Senior Business Process Design Lead

Faegre Drinker is a firm designed for clients and designed for you. We understand that our people are critical to our success and we are committed to investing in our paraprofessional, administrative and operations professionals. We are always looking for talented, service-focused individuals to join our flexible and high-performing culture.

With technology tools and resources that support our hybrid work environment, our colleagues enjoy a culture of learning, support for work and personal goals, opportunities to give back to our communities, and competitive benefits and rewards programs. At Faegre Drinker, you will have the opportunity to share your expertise within and across teams and contribute to our success.

Job Description Summary

Faegre Drinker is seeking a Senior Business Process Design Lead to join our Technology & Innovation department in our Scottsdale, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York City or Washington, D.C. office. This role combines Human Centered Design and Lean Six Sigma to rethink how work gets done across the firm and for our clients through the firm’s Design Lab.

Unlike a typical consulting engagement, you will take ideas from discovery through implementation to measured results, and you will build and lead a small team as the function grows. Candidates from management consulting, particularly operations, transformation, and customer or employee experience practices, are encouraged to apply.

Job Description

What you would do:

• Embed for short stretches with practice groups and operational teams (e.g., Finance, Office Services) to observe how billable and operational work gets done, note the daily decisions people make, and find bottlenecks within departments and across the firm
• Apply Human Centered Design methods, including observation, interviews, and journey mapping, to understand how people actually work before designing solutions
• Facilitate mapping sessions and build current and future state process maps, swim lane diagrams, and service blueprints in real time using Miro or Lucid, so stakeholders leave the session with the deliverable
• Use Lean Six Sigma tools such as SIPOC, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis to remove rework, delays, and unnecessary steps
• Design the future state by laying out the ideal workflow and marking where process change, automation, or AI can remove repetitive manual steps
• Establish baseline metrics, build business cases, and measure results after launch
• Partner with engineering and AI teams to turn future state designs into clear requirements
• Lead client engagements through the firm’s Design Lab, applying the same methods to client problems
• Own the day-to-day delivery of design engagements: planning, coordination, timelines, and meeting the firm’s quality standards
• Document finalized processes through standard operating procedures, RACI charts, and named process owners so improvements hold after go live
• Help hire, build, and mentor a small team of process designers as the function grows
• Special projects and other duties as assigned

What Is Expected

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and diplomacy skills
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a virtual environment (e.g., via phone, web/videoconference)
• Ability to concentrate on tasks, make decisions and work calmly and effectively in a high-pressure, deadline-oriented environment
• Demonstrated ability to use good judgment in taking initiative while asking for direction or clarification and consulting others, as appropriate
• Willingness to be flexible with time and adjust to a changing work environment
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships, both internally and externally, while maintaining a client service orientation in a collaborative environment
• Ability to use sound judgment and discretion in dealing with highly confidential information
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, organize and accurately prioritize work, be detail-oriented, understand when urgency is required and use good judgment in varied situations

What We Offer

• Flexible working environment for work-life success
• Opportunity to participate in firm-sponsored volunteer events
• Wellness programming with personalized content and activities
• Professional environment and the opportunity to work with experts at the top of their fields
• Variety of health plan options, as well as dental, vision and 401(k) plans
• Generous paid time off

The anticipated initial annual salary range for someone who is hired into this position is $160,000 to $183,000.

Actual initial salary may be above or below the above-identified range and will be based on the relevant skills, training, experience, and other job-related factors, including the location where the position is filled, in all cases consistent with applicable law.

This is an exempt role and the initial salary range listed above is just one component of Faegre Drinker’s total compensation and benefits package for professional staff, which includes, but is not limited to, a discretionary bonus; life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.

What Is Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Industrial Engineering, Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related discipline, or equivalent years of professional experience
• At least five years of experience in business process improvement, service design, or operational excellence, gained in management consulting, professional services, or another complex, regulated environment
• Client-facing advisory experience, including facilitating senior stakeholders and presenting recommendations to executives
• Demonstrated experience leading process mapping, discovery sessions, stakeholder workshops, and design sprints
• Expert-level capability in Miro or Lucid (Lucidchart/Lucidspark) to facilitate live workshops and produce process maps and service blueprints in real time
• Working knowledge of Lean Six Sigma frameworks and tools, including DMAIC, SIPOC, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis, whether gained through formal certification or on engagements
• Strong understanding of Human Centered Design, with hands-on experience applying its methods, such as contextual observation, user interviews, journey mapping, ideation, and rapid testing
• Ability to build business cases and measure results using operational data
• Systems thinker who can quickly learn unfamiliar areas of law and business operations and distill complex processes into clear, usable structures
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex research findings into actionable insights and recommendations

What Is Preferred

• Formal Human Centered Design training or a portfolio of HCD work (e.g., IDEO U, LUMA Institute, Stanford d.school, or equivalent consulting firm training)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent firm-issued certification; Black Belt a plus
• Change management certification (e.g., Prosci) or equivalent consulting firm training
• Management consulting experience in an operations, transformation, or experience design practice
• Experience in law firms or other professional services environments

Apply now if you are ready to join the Faegre Drinker team!

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP participates in the federal government's E-Verify program. With all new hires, we provide the Social Security Administration and, when applicable, the US Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspects of employment, including retirement, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.

*Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies:

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath (and any subsidiary) has an internal recruiting department and does not accept unsolicited resumes.*