Legal Operations Manager

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)•Rockville, MD

21h•$95,000 - $103,000

About The Position

The Legal Operations Manager is responsible for implementing, refining, and promoting adherence to processes and practices to support the day-to-day efficiency and effectiveness of the Legal Team. This role also manages and supports projects and activities across the Legal Team and the organization. The Legal Operations Manager provides front-line service to the rest of the organization and acts as a strategic advisor on all aspects of legal operations, including data analytics, process improvement, contract management, and knowledge management. Reporting to the Assistant General Counsel, this position requires a high level of initiative, resourcefulness, resilience, sound judgment, interpersonal skills, and adaptability to changing conditions. This person provides excellent service to colleagues at all levels of the organization and as the typical first point of contact for the Legal Team is responsive, efficient, and friendly with colleagues and external partners.

Requirements

Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal communication skills including the ability to communicate professionally and effectively with colleagues and senior leadership.
Solid written communication skills.
Strong prioritization skills including the ability to handle a high volume of tasks (many of them routine), manage frequently shifting priorities, and pivot in response to unexpected urgent requests.
Demonstrated ability to independently move projects forward.
Advanced Proficiency with basic computer programs (e.g., Adobe and Microsoft Office, including Excel and Power Point) is required.
Must be able to maintain confidentiality and operate with discretion and tact.
Strong team player who contributes positively to Legal Team cohesion and the FNIH’s dynamic.
B.A. or B.S. preferred.
5 - 8 years of professional work experience required.
3+ years of relevant experience with project operations and management desired, preferably with a legal department or law firm.
Demonstrated experience collaborating with cross-functional groups (e.g., Finance, Operations, IT) to set objectives and produce meaningful results required.
Strong experience in developing, implementing, and using technology solutions to improve business operations (e.g., e-signature platforms like DocuSign), and comfort working with new technology solutions required.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with managing contract lifecycle management systems (e.g. Agiloft or ContractPodAI) is a plus.
Paralegal certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Manage an efficient and reliable process for all FNIH contracts and other legal requests, which includes handling request intake, processing requests for assignment, monitoring the status of requests, obtaining internal approvals and signature, and storing and retrieving fully executed agreements.
Interface with colleagues across departments to gather information, answer questions, and ensure the Legal Team is meeting their needs, while also working collaboratively with attorneys to promptly address contracting issues and solve problems.
Organize and manage legal files and contract repository.
Standardize processes, policies, practices, and templates to enhance Legal Team efficiency and effectiveness.
Participate in training staff on contracting processes and use of the Legal Team’s IT tools.
Support other departments in developing budgets for internal and external legal costs and in reconciling grants and contracts with outgoing payments.
Generate recurring reports on key operational and substantive metrics for the Legal Team and FNIH leadership to better inform decision-making.
Proactively identify and develop new, relevant data sources; analyze new and existing data to identify root cause issues and generate insights that improve operations.
Oversee and manage system administration and configuration of FNIH’s Contract Lifecycle Management System (CLM) and other IT tools used by the Legal Team.
Liaise and manage relationships with relevant vendors to resolve system issues.
As needed, identify and manage design and rollout of new tools to streamline processes.
Serve as a champion for continuous process improvement and provide thought leadership with respect to contract lifecycle management, administration, and technology; for example, by learning about IT solutions that could support legal operations and keeping a pulse on enhancement requests, functional releases, and industry trends
Support the Legal Team in moving initiatives, processes, and projects forward by organizing schedules and meetings, tracking progress, executing deliverables where applicable, and meeting deadlines as assigned.
Communicate any issues that may interfere with progress or affect timelines.
Provide administrative support for the Legal Team as needed.
Perform additional duties as requested.