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Lincoln Electric is the world leader in the engineering, design, and manufacturing of advanced arc welding solutions, automated joining, assembly and cutting systems, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment, and has a leading global position in brazing and soldering alloys. Lincoln is recognized as the Welding Expert™ for its leading materials science, software development, automation engineering, and application expertise, which advance customers' fabrication capabilities to help them build a better world. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Lincoln Electric is a $3.8B publicly traded company (NASDAQ:LECO) with over 11,000 employees around the world, with operations in over 71 manufacturing locations in 20 countries.

Location: Euclid - 22801 - Cleveland , OH , United States (US)

Employment Status: Salary Full-Time

Function: Legal

PURPOSE: T he Legal Operations Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Legal Department. Facilitating and overseeing projects for the global Legal Department, this position coordinates activities such as developing the annual operating plan and department budgets, legal spend analysis and reporting, understanding and review of technology needs, assisting with project management across regions, as well as other similar activities as assigned by the General Counsel and Associate General Counsel, Corporate. This role will assist the Associate General Counsel on SEC filings (including 10-Ks, 10-Qs, 8-Ks, and the proxy statement), NASDAQ compliance and M &A transactions, including integration matters. This role will also support dealings with the Board of Directors, including preparing materials for the Board and its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, general corporate governance matters and other support for Board matters. The candidate selected for this role will offer a deep understanding of the legal function and expertise in the implementation of policies, processes and technologies to increase value of the Legal Department while fostering a connected team culture. In addition, this position will assume responsibility for facilitating law firm and third-party vendor negotiations, developing pricing strategies, coordinating RFPs (Request for Proposals), tracking and coordinating outside counsel fee arrangements and driving other cost control initiatives. The Legal Operations Director will work with attorneys in the department and the IT team to oversee the design and implementation of digital solutions for the department, will prepare reports and analysis on legal budgeting and key performance indicators and provide operational support to the Legal Department. Position based in Cleveland, Ohio; hybrid position (with some weekly remote work available). Reports directly to the Associate General Counsel, Corporate.

Job Description (duties And Responsibilities)

• Spearheads the development of the department’s short-term and long-term strategic plans, goals and objectives; applying creativity and innovation to develop cutting-edge strategies for developing efficient, cost-effective, high quality service to the legal department’s clients.
• Leads digitization initiatives for the department, including e-billing, contract management, etc.
• Assists with project management for the department.
• Establishes metrics and benchmarks for tracking and reporting on progress against plans, goals and objectives. Drives, tracks and reports on other department initiatives as determined by the General Counsel.
• Assists with management of the Legal department’s budget, spend and forecasting processes. Creates and develops monthly and quarterly business metrics and provides operational analysis through reports and dashboards.
• Assists with special projects as needed, including driving and planning strategic Legal Department meetings related to role.
• Key support role for strategic M&A transactions and due diligence reviews, etc.
• Key role in SEC compliance and filings, including 10-Ks, 10-Qs, 8-Ks, annual proxy statement, Section 16 reports and other SEC filings.
• Provide support for dealings with the Board of Directors, including preparation of Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee materials, general corporate governance matters and other support for Board matters. Point person for annual meeting of shareholders planning and on-site support.
• Assumes additional responsibilities as needed or directed in support of the Company’s 2025 Strategy.

Basic Requirements

• Associate or Bachelor Degree and minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in a corporate legal department.
• Proven experience using and implementing (or assisting with implementing) long-term, scalable legal operations programs and processes, including legal technology solutions.
• Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and the ability to interact with business partners and stakeholders at all levels of the corporate structure.
• Self-motivated team player with a proven ability to work independently and prioritize and handle numerous competing demands in a high-volume, fast-paced working environment, frequently under urgent deadlines.
• Ease with working with documents and information in an electronic format, including DocuSign.
• Ability to handle confidential information sensitively and discreetly.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Familiar with SEC filing platforms and software.

Lincoln Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting equal employment opportunity for applicants, without regard to their race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to, lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.