Women's Initiatives Specialist

The Diversity & Inclusion Team of Arnold & Porter has an opening for a Women’s Initiatives Specialist.  This position may be located in the DC or New York office.  The Women’s Initiatives Specialist has firm-wide responsibility to advance the firm’s overarching diversity & inclusion strategy through support of the Global Women’s Committee, local office representatives, and women’s affinity groups. This role is primarily responsible for assisting the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer (CDIO) in implementing all aspects of the firm’s women’s initiatives, as well as working with other members of the D&I team to support the firm’s broader diversity and inclusion efforts. The Women’s Initiatives Specialist will contribute to firm-wide initiatives and special projects, as needed, to advance recruiting, retention, development, and promotion efforts for female lawyers and administrative professionals.

The Women’s Initiatives Specialist is responsible for working with the CDIO to collaborate across various departments including, but not limited to Human Resources, Marketing, Talent Development and the firm’s practice groups to implement initiatives and projects designed to attract, develop and retain top talent from diverse backgrounds and experiences/perspectives, to implement training curriculum, programs, and events, and foster relationships with target organizations.  The Women’s Initiatives Specialist embraces the work of diversity and inclusion and recognizes its value as an organizational practice. Please submit a cover letter, resume and a brief writing sample for consideration. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Cultivating and implementing initiatives focused on the recruitment, development, and retention of women consistent with the firm’s overall goals and strategy.
• Serving as gender diversity subject matter expert; staying abreast of market trends and innovations and recommending and implementing programs and policies to further Arnold & Porter’s gender equity and parity goals.
• Evaluating internal metrics and industry benchmarks related to pipeline of women professionals (attorneys and administrative professionals) and creating reports and presentations as necessary in support of the firm’s goals to retain and promote women.
• Providing logistical support for networking events and programs specific to the Women’s Initiative agenda, internally and externally.
• Developing programs and resources specific to underrepresented female lawyer populations, including but not limited to women of color, LGBTQ women, and first-generation professionals.
• Identifying external programs that would be of interest for female professionals including business and career development training, professional skills, networking and similar topics.
• Attending and representing the firm at internal women’s programs, conferences, trainings and client events that are often held after normal work hours.
• Collaborating with stakeholders, particularly in the Human Resources, Talent, and Marketing departments, to create programs to increase the pool of women in the recruitment pipeline.
• Assisting with internal and external communications about women’s initiatives, including the website, intranet, newsletters and recruiting materials.
• Participating and supporting the affinity groups and relevant programming, activities, and collaborations with the Global Women’s Committee and/or local committees.
• Working with the CDIO and D&I Data Analyst to maintain current statistics pertaining to gender diversity and respond to RFP’s and industry surveys.
• Assisting with outside organization partnerships to support strategic alliances that enhance the firm’s gender programs.
• Supporting overall diversity and inclusion firm-wide efforts, including D&I programming, affinity groups, D&I Committee, and D&I Associate Advisory Board initiatives, and any other activities supported by the D&I team,
• Monitoring news for relevant articles; maintaining clip database; and working with CDIO and Global Women’s Co-Chairs to facilitate the dissemination of appropriate notices within the firm or on firm’s intranet site
• Assisting with Legal Recruiting and Professional Development related functions on a limited, as-needed, basis.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; Master’s degree or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience supporting and implementing innovative D&I initiatives in a law firm or professional services organization.
• Experience and/or familiarity with gender equity and parity practices in the legal profession and/or corporate organizations, highly desirable.
• Prior experience in professional development, marketing, legal recruiting or related area highly desirable.
• High proficiency in Windows operating systems and Microsoft Office Suite and/or related software; proficiency in viDesktop and HTML coding are preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the diversity and inclusion industry and theories of intersectionality as they pertain to women’s initiatives.
• Highly developed project management skills and experience with event planning.
• Exceptional flexibility and ability to be a strong team player.
• Excellent collaboration and organizational skills, with the ability to work well under pressure in a dynamic environment, with proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple priorities and organize complex information, and implement solutions as needed.
• Able to effectively work both independently and collaboratively with professionals at all levels.
• Strong judgment and ability to respect, protect, and maintain highly confidential and sensitive information.
• Must be team oriented, contributing as needed on unexpected projects or requests.
• Exceptionally strong attention to detail, professional presence and strong interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Flexibility to work additional hours, as necessary.

Arnold & Porter is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), age, marital or partnership status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family leave status, citizenship status, immigration status, ancestry, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. Our firm's equal opportunity policy applies to all employment practices and terms and conditions, including, without limitation, recruitment, employment, assignment, training, compensation, benefits, promotions, disciplinary action and terminations. To achieve our goal of equal opportunity, Arnold & Porter maintains an affirmative action plan through which it makes good faith efforts to recruit, hire and advance in employment qualified minorities, females, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. If you would like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please click EEO is the LAW and the Supplement poster.

Arnold & Porter is an EO Employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.