Manager, Legal Operations

Panera Bread•Newton, MA

3d•$119,634 - $167,488•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Legal Operations supports the day-to-day operations of Panera's Legal Department. This role helps maintain legal systems, manage contract and matter workflows, coordinate with outside counsel, and assist with department reporting and budgeting. This role works cross-functionally with attorneys, paralegals, Finance, Procurement, and IT to enhance efficiency, data quality, and accountability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; certification in Legal Operations, Project Management, or Process Improvement (e.g., CLOC, ACC, PMP) preferred.
4-7 years of experience in legal operations, project management, or business operations.
Hands-on experience administering Legal Tracker or similar legal e-billing/matter management systems.
Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and workflow design.
Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and translate legal needs into business-friendly solutions.
Familiarity with budgeting, vendor management, and process governance.
Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and commitment to continuous improvement.
Ability to leverage technology and automation to improve efficiency and performance.

Nice To Haves

Advanced Excel or Power BI proficiency for reporting and analytics preferred.

Responsibilities

Contract Management and Workflow Support Support Legal's contract management process, including intake, triage, tracking, and approvals.
Help maintain visibility into contract renewals, expirations, and key milestones.
Update and maintain standardized contract templates, playbooks, and approval workflows to promote consistency and compliance.
Assist in identifying opportunities to automate manual tasks and improve turnaround times using workflow tools.
Technology and Systems Support Assist with day-to-day administration of Legal Tracker, including matter setup, vendor entry, invoice review, accrual collection, and basic reporting.
Coordinate with IT and vendors on system updates, troubleshooting, and user access requests for Legal technology tools (e.g., e-signature, entity management, CLM).
Generate standard reports and dashboards from system data to support department visibility and planning.
Vendor and Budget Coordination Assist with onboarding of outside counsel and vendors and ensure adherence to Panera's Outside Counsel Guidelines.
Support Legal's budgeting and forecasting processes by tracking invoices, accruals, and spend trends.
Prepare routine spend and matter reports for Legal leadership and Finance.
Maintain organized vendor records and help monitor compliance with approved rates and engagement terms.
Legal Intake and Request Tracking Monitor the Legal intake inbox and routing system to ensure requests are logged and assigned promptly.
Track request status and turnaround times to maintain transparency and accountability.
Compile data on request volumes and trends to support process improvement.
Governance and Compliance Assistance Coordinate with Compliance and Governance teams to align Legal processes with company policies, data retention standards, and internal controls.
Assist in tracking and documenting Legal-related compliance requirements, such as certificates of insurance or policy acknowledgments.
Maintain organized electronic files and records for regulatory and contractual compliance.
Knowledge Management and Communication Maintain Legal's shared resources, templates, and FAQs.
Assist in drafting internal communications and user guides for Legal systems and processes.
Support collaboration and information sharing across Legal, Risk, and Compliance teams.
Metrics, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement Compile and update Legal operations metrics and dashboards (spend, matters, contracts, cycle times).
Analyze basic data sets to identify patterns or areas needing attention.
Assist with annual goal-tracking, project planning, and process documentation.
Support projects and initiatives aimed at improving Legal's efficiency and service delivery.