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IBM is seeking a highly motivated Legal Data Specialist to support the execution of global eDiscovery and legal data operations related to litigation, investigation, regulatory, and other legal matters. This role serves as the operational expert responsible for data identification, preservation, collection, data readiness, and governance activities across enterprise systems and repositories.

The ideal candidate possesses strong knowledge of enterprise data repositories, cloud collaboration platforms, and legal hold processes. They will partner closely with other business units, such as the records management team, business stakeholders, and external service providers to ensure defensible, timely, and accurate execution of preservation and collection activities. This individual will play a critical role in ensuring data can be efficiently accessed, preserved, and prepared for downstream AI-enabled review and analytics workflows.

As IBM continues to modernize its legal operations, this role will help advance legal operations by maintaining data quality and supporting the implementation of AI-driven eDiscovery capabilities through accurate and consistent data management.

Key Responsibilities

Data Preservation & Collection

• Execute preservation and collection activities across enterprise data sources.
• Identify, preserve, and collect data from Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Slack, cloud-based repositories, structured data platforms, and approved third-party applications.
• Support legal hold implementation, tracking, compliance monitoring, release procedures, and related documentation.
• Conduct quality control reviews of preservation and collection activities to ensure completeness, accuracy, and defensibility.
• Validate chain-of-custody records and maintain comprehensive documentation.
• Troubleshoot preservation and collection issues and coordinate with technical and business stakeholders to remediate.
• Support global data preservation and collection under supervision.

Data Management & Readiness

• Analyze datasets for quality, completeness, consistency, and usability.
• Develop and maintain data inventories, repository profiles, preservation records, collection logs, and other operational documentation.
• Perform data normalization, validation, and preparation activities.
• Support enterprise data mapping and governance initiatives.
• Develop and maintain operational metrics, dashboards, and/or reporting that measure performance, quality, and compliance.
• Conduct root-cause data and process issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Support defensible disposition programs and legal data lifecycle management activities.

AI & Advanced Analytics Enablement

• Prepare, validate, and optimize datasets for AI-assisted review and analytics.
• Support metadata validation, entity extraction, classification, enrichment, and other data quality activities.
• Participate in testing and validating AI-assisted collection and review technologies.
• Contribute to the evaluation of emerging AI and legal data discovery technologies.
• Monitor data quality, metadata integrity, and system performance to maximize the effectiveness of AI-driven workflows.
• Assist in developing best practices for responsible and defensible use of AI within Legal Operations.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Identify opportunities to automate, streamline, and modernize legal data and eDiscovery processes.
• Adhere to and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), playbooks, and workflow documentation.
• Support operational excellence initiatives through data-driven analysis and performance measures.
• Track key operational metrics and recommend optimizations.

Stakeholder Support & Communication

• Build and maintain strong working relationships across legal and business teams.
• Translate technical and legal data concepts into clear and actionable business language.
• Coordinate with external vendors and service providers to ensure successful service delivery and operational outcomes.
• Support the creation of training and knowledge sharing initiatives.
• Collaborate globally while adhering to privacy and cross-border data requirements.

Required Professional and Technical Expertise

Experience

• 3–5 years of eDiscovery, legal technology, information governance, or records management experience.

• Proficiency with Relativity, Reveal, Everlaw, Nuix, or comparable platforms.

• Strong understanding of Microsoft Purview, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Google Vault, Box, Slack, and OneDrive.

• Experience with legal holds, preservation, collections, and chain-of-custody processes.

• Knowledge of metadata, file systems, structured and unstructured data, and EDRM principles.

• Strong analytical, reporting, organizational, and communication skills.

• Experience with metrics, dashboards, process improvement, and workflow modernization.

• Familiarity with AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics concepts.

Preferred Skills

• Microsoft Purview eDiscovery Premium experience.

• ACEDS certification or equivalent.

• Knowledge of GDPR and cross-border privacy requirements.

• Experience with enterprise archiving and information governance programs.

• Familiarity with SQL, data analytics, reporting tools, or scripting.