Legal Operations Sr. Manager/Associate Director

Overview

A rapidly growing biopharmaceutical organization is seeking a Sr. Manager/Associate Director of Legal Operations to support the scaling of its Legal and Compliance function. This role focuses on building and managing the legal technology stack, aligning processes, governance, and technology to enable efficient legal operations. The position combines project and program management with technical expertise to implement and optimize legal technology tools, including contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms and AI-enabled workflows.

Responsibilities

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)

• Serve as the primary administrator and subject-matter expert for the CLM system, managing workflow configuration, template management, metadata governance, routing logic, user permissions, and repository integrity.
• Support end-to-end implementation of the contract management tool, including system testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), deployment, and post-go-live support.
• Manage implementation timelines, milestones, and budgets.
• Monitor product roadmaps, evaluate new features, and recommend adoption to the CLM Steering Committee.
• Analyze contracting data and usage patterns to identify inefficiencies and recommend workflow improvements.
• Partner with attorneys and stakeholders to translate business requirements into functional workflows.
• Track and report on CLM performance metrics such as cycle times, self-service rates, routing accuracy, and adoption trends.
• Maintain data integrity and governance standards across the contract repository.
• Support integrations with CRM, ERP, procurement, e-signature, and document management platforms.
• Act as the first point of contact for business users regarding contract workflows and system inquiries.

Legal Technology

• Administer all legal technology tools, including evaluation, implementation, and maintenance in coordination with the Head of Legal & Compliance Operations.
• Provide input on the legal technology roadmap based on operational priorities and enterprise systems.
• Coordinate with IT, Procurement, and external vendors on tool integrations, license management, and system configurations.
• Build and maintain dashboards and reporting mechanisms to provide operational insights to legal leadership.
• Lead end-to-end implementations of legal technology platforms.

AI Tool Configuration & Automation

• Lead training programs to optimize AI tool adoption within the Legal team.
• Implement AI-assisted workflows to automate routine legal tasks such as contract review support, intake triage, document generation, and knowledge retrieval.
• Serve as an internal expert on responsible AI adoption, ensuring governance standards, use-case guardrails, and evaluation frameworks are followed.
• Collaborate with leadership to identify automation opportunities and translate them into measurable workflow improvements.
• Stay current on legal AI developments and recommend relevant tools and capabilities.

Legal Operations & Process Infrastructure

• Design, implement, and maintain scalable legal operations processes including intake workflows, legal request triage, template libraries, playbooks, and knowledge management systems.
• Develop enablement materials such as training guides, workflow documentation, and self-service resources to improve adoption and reduce attorney operational queries.
• Identify process gaps and implement scalable, repeatable solutions.
• Manage the full lifecycle of external legal technology vendors, including assessment, onboarding, relationship management, and performance evaluation.

Requirements

• Strong project and program management experience combined with legal operations expertise.
• Proven ability to transform manual processes into scalable systems.
• Experience leading change management initiatives to drive adoption of new tools and workflows.
• Technical aptitude to configure, administer, and troubleshoot legal technology platforms.
• Ability to translate business requirements into functional workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms.
• Familiarity with AI tools and automation in legal operations.
• Strong communication skills to engage stakeholders and legal teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $164,000 to $210,000 USD (California-based candidates; may vary by location and experience).
• Market-competitive base pay with annual performance bonus and company equity.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).
• Pre-tax commuter benefits.
• Referral bonuses.
• Subsidized lunch and parking on in-office days.
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees and dependents.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contributions and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Fertility and family-forming benefits.
• Expanded mental health support including therapy and coaching.
• Hybrid work model with flexible schedules.
• Flexible paid time off and company-paid holidays.
• Comprehensive paid medical and parental leave.
• Opportunities for skill development, career pathing, and internal mobility.
• Access to professional development programs and coaching.

Location

California, USA (salary range specified for California-based candidates). The organization is a multi-state employer and compensation may vary for other locations.