Records Manager

Job description

This exempt management position is responsible for the day-to-day operation and continuous improvement of the Firm’s records management program and for the supervision and development of Records Department personnel across assigned offices. The Records Manager implements Firm information governance and records policies, procedures, retention requirements, legal holds, client file transfer protocols, and related controls governing physical and electronic client and business records throughout the information lifecycle. Working under the direction of the Director of Conflicts and Records, the Records Manager partners with attorneys and business professionals, Office Administration, Information Technology, Information Security, the Office of the General Counsel, Finance, Human Resources, and other stakeholders to deliver consistent, secure, efficient, and client-focused records services. The position is both an operational manager and a subject-matter resource, with responsibility for translating Firm policy into practical processes, quality controls, training, metrics, and technology-enabled workflows. Essential Duties Supervise and Develop Records Department Staff Manage, coach, train, and evaluate Records Department personnel in assigned offices and functions; establish clear performance expectations and promote consistent service standards. Ensure day-to-day records functions are appropriately staffed, prioritized, and completed accurately and within established service levels and deadlines. Coordinate staffing and resources for large projects requiring multi-office or cross-department participation, including file transfers, retention and disposition initiatives, office moves, lateral attorney transitions, and data remediation projects. Develop onboarding, cross-training, procedural guidance, and continuing development for Records Department personnel; maintain appropriate backup coverage for critical functions. Conduct regular individual and team meetings, address performance or workflow issues promptly, and partner with Human Resources as appropriate on employee development and performance management. Manage schedules, timekeeping approvals, workload allocation, and other administrative responsibilities for subordinate personnel. Records Operations and Information Lifecycle Management Oversee the creation, classification, indexing, retrieval, circulation, storage, transfer, archival, retention, and disposition of physical and electronic client and Firm records. Maintain operational controls that support accurate matter/file identification, ownership, location, status, and disposition, including quality assurance reviews and periodic audits. Oversee client file transfers and matter mobility activities for incoming and departing lawyers and clients, including physical and electronic records, in accordance with Firm procedures, client instructions, ethical obligations, and approved transfer protocols. Administer records retention and defensible disposition processes, including review cycles, attorney/client approvals where required, destruction documentation, and coordination with off-site storage and secure destruction vendors. Support implementation and administration of legal holds and preservation requirements affecting records under the department’s control; ensure held information is excluded from routine disposition until authorized release. Coordinate physical records operations, including file rooms, off-site inventories, box management, scanning/digitization, secure destruction, and space reduction initiatives. Promote appropriate electronic filing and matter-close practices and work with attorneys and business professionals to improve completeness and reliability of the Firm’s official records. Policy, Procedure, Compliance, and Risk Assist the Director of Conflicts and Records in drafting, maintaining, and implementing records management and information governance policies, standards, retention schedules, and procedures, subject to applicable Firm approval processes. Translate policy requirements into documented operating procedures, controls, checklists, and workflows that can be consistently followed across offices and practice groups. Monitor compliance with records policies, retention schedules, legal holds, client requirements, confidentiality obligations, and applicable legal or regulatory requirements; escalate material exceptions or risks to the Director of Conflicts and Records and other appropriate Firm stakeholders. Provide guidance and training to attorneys and business professionals regarding records responsibilities, matter file maintenance, retention and disposition, file transfers, and approved information repositories. Support information governance, privacy, information security, eDiscovery, business continuity, and related risk initiatives where records management expertise or operational support is required. Maintain appropriate documentation and audit trails for records disposition, transfers, holds, approvals, and other material records-management actions. Records Systems, Data Quality, and Technology Serve as the operational owner and subject-matter resource for the Firm’s records management system and related records technologies; ensure systems and workflows support Firm policy and operational requirements. Maintain and audit records metadata, classifications, locations, retention attributes, and related system information; identify and remediate data-quality issues. Partner with Information Technology and other system owners regarding integrations among records management, document management, new-business intake, financial, collaboration, and other Firm systems. Define business requirements, participate in testing, and support implementation of system upgrades, migrations, enhancements, automation, and new records or information governance technologies. Develop and maintain operational metrics, dashboards, exception reports, and management reporting to measure workload, service levels, inventory, retention/disposition progress, data quality, and vendor performance. Remain current on developments in legal records management, electronic records, information governance, and relevant technologies; recommend practical improvements consistent with Firm strategy and risk requirements. Vendor, Budget, and Project Management Manage day-to-day relationships with records storage, secure destruction, scanning, imaging, equipment, and other records-related vendors; monitor service quality, security, contractual obligations, and issue resolution. In coordination with the Director of Conflicts and Records, Procurement, Finance, and other stakeholders, support vendor selection, contract renewals, pricing reviews, invoice validation, and expense management. Monitor records-related expenditures against approved budgets and identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary storage, retrieval, handling, and destruction costs without compromising service or compliance. Plan and manage records projects using defined scope, schedules, responsibilities, quality controls, status reporting, and measurable completion criteria. Other Duties Function as a liaison to Information Technology, Information Security, the Office of the General Counsel, Finance, Human Resources, Office Administration, Practice Management, and other departments as necessary. Participate in Firm committees, working groups, audits, client information-governance reviews, and special projects as assigned. Travel periodically to Firm office locations and to professional conferences, workshops, or training programs as required. Provide operational coverage or hands-on assistance when necessary to maintain service levels or complete time-sensitive projects. Perform related duties and responsibilities as assigned. The responsibilities described above are not intended to constitute an exhaustive list of all duties required for the position. Reporting Relationship The Records Manager reports directly to the Director of Conflicts and Records. Subordinate Staff: Records Clerks/Specialists, Senior Records personnel, Regional or Office Records Leads, File Transfer/Mobility personnel, Records Retention/Disposition personnel, and other Records Department staff as assigned. Qualifications Knowledge/Experience Three (3) or more years of progressively responsible records management or information governance experience, preferably in a large law firm or other complex professional-services environment. At least two (2) years of direct personnel supervision, team leadership, or comparable management experience, including coaching, workload management, and performance development. Thorough working knowledge of the records and information lifecycle, including physical and electronic records, retention schedules, defensible disposition, legal holds, client file transfers, lawyer mobility, confidentiality, and records-related risk controls. Demonstrated experience with enterprise records management systems and document management systems. Experience with platforms commonly used in large law firms, such as NetDocuments and integrated records-management technologies, is strongly preferred. Experience managing multi-office projects, vendors, operational budgets or expenses, metrics, and process-improvement initiatives. Working knowledge of information governance, data privacy, information security, eDiscovery/preservation, and professional-responsibility considerations as they relate to law-firm records is preferred. Skills and Competencies Strong people-management, resource-management, organizational, and project-management skills, with the ability to establish priorities and manage competing deadlines across multiple offices. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify operational risk, investigate data or process issues, exercise sound judgment, and implement sustainable corrective action. Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to explain records and information governance requirements clearly to attorneys, senior leadership, business professionals, vendors, and Records Department personnel. Strong service orientation and interpersonal skills, with the judgment and credibility necessary to manage sensitive issues and confidential client and Firm information. High degree of accuracy and attention to detail, particularly in matters involving client information, retention, disposition, transfers, access, and system data. Ability to use reporting and productivity tools effectively and to learn and leverage innovative technology, automation, and data-analysis capabilities to improve records operations. Education Bachelor’s degree in information management, records management, library/information science, business, or a related field is preferred. Substantial directly relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. Professional certification such as Certified Records Manager (CRM), Information Governance Professional (IGP), Certified Information Professional (CIP), or comparable credential is preferred. Physical Demands While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works at a computer and communicates with Firm attorneys, business professionals, vendors, and clients. The position may periodically require movement within file rooms or storage areas; use of carts or step stools/ladders consistent with Firm safety practices; and lifting, moving, or positioning records containers weighing up to approximately thirty (30) pounds, with assistance or material-handling equipment used when appropriate. Working Conditions Professional office environment. This exempt position may require work outside normal business hours or on weekends to support time-sensitive client matters, office moves, attorney transitions, system implementations, retention/disposition projects, or other operational needs. Periodic travel to Firm offices may be required. Work arrangement and in-office expectations are governed by Firm policy and may vary by office and business need. At Haynes and Boone, our people are the driving force behind our success. Because we value the role every individual plays in how we deliver exceptional legal services, we hire people who will contribute to our professional reputation, enhance client relationships and share in our success. Haynes and Boone is one of the largest law firms in Dallas, and it continues to grow. In 2023, Haynes and Boone moved its headquarters to a new 27-story office tower in the Harwood District of uptown Dallas. Lawyers in our Dallas office serve all the firm’s practice and industry areas – including corporate, litigation, banking/finance, insurance law, healthcare law, labor and employment, estate planning, real estate, bankruptcy, intellectual property, white collar crime, and antitrust. Our Dallas lawyers are widely recognized in their practice areas in publications such as The Best Lawyers in America directory (Woodward/White, Inc.) and the Chambers USA legal directory (Chambers & Partners). This office attracts high-energy, technically proficient people who enjoy working in a collegial environment. We are committed to having an inclusive workforce that reflects our communities, and we seek highly motivated lawyers and staff who value our culture of respect and teamwork.