Director of Data Services

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the firm’s enterprise data strategy and multi-year roadmap, integrating with AI and business intelligence priorities.
• Design and oversee the build of the firm’s enterprise data architecture, creating a unified data layer across financial, document, and CRM systems.
• Lead the selection and implementation of modern data infrastructure, including cloud data warehouses and ETL/ELT orchestration tools.
• Establish and enforce enterprise data standards, taxonomies, and master data management (MDM) programs.
• Build and lead a high-performing organization of professionals across data governance, engineering, and analytics.
• Serve as an executive partner on AI infrastructure, owning the data layer for RAG pipelines, vector databases, and embedding workflows.
• Develop and own the firm’s Data Governance Policy, ensuring compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and legal confidentiality rules.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, architecture, or enterprise data strategy.
• 5+ years in a Director, VP, or executive-level leadership role.
• Proven track record building enterprise data infrastructure from the ground up in complex environments.
• Deep expertise in modern data stacks, including cloud data warehouses (Snowflake, Azure, or equivalent) and BI visualization tools.
• Experience developing and implementing comprehensive data governance frameworks and stewardship programs.
• Experience in professional services, legal, or highly regulated financial services industries.
• Exceptional executive presence with the ability to translate technical complexity into strategic insights for firm leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience at a law firm or legal technology company.
• Familiarity with legal systems such as Aderant, iManage, or Intapp.
• Experience building AI-ready data infrastructure, including vector databases and LLM evaluation architectures.
• Advanced degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Management, or a related quantitative field.
• Professional certifications such as CDMP, TOGAF, or cloud-specific data certifications.

Benefits

• Annual compensation range of $325k – $380k.
• Comprehensive health care and retirement benefits.
• Paid time off, including sick time and vacation.
• Parental leave and basic life insurance.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and discretionary, performance-based bonuses.

About the Company

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes.