Job description

We are recruiting for a Innovation Executive to join our Finance Innovation team in London.

Finance Practice Group Support - London

This role will be based in the Finance Innovation function, whose aim is to drive efficiency, profitability and business growth by embedding AI, technology and alternative resourcing into the workflows of Finance teams. The function brings together the optimum combination of legal practice expertise, innovation knowledge, and transformation capabilities to deliver on the Firm’s AI strategy, Practice Group strategies and our clients’ priorities.

The Finance Innovation function is led by the Head of Innovation – Finance/ENRI (Energy, Natural Resources & Infrastructure), who holds responsibility for driving the global innovation strategies of Finance groups.

The Innovation Executive – Finance will work with the Head of Innovation – Finance/ENRI to drive innovation across Finance and, in particular, accelerated and systemised AI adoption, efficiency and business growth. The role will support Finance teams to implement their global Practice Group AI plans and, more generally, to access and benefit from A&O Shearman’s AI tools, legal tech tools and other technology solutions, alternative resourcing and other relevant areas of expertise.

What you will do

As part of the team responsible for embedding AI, legal technology and new ways of working into the delivery of Finance matters, the Innovation Executive will:

develop a thorough understanding of each Finance Practice Group (as defined above), including its matter types, growth strategies, client strategies and regional priorities, in order to: (i) identify opportunities for AI-driven innovation; and (ii) resolve pain points and improve the lawyer experience across local markets.
use their understanding of innovation capabilities to inform how different Finance teams might leverage relevant AI tools and other technologies in their working practices, on matter and across client engagements.
leverage data, usage analytics and stakeholder forums to identify needs and opportunities for increased use of AI and technology across Finance teams, and coordinate engagement with relevant innovation, knowledge and specialist teams.
support the development and delivery of the AI adoption plan for each relevant Practice Group and track key objectives and KPIs aligned with firm-wide AI strategy and Practice Group priorities.
support the identification, prioritisation and development of higher-impact AI use cases, focusing on those with clear time, quality or risk-mitigation benefits and strong repeatability across matters, converting experiments into well-documented, reusable solutions for inclusion in the relevant Finance AI Toolkit.
keep Finance teams informed of developments in AI and innovation, and examples of use across the network, through relevant forums, internal communications and regular reporting to senior stakeholders.
design and deliver bite-sized, task-focused training sessions tailored to Practice Group workflows, run workshops and hackathons to identify new use cases, and support the delivery of regional and sub-practice-group engagement sessions.
support in building engagement between innovation teams and Finance fee-earners, including senior stakeholders, Partner and Associate AI Champions, and BD teams, to drive adoption and client-facing AI initiatives.
support the creation, iterative development and adoption of mechanisms needed to enable practice-group-wide AI adoption – including the Finance AI Toolkits, intranet resources, case studies, demonstrations and client-facing materials articulating the value of AI-enabled service delivery.
identify, support and champion pathfinder matters – live matters selected to pilot AI-enhanced workflows – working with the legal and delivery teams to develop processes and solutions that can be rolled out across wider teams and adapted for different practice areas and jurisdictions.
monitor AI adoption across Finance, including usage by office, role and sub-practice group and training attendance, and prepare regular reports and analysis for senior stakeholders.
assist with capturing and communicating the impact of AI adoption on efficiency, profitability and client delivery, collating case studies, metrics and success stories to build confidence and drive further adoption across the network.
assist with client- and industry- facing initiatives and engagement such as training and conferences.

What you will have

Experience using AI and legal technology tools, such as Harvey, Microsoft Copilot, Avvoka or Power Platform, with an understanding of how technology can enhance Finance transactional and advisory workflows.
Proven experience in change management, project delivery or legal process improvement, ideally within an international law firm or professional services environment.
Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to build relationships and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients at all levels.
A proactive and curious mindset, with the ability to spot opportunities for innovation and turn ideas into practical solutions.
Comfortable working with data and analytics, using insights, adoption metrics and impact measures to inform decisions and demonstrate value. Highly organised and detail-focused, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver effectively in an agile, iterative environment.
Adaptable and collaborative, with the ability to work across different practice groups, jurisdictions and time zones as priorities evolve.
An understanding of Finance practice areas and matter types would be advantageous, however we also welcome candidates who can demonstrate a genuine interest and the ability to learn quickly.
Experience or a strong interest in designing and delivering training, workshops, communications or engagement initiatives within a professional environment.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE - A&O Shearman does not accept unsolicited CVs. For further information, please see our UK Recruitment Agency Policy and our commitment to direct sourcing here.

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