Global eDiscovery Senior Manager

IBM

IBM

Posted on Apr 25, 2026
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Introduction

At IBM Legal, Regulatory Affairs & General Counsel, we provide the guidance and oversight that enable IBM to innovate responsibly and operate with integrity. Our teams manage complex legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across the globe. Ensuring trust with clients, partners, and communities. Working in Legal and Regulatory Affairs means tackling diverse challenges, from intellectual property and data privacy to corporate governance and ethical business practices. You’ll collaborate with colleagues worldwide to protect IBM’s interests while supporting growth and innovation. With continuous learning, global exposure, and opportunities to shape the future of technology through law and policy, IBM offers a unique environment to build your career while making a meaningful impact.

Your role and responsibilities

IBM is seeking an experienced and transformative leader to redesign, build, and lead its global eDiscovery program. This is a high impact, strategic role with the opportunity to shape how the Legal Department approaches eDiscovery, litigation, investigations, and the use of data and technology.

The Global eDiscovery Senior Manager will be responsible for:

  • Driving the modernization of IBM’s eDiscovery service delivery model;
  • Overseeing the strategy, operations, technology, and execution of eDiscovery services;
  • Serving as a strategic advisor to internal and external stakeholders.

This role is ideal for a forward-thinking, hands-on leader who thrives at the intersection of law, operations, and technology. The successful candidate will bring both strategic vision and operational excellence to implement and lead an innovative eDiscovery function that can support the evolving needs of IBM’s litigation, investigative, and regulatory portfolio.

The Global eDiscovery Senior Manager will report to the Vice President of Legal Operations.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead the day-to-day operations of the global eDiscovery team across the full eDiscovery lifecycle (from identification, legal hold, preservation, and collection, through processing, hosting, review, production, and matter close);
  • Develop and implement short- and long-term program initiatives to enhance eDiscovery practices and reduce costs;
  • Redesign and implement matter- and program-level metrics, governance and audit controls, and reporting frameworks to oversee and measure performance;
  • Manage eDiscovery budgets, forecasts, and cost-control strategies across internal resources and external eDiscovery service provider and technology spend;
  • Leverage relationships between IBM’s eDiscovery team and internal counsel, outside counsel, IT/CIO teams, and eDiscovery service providers to ensure strong collaboration aligned with standard operating procedures;
  • Discovery Strategy and Case Support;
  • Develop and implement global eDiscovery strategies consistent with applicable laws and industry best practices;
  • Advise IBM teams on practical and defensible case-specific strategies and approaches for legal hold scoping, data preservation, collection, processing, and document review in alignment with guidance from counsel;
  • Serve as subject matter expert on the application of data analytics, TAR/CAL workflows, and AI-driven review methodologies;
  • Codevelop and deliver routine training on eDiscovery obligations, processes, and technology aligned with counsel guidance;
  • Support internal and external counsel with meet-and-confer efforts, ESI protocol negotiation, search and review strategies or production requirements;
  • Participate in matter kick-off planning meetings and consult on timelines and budgets as needed to support case managers;
  • Technology and Vendor Management;
  • Oversee IBM’s eDiscovery technology stack;
  • Continuously pilot, evaluate, and implement new AI-driven workflows and other advanced technologies to drive efficiencies and support continuous innovation;
  • Oversee the relationship with IBM’s eDiscovery service providers, including continuously monitoring performance.

Leaders are expected to spend time with their teams and clients and therefore are generally expected to be in the workplace a minimum of three days a week, subject to business needs.

Leaders are expected to spend time with their teams and clients and therefore are generally expected to be in the workplace a minimum of three days a week, subject to business needs.
Required education
Bachelor's Degree
Preferred education
Doctorate Degree
Required technical and professional expertise
  • 10+ years of relevant eDiscovery experience in-house, at a law firm, consultancy, or at an eDiscovery service provider;
  • Proven track record of transforming and managing a scalable eDiscovery program at a large organization with a sizeable litigation portfolio and regulatory footprint;
  • Prior experience leading an eDiscovery team of case managers, project managers, technical resources, and data specialists;
  • Hands-on proficiency with leading eDiscovery platforms;
  • Experience with modern enterprise productivity and cloud-based data sources;
  • Hands-on experience with TAR/CAL workflows, predictive analytics, conceptual clustering, and emerging AI-driven review tools;
  • Deep understanding of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model, eDiscovery case law and trends, and industry best practices;
  • Knowledge of the market leading eDiscovery technologies and service providers;
  • Demonstrated ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders and collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners (legal, technical, and business);
  • Strong attention to detail and quality control under tight deadlines;
  • Strong project management capabilities, including prioritization, risk tracking, timeline management, and clear executive-level communication.
Preferred technical and professional experience
  • J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar (or eligibility for prompt admission, as applicable);
  • Project management or other eDiscovery accreditations (e.g., PMP, ACEDS, RCA);
  • Familiarity with AI tools and desire to continue to learn AI methodologies;
  • Proven experience overseeing large-scale, complex electronic document reviews and productions;
  • Familiarity with data processing/production specifications and quality-control methodologies;
  • Experience managing vendor relationships, including drafting/negotiating statements of work, managing service levels, and driving continuous improvement and cost savings;
  • Knowledge of cross-border discovery, privacy, and information governance protocols, including practical approaches to data minimization and access controls;
  • Flexibility of schedule with occasional off-hour availability, including as needed to support global and urgent team needs.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Corporate Headquarters (CHQ) team represents a variety of functions such as marketing, finance, legal, operations, HR, and more, all working together to solve some of the world's most complex problems, help our clients achieve success and build collaborative work environments for IBMers.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

- Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

- Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

- Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

- Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

- Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.

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