The IT Learning Specialist, based in the Washington, D.C. office and under the direction of the IT Learning Manager, U.S., shall ensure that lawyers and business team employees receive training in the use of commercial and custom applications software. The IT Learning Specialist’s goal is to ensure that firm personnel not only master necessary software features but can successfully apply them to work situations according to best practices and with the aim of achieving the highest possible levels of personal and team productivity. The successful IT Learning Specialist will view his/her role as a mix of educator, instructor, best practices and productivity coach, skills assessor, and training material designer.
The IT Learning Specialist will have responsibility for ensuring that firm personnel receive comprehensive, effective, and timely training to enable them to productively use the systems and applications that the firm has developed, acquired, or customized. The IT Learning Specialist will also serve as a productivity coach, helping lawyers and business team employees identify and implement best practices for the use of software to fulfill individual or group needs. Furthermore, the IT Learning Specialist will from time to time serve as a 2nd tier support resource to aid customers in finding the best ways to accomplish difficult or complex tasks that are beyond the scope of the firm’s IT Service Delivery team members.
This position has primary training responsibility for all U.S. offices. The IT Learning Specialist will prepare and deliver training to personnel in all of the firm’s offices, either through video conference, other distance learning methods, or by occasional travel.
The IT Learning Specialist will:
- Continuously advance his/her knowledge of and ability to 1) use Microsoft Office and the other software used by the firm; 2) use the software in specific law firm scenarios; 3) improve the application of technology or methods to deliver training in the most effective manner possible.
- Deliver instruction to the firm’s personnel in the use of software applications developed or customized by the firm’s IT department. Instruction will include virtual instructor-led training using Zoom or MS Teams, in-person classroom-based training, deskside training/support/coaching, preparation of reference guides, or creation/modification of slideshows/videos/animations. In most cases, the ability to properly train on custom applications will require the IT Learning Specialist to work with the development team and business process teams to adequately understand how the software supports the business and to incorporate business process information into software instruction.
- Plan, design, develop, and maintain: Class training materials, reference guides, end-user documentation, frequently asked questions guides, online asynchronous and synchronous learning materials, and additional instructional or informative documents as required.
- Assist in developing and maintaining training curricula, course descriptions, class schedules, evaluation criteria, learning paths, and attendance records using the firm’s learning management system.
- Work with the People team and department heads to plan and adapt training to the specific needs of business team professionals.
- Develop strategies to apply software features to specific individual and workgroup challenges to improve the work quality or increase productivity. Promote best practices among various end-user communities through outreach, communication, and direct assistance.
- Conduct floor support exercises involving scheduled presence in customer work areas to provide deskside training and coaching to individual customers.
- When the project phases demand implementation support, assist end users by helping resolve problems that require an advanced skill set
- Assist end users by helping resolve problems that require an advanced skill set (i.e., problems that cannot be handled by the firm’s Service Desk team or the local User Support team).
- Educate other IT personnel to increase their knowledge of the products used at the firm and improve their effectiveness as first or second-level support resources.
- Work on special projects that may require certain expertise in advanced functions of firm standard applications.
- All members of the firm are encouraged to participate in our global Responsible Business program.
- Other duties as assigned.
REQUIRED SKILLS
- Extensive and advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), OneNote, NetDocuments, MS Teams, Microsoft Edge, Windows 11, and SharePoint (from an end-user perspective. Ability to quickly grasp new concepts and applications.
- Experience training end users on commercial software commonly used in large law firms – such as InterAction, Net Documents, Nuance PDF Enterprise, Litera Compare, Scrub or Metadata Assistant, LexisNexis for Microsoft Office, or West km – will be considered a plus.
- Prior use of a learning management system to establish learning paths, administer classes, and track and record attendance is preferred. Experience with Cornerstone is a definite plus.
- Experience creating training videos, animations, or online materials using Adobe Captivate, SnagIt, or Camtasia is preferred. The candidate must be willing and able to create training materials as well as conduct training classes.
- Superior public speaking and personal interaction skills are essential. Must be able to communicate clearly, professionally, and comfortably with lawyers and business team employees alike.
- Must be able to educate and motivate, as well as train. Must be able to relate software features to customers’ work environments, tasks, and objectives in an effective manner that leads to improved quality and productivity.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities; Must be able to work with customers to apply software to specific task needs and to find innovative shortcuts or workarounds for new or complex scenarios.
- Experience creating Word templates and macros will be considered an advantage.
- Organizational abilities and a commitment to continued learning. Solid understanding and proven experience in planning training courses and developing materials tailored to education/training/work objectives; researching best practices; continuously improving presentation abilities and use of technology for training; and developing writing styles and skills.
- Ability to deliver training in Spanish is desired.
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS AND/OR EXPERIENCE
- Four (4)+ years of experience providing computer applications training in a medium-to-large professional services firm.
- Experience working directly with partners and/or lawyers is strongly preferred.
- Microsoft certification for Office 365 at the expert or master level will be considered a significant plus.
- Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
TRAVEL DEMANDS
- Occasional travel to U.S. offices to conduct training can be expected.
- During large-scale software deployments, travel of up to five (5) or more business days may be required.
- Overall travel is generally less than 10% of workdays per year but may exceed that depending on software deployment plans.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Must be able to stand for extended periods in front of classes while conducting training using SmartBoards and whiteboards.
- Floor support requires walking and standing for extended periods in lawyer and assistant work areas.
Core hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with one hour for lunch. Overtime may be necessary on occasion to meet user or project needs.
The annualized salary range for this position is $105,000 to $130,000 depending on the candidate's overall experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full time employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. In addition, full time employees as well as some part time employees, will be eligible for the firm’s fringe benefits as they currently exist.
This job description sets forth the responsibilities of this position and may be changed from time to time as shall be determined.
Hogan Lovells is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, protected Veteran status, or other factors protected by law.
Hogan Lovells complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and candidates with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact our Benefits Department at LeaveofAbsence_US@hoganlovells.com.
