Records Manager

We are seeking an experienced, technically adept, and problem-solving oriented Records Manager (RM). The RM oversees and leads the records management function for Milbank LLP across all U.S. offices and serves as the subject matter expert for records management best practices and principles for the firm globally. This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate who is interested in helping a team grow professionally and would like to influence a records team future direction, scope of responsibilities, and architect their processes and procedures. The RM will work closely with the attorneys and staff to provide the support and training needed in record creation, retrieval, archiving, disposition, transfers, and all other aspects that may be involved in a records lifecycle. They will work cross functionally with various departments, including the Office of the General Counsel, Operations, IT, and Information Governance, and serve as a champion for all the firm’s information governance and risk management efforts. This position will be on-site 5 days a week.

• Coordinate all major functions of the records department with minimal supervision, including overseeing junior staff work, ensuring accuracy and efficiency, working cross functionally with various business services teams and attorneys.
• Maintain and ensure compliance of records management policies and procedures for the firm and that the staff are helping meet the firm objectives.
• Possess a thorough understanding of records management principles in a global law firm setting and update processes and procedures of the firm regularly to keep with up changing demands.
• Hold regular meetings with records staff across offices and act as the main liaison and point of contact for records management procedures for the firm globally, including being an administrator and system owner for the firm’s records management database.
• Responsible for the records management program overall, including staff, policies, training, communications, technology maintenance and development, and other items that may arise.
• Responsible for the records staff, including recruiting, handling corrective actions, evaluating performance, providing training and development opportunities, coaching and counseling staff.
• Ensure requests received by records team are processed efficiently and accurately by the records staff.
• Manage on-site and off-site components of the Records program, overseeing the processing, classification, and coding of materials within the records database and firm depositories, and conducting regular audits of records created and stored.
• Streamline, and continuously seek to improve, processes for the distribution, retrieval, and storage of records, including onboarding new information technologies into the firm.
• Be comfortable working with data and/or in excel. Should be able to provide supporting data for decisions, suggestions, or when responding to inquiries from firm management related to the data the team is responsible for managing.
• Oversee the enforcement and regularly updating the firm’s records and information management policies and procedures.
• Develop, maintain, and oversee disposition program of physical and electronic files, and ensure records staff is trained on how to review materials to make disposition decisions.
• Facilitate compliant record transfers (either incoming or outgoing) of both electronic and physical material.
• Ensure all aspects of record keeping procedures adhere to relevant firm policy and according to federal, state and local regulations including requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley Act, HIPAA, Privacy, etc. Deliver training to staff as necessary of these items.
• Work alongside the firm’s Information Governance Manager to drive changes needed in working practices and law firm culture to accelerate the adoption of electronic recordkeeping best practices.
• Develop and/or deliver presentations to attorneys, business support, and staff on records management best practices of procedures.
• Assist in developing and maintaining disaster recovery plans to ensure that the firm and our clients have access to necessary information to continue functioning in the event of a major disaster.
• Ensure quality control metrics on daily work performed and measures against goals. Analyze and compile monthly statistical reporting metrics on records team to provide regular updates on performance and meeting demand.
• Must be comfortable interacting over email, phone, and/or zoom and communicating clearly, concisely, and without delay.
• Manage costs associated with information creation, storage, and retrieval. Oversee monthly billing and manage team budget.
• Ensures projects are completed on schedule following established procedures, schedules, and workflow methodologies.
• Build a strong repour and working relationship with staff and end users (customers) of the records team.
• Adapt and be responsive to other needs that may arise over time.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• 2-3 years supervisory experience in records management (or in a similarly structured professional setting.) Law firm or legal department experience a plus.
• Strong understanding of RIM principles (or equivalent) and how to apply them in a law firm/professional and regulated setting.
• Excellent customer service, professional attitude, and ability to work in person in the NY office every day is required.
• Strong communication, written & managerial skills are critical to the job.
• Must possess strong research and analytical capabilities. Should be able to work with large data sets without error.
• Proficiency in working in a records management systems/databases (ex: FileTrail, LegalTrax/Interwoven, LegalKey, AccuTrac, etc.) Comfortable being the system owner of such a database.
• Experience writing records management policies a plus. Must be comfortable translating records policy into procedural documentation for staff.