What are the responsibilities and job description for the BUSINESS CONTINUITY PROGRAM MANAGER (Available to sit in Indianapolis or Philadelphia) position at Barnes & Thornburg LLP?
Summary
The Business Continuity Program Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing enterprise-wide business continuity and disaster recovery strategies within a law firm environment. This role ensures organizational resilience by identifying risks, conducting business impact analyses, and establishing response plans to minimize operational disruptions. The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally to build a culture of preparedness, facilitate testing and training, and maintain compliance with ISO 22301 standards and other regulatory and industry requirements relevant to the legal industry.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: (i.e., education, years of experience)
Working Conditions
Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Statement
Barnes & Thornburg is committed to equal employment opportunity in both principle and as a matter of policy. We will recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate and provide benefits to all applicants and employees without regard to ancestry, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religion, religious creed, mental and/or physical disability, medical condition, military and/or veteran’s status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all recruiting, hiring, promotions, upgrades, layoffs, compensation, benefits, terminations and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. The firm complies fully with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.
The Business Continuity Program Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing enterprise-wide business continuity and disaster recovery strategies within a law firm environment. This role ensures organizational resilience by identifying risks, conducting business impact analyses, and establishing response plans to minimize operational disruptions. The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally to build a culture of preparedness, facilitate testing and training, and maintain compliance with ISO 22301 standards and other regulatory and industry requirements relevant to the legal industry.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain the business continuity program, including policies, procedures, and frameworks tailored to the needs of a law firm, ensuring alignment with ISO 22301.
- Conduct risk assessments and business impact analyses to identify critical legal processes and dependencies.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to design, implement, and test business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
- Assist with response efforts during business disruptions, ensuring effective incident management and recovery with minimal impact on client services and case deadlines.
- Facilitate training, awareness programs, and simulation exercises to enhance organizational readiness within the legal framework.
- Monitor compliance with ISO 22301, relevant legal industry regulations, standards, and best practices, recommending improvements as needed.
- Work closely with the General Counsel’s Office, IT, Security, Legal Operations, and other departments to align business continuity strategies with the firm's objectives.
- Maintain documentation, reports, and metrics to assess the effectiveness of continuity plans.
- Engage with external partners, vendors, and regulatory bodies to ensure seamless continuity planning for legal services.Additional Responsibilities:
- Perform other duties related to information security as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: (i.e., education, years of experience)
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in IT, Risk Management, Information Security, Business Continuity, or a related discipline, preferably within a law firm or professional services firm.
- Strong knowledge of business continuity frameworks, standards (ISO 22301, NIST, DRII), and regulatory requirements relevant to legal practices.
- Experience conducting business impact analyses and risk assessments
- Excellent project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Business Continuity, Security, or IT certifications such as CISSP, CISA, Security , or similar preferred.
- Strong background in developing and managing policies, procedures, and standards.
- Broad technical expertise in at least one area such as IT infrastructure, systems engineering, networking, or application development.
- Working knowledge of network and security protocols, including TCP/IP, SMTP, FTP, SSH, TLS, SSL, HTTP, IPSec, and other VPN protocols.
- Basic understanding of IT concepts such as networks, systems and databases, as well as foundational cybersecurity principles (e.g. risk management, threat management, vulnerability assessments).
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook) with advanced skills in Excel for data analysis, tracking and reporting.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced and demanding environment and respond to shifting priorities while meeting deadlines.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; must be able to articulate issues and information accurately, clearly and succinctly.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities needed to address complex questions and issues.
- Must have strong organizational skills and be extremely detail-oriented; attention to detail, high-level of accuracy, issue-tracking, follow-up and resolution skills are essential.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion of sensitive information.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
- Familiarity with project management tools (e.g. Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello) preferred.
- Some travel may be required for training, audits, or external engagements.
Working Conditions
- Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other computer components
- Normal office environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust, temperature and the like
Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Statement
Barnes & Thornburg is committed to equal employment opportunity in both principle and as a matter of policy. We will recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate and provide benefits to all applicants and employees without regard to ancestry, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religion, religious creed, mental and/or physical disability, medical condition, military and/or veteran’s status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all recruiting, hiring, promotions, upgrades, layoffs, compensation, benefits, terminations and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. The firm complies fully with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.