The Disney Legal and Global Affairs Department seeks a Director, Legal Business Operations to lead our external spend management and outside counsel relationships. Reporting to the Vice-President, Legal Operations, this role will partner with the VP of Operations to be the external face of outside counsel relationships, leading an analytical and competitive pricing framework across 500+ firms, and championing a strategic, outside counsel spend management program across top-tier firms. We believe that developing strong and systematic relationships across outside counsel firms will show and provide value with our business goals in mind. Along with successfully managing a spend management program, this role will partner across the rest of Legal Business and Management Operations to drive our external Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals. This role will be part of the Legal Operations management team, which is responsible for delivering operational strategy, efficiency, effectiveness, and business value to the Legal community. The Director, Legal Business Operations will be expected to provide collaborative leadership of initiatives that arise in support of objectives across the department, helping to ensure smooth and optimized operations within the department.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Lead, manage and action strategic process for Outside Counsel & Legal Professional Services (50%)
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Maintain oversight of all outside counsel engaged by Legal and Global Affairs (500+ firms)
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Engage in, and drive, spend conversations across all firms, with a focus on those within our specialized spend management program.
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Support business continuity on how we engage outside counsel and legal professional services
- Improve strategy, while creating processes and workflows, that have aspects and align with outside counsel program goals
- Lead exploration of delivery and service models that provide value
- Understand and support organization’s billing guidelines
- Analyze, administer and manage legal professional services spend
- Collaborate across Sourcing, Procurement and Finance teams
- Cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal services landscape and establish a presence within the larger Legal Operations community to share and obtain best practices
- Collaborate across the rest of Legal Business Operations to analyze and develop strategies for 3rd party counsel engagement, including but not exclusive to contingent workforce
Champion, Execute and Maintain Outside Counsel Partner Program (30%)
* Collaborate with various stakeholders to manage program goals and framework for continuous scaling and sustainment of an Outside Counsel Preferred Partner Program * Develop a clear understanding of how outside counsel supports Disney LGA’s service delivery to the business and update continuously as needed * Maintain an operational model that enhances change management and engagement with outside counsel * Engage in regular interface with partner firms, maintaining open communication * Act as a thought-partner and facilitator for in-house counsel, representing the needs of the business * Manage, maintain and facilitate relationships across our internal Relationship Attorneys, as well as our Lead Matter Attorneys * In partnership with the Director of Operations (Internal Spend and Analytics), work to understand matter spend trends and identify efficiencies across process
- Lead business reviews with partner firms sharing KPIs and creating a feedback loop for fostering continuous improvement
- Track and measure metrics for reporting and goal delivery
- Create executive style summaries utilizing data and industry benchmarks
- Partner with Disney GIS/Privacy to conduct and select for annual review of outside counsel
- Advance reporting and communication cadence for internal and external stakeholders
External DEI Program Management (20%)
* Help create and manage DEI goals for outside counsel * Lead regular analysis exercise ensure progress * Engage with firms on talent development engagement and mentor programs * Follow, read, and dissect DEI industry reporting, such as the NALP, and/or others
- Partner across Disney Legal and Global Affairs, Legal Operations, and Corporate enterprise to develop and communicate DEI programming
- Advancing outside counsel DEI may include planning and hosting events and facilitating meetings, both internally and externally
Here’s what you will need to be successful in this role :
- 10-15 years’ work experience in operational, legal or finance role
- Experience leading and managing people and teams
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, and negotiation skills
- Previous experience managing budgets and analyzing spend
- Ability to synthesize across multiple legal areas of expertise, understanding and balancing priorities
- Able to develop and mentor staff on soft skills in the areas of communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, as well as technical skills like reporting and system research
- Adept at instilling the importance of organizational awareness and the ability to adapt to changes
- Able to communicate clearly and effectively to a diverse array of audiences, including senior executives
- Ability to prioritize and multitask while meeting tight deadlines
- Ability to coordinate and liaise with multiple departments using strong project management skills
- Passionate about transforming business operations using technology with complimentary processes, creating a culture of continuous improvement
- Knowledgeable about Legal concepts and processes
- Curious about data and the ability to analyze programs effectively
- Strong supervisory/management experience, including interviewing, hiring, managing performance, and coaching employees in their career development
- Ability to prioritize large collection of projects and tasks, always keeping business value as the guiding principle
Required Education
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- Preferred experience with Operations, Legal and/or finance and/or Project Management functions
It would be great if you also had these skills/experiences:
- Prior experience in sourcing & procurement
- Prior experience in a Disney department is a plus
- MBA or JD
#legalaffairs #twdcmedia #corp_media
The hiring range for this position in California is $163,500.00 to $219,200.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.
