Records Senior Coordinator

Houston, TX 

A premier, global law firm consistently ranked among the top firms in the world, is currently seeking a Records Senior Coordinator to join their winning team, located in Houston. The success of the firm is largely determined by their commitment to hire and develop the very best and brightest, creating a team that provides their clients with the highest quality of work and service. Driven by their core values: respect, innovation and collaboration.

As a Records Senior Coordinator you will be responsible for coordinating all primary functions of the Records department, including file management (both physical and electronic), file intake, file releases, destruction requests, data access requests, case room management, and records retention.  The Records Senior Coordinator will exercise judgment in ensuring that firm policies and procedures are followed, and understands how ethical and legal obligations impact the storage, organization and transfer of data in a global environment.  The Records Senior Coordinator will advise attorneys, legal professionals and staff about records management best practices, data privacy and security issues, and other risk management issues.  The Records Senior Coordinator will keep abreast of all department operations and will assume maintenance of the department in the absence of a Supervisor or Manager.  The Records Senior Coordinator will also provide training for personnel on a variety of information governance topics, while accomplishing these and other critical functions:

• Coordinating all major functions of the department with minimal supervision; developing plans, organizing files and workflow, and assuming responsibility for the completion of major projects.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance the Information Governance program through a thorough understanding of information management and security principles.
• Consulting firm personnel on the appropriate locations where data should be stored; acting as a resource regarding various information governance questions for staff, attorneys, and other users.
• Coordinating file intake, release, destruction, and data access procedures for the office; ensuring compliance with policies, and ensuring completion of the process.  Responding to questions, and providing instruction and training as needed.
• Following records retention procedures; ascertaining which files are subject to retention; communicating with attorneys and clients regarding the disposition of files; maintaining meticulous records regarding file disposition.
• For all records processes (including records retention, file releases, file intake, file destruction, and data access requests), reviewing and analyzing information (in both physical and electronic format) to determine appropriate handling of the information.
• Organizing boxes, following offsite storage procedures, preparing files both physically and within the records and other databases.
• Overseeing space coordination and the organization and classification of large document collections in the Records Center, case rooms, file cabinets, offsite storage facilities, or wherever records may be found.
• Developing, maintaining, and coordinating appropriate inventory systems to track persons responsible for the files, room usage, file status and location, and other factors related to effective space management and Records oversight.
• Communicating regularly with attorneys and paralegals to ascertain the status of client matters to ensure files are maintained appropriately.
• Assisting with special projects on various issues as needed.
• Promoting effective work practices, works as a team member, and shows respect for co-workers.

As a Records Senior Coordinator, you will be expected to apply your organizational and communication skills while displaying a positive, high-energy attitude. The successful Records Senior Coordinator must have extensive knowledge of records, information governance principles, and retention principles and practices. The Records Senior Coordinator should have a thorough knowledge of the physical and electronic resources of the department and firm, along with the ability to understand and articulate the role of effective space management in the overall administration of the office. The candidate should have knowledge and proficiency in PC applications including Microsoft Office, document management systems such as iManage, and litigation support applications such as Eclipse or Clearwell. Knowledge of recordkeeping systems such as IRM, FileTrail, or LegalKEY is a plus.

The Records Senior Coordinator is the sole Records Management position in the Houston office. As the sole representative in Houston of a larger virtual team, the ideal candidate will be someone who is capable of working independently, but also someone who has strong communication skills, both written and verbal; well developed and professional interpersonal skills to effectively interface with attorneys, management, support staff, and outside contacts; and the ability to work in a team environment with a customer service focus.

A Bachelor’s Degree is required. A JD or Master’s degree in Library Science or other professional degree is preferred. Five (5) years of relevant records experience is desired, preferably at a law firm. Experience in other law firm positions having significant document organizational responsibilities may be considered in lieu of directly related Records experience. Heavy lifting of archive boxes and other materials weighing up to 40 pounds is required. The height of the stacks is usually from five to seven feet and the individual should be able to reach the topmost shelf, with the help of a stool.  Ability to operate a hand truck, and carry and organize file folders is also needed.