating constraints as needed and maintaining real-time project data within the project portfolio management system.
• Reporting & Executive Readouts - Prepare and present clear, actionable materials for project status meetings, stakeholder reviews, and steering committees.
• Vendor & Solution Assessments - Lead vendor evaluations, including request for proposal (RFP) development, demonstrations, scoring, selection support, and contract finalization in partnership with business teams.
• Coaching & Enablement - Act as a project management coach for functionally led initiatives, supporting adoption of Project Management Office (PMO) methodologies, templates, and best practices.
• Continuous Improvement - Contribute to the evolution of project management and broader business practices through insights gained from complex delivery efforts.

Compensation

The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in Chicago. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range:

Chicago: $156,000 - $166,000

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

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