Electronic Services Specialist

Overview of the Function

Freshfields US LLP is a major international law firm, providing business law advice of the highest quality. Freshfields’ Library & Information Services (LIS) team is a key part of the firm’s Knowledge function and plays a critical role in ensuring the firm’s lawyers and business services colleagues have access to comprehensive knowledge collections and expert research support. Library & Information Services is responsible for managing our external resources (online and in print), responding to queries, guiding colleagues in their research and knowledge activities, developing our internal knowledge collections, and coordinating research database training. The Electronic Services Librarian reports to the US Head of Library & Information Services.

Role summary / purpose of job

The Electronic Services Librarian manages the selection, licensing, access, and lifecycle of the firm’s legal research databases and digital and print collections across a multi-office environment. This role ensures reliable, secure, and cost-effective access to platforms that support client work and business development, partnering closely with, Knowledge Management, IT, and Procurement. The Electronic Services Librarian leads authentication / integration efforts, optimizes discovery and user experience, and drives training, analytics, and continuous improvement to help maximize the value derived from Library subscriptions.

Freshfields follows a hybrid work policy where employees are expected to be in the office at least three days per week.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

• Coordinate the full electronic resources lifecycle : evaluate, select, procure, license, implement, renew, and cancel resources; oversee trials / pilots, migrations, and rollouts across offices.
• Support vendor and contract management : primary liaison for technical matters; track obligations and key dates; support the US Head of LIS in contract negotiations; maintain documentation; monitor compliance and fair use; coordinate with Library Temp to ensure accurate catalog records for print and online resources.
• Administer authentication and access : partner with IT on IP ranges, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication; configure integrations with intranet; provision / deprovision users; troubleshoot access issues and enforce license terms.
• Budget management : collaborate with leadership and Procurement to forecast and track print and electronic resource spend; inform decisions with usage and cost analyses; support invoice and payment workflows.
• Maintain awareness across law-specific platforms and assist in document retrieval : Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, Practical Law, Wolters Kluwer, Intelligize, Law360; docket / filings tools including PACER, File & ServeXpress, and Courthouse News Service, among others.
• Generate analytics and reports : collect and analyze usage data; prepare reports for leadership; recommend consolidations / alternatives; support cost recovery models where applicable.
• Policy and documentation : maintain policies, procedures, and internal documentation for acquisitions, renewals, and access; document best practices with LIS team members to ensure consistent handling of requests; all with a continuous process improvement mindset.
• Training and onboarding : contribute to the delivery of training for attorneys, paralegals, and staff; create user guides and intranet content; support new-hire onboarding with resource access.
• Cross-functional collaboration : partner with IT, Knowledge Management, Procurement, Risk / Compliance, and Practice Support to align resources with access, security, and privacy requirements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key requirements (Communication / skills / experience)