Director of Information Governance

Sheppard Mullin, a global law firm, currently has an excellent full-time employment opportunity for a Director of Information Governance (DIG). We prefer candidates who can work from our Downtown Los Angeles office, but will consider other candidates who can work from one of our other U.S. offices. Our other U.S. offices are as follows: Century City, Orange County, Downtown San Diego, Del Mar, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, New York, and Washington DC.

We offer competitive compensation and an excellent benefits package. We are seeking a talented and experienced Director of Information Governance to establish and lead our Information Governance Program.

Working under the direction of the CIO and close collaboration with the Office of General Counsel, Information Technology, Records, and Information Security Teams, the Director will design and implement Sheppard Mullin’s Information Governance program. The Director will interact with senior leadership and partner with a wide array of stakeholders to support the program firmwide including various members of the legal team and administrative Department Heads. This position presents an opportunity for the incumbent to conceptualize, design, and build an important and strategic function that is critical to the Firm’s continued success.

• Develop and implement a strategic plan that supports Sheppard Mullin’s Information Governance and data quality information architecture.
• Establish and implement a successful Information Governance Program that enhances compliance with legal, regulatory, financial, and operational recordkeeping requirements. Ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements in relevant jurisdictions.
• Set short, mid, and long term goals and objectives for the Information Governance Program that supports the Firm’s strategic goals and plans.
• Recommend and implement best practices. Establish data policies, standards and processes for the function.
• Prepare reports on data risks, risk mitigation options and compliance activities for senior management.
• Develop strategies and protocols for ensuring the classification, confidentiality, privacy, security, retention, and disposition of Firm information.
• Identify and leverage technology to achieve efficiency.
• Establish metrics for various aspects of the program, monitor progress, and recommend changes that improve the effectiveness of the program, ensuring continuous improvement.
• Provide cohesive business case for adoption of policies and practices to gain firmwide support for the program.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to achieve Information Governance awareness and compliance.
• Participate in projects firmwide that involve information governance.
• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders to maximize support and accomplish established goals.
• Serve as a champion for Information Governance projects by communicating the goals of the program to Stakeholders.
• Participate in client meetings for questions related to data protection.
• Reduce costs and risks of storage costs, e-discovery processing, etc.
• Maintain global record retention schedule. Establish effective protocols for discarding unneeded information.

Essential Functions:

• Collaborate with stakeholders across the firm to assess needs, identify gaps or areas of improvement, and recommend changes and improvements.
• Work with stakeholders to define and analyze business and records processes to improve retention practices and disposition of records and information outside of policies, procedures schedules.
• Communicate awareness of Information Governance services to all staff and assists in one-on-one and group training.
• Support configuration and monitor recordkeeping systems and recommend new technology/processes to enhance systems.
• Serve as Liaison to technical staff for Information Governance tool/application selection and development.
• Develop training programs and serve as a subject matter expert for Information Governance education and awareness.
• Audit existing records practices in active and inactive systems as needed to ensure compliance with policies, standards and schedules.
• Research and recommend new Information Governance approaches, methodologies, policies and procedures to achieve continuous improvement.