Senior Manager, Legal Operations

BJ's Restaurants•Huntington Beach, CA

20h

About The Position

At BJ's Restaurants, we’ve been bringing people together to celebrate life’s moments since 1978. We’re more than a restaurant, we’re a team of passionate people who take pride in creating great food, memorable experiences, and a workplace where everyone feels valued. If you’re energized by teamwork, motivated to keep learning, and passionate about creating great experiences for others, you’ll feel right at home here. As our Senior Manager, Legal Operations, you'll play a critical role in driving the efficiency, effectiveness, and financial performance of BJ's Legal Department. Reporting to the Vice President, Legal Operations, you'll oversee key operational functions, including legal budget management, contract lifecycle management, litigation tracking, compliance administration, and departmental reporting. You'll serve as a trusted partner to Legal leadership and cross-functional business teams, leveraging technology, data analytics, and AI-enabled solutions to streamline processes, improve transparency, and support informed decision-making. This is an opportunity for a forward-thinking legal operations professional who enjoys combining strategic thinking with hands-on execution to make a meaningful impact across the organization.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in legal operations, corporate legal departments, law firms, or a closely related field.
Bachelor's degree required.
Demonstrated experience managing legal budgets, outside counsel invoicing, spend tracking, and financial reporting.
Hands-on experience administering and optimizing contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, including workflow configuration, intake, reporting, template management, and user adoption.
Experience with AI-enabled legal technology and automation tools; Ironclad experience strongly preferred.
Familiarity with legal matter management, e-billing platforms, and litigation tracking systems.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to develop, interpret, and communicate reports, dashboards, and key performance metrics.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and AI-enabled productivity tools.
Proven project management and process improvement capabilities, with the ability to manage competing priorities and drive initiatives to completion.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and influence stakeholders at all levels.
Strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and exceptional attention to detail when handling confidential and sensitive information.
A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with a passion for continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.
Proof of eligibility to work in the U.S. required.

Nice To Haves

Ironclad experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Own and administer the company's contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform, including workflows, intake processes, templates, reporting, user access, and system integrations.
Develop and optimize AI-enabled contract review playbooks and automated workflows to improve efficiency and consistency.
Partner with business stakeholders to drive CLM adoption, improve contracting processes, and enhance the user experience.
Evaluate emerging legal technologies, AI tools, and automation opportunities to improve departmental productivity and effectiveness.
Manage the Legal Department's budget, forecasting, invoice processing, settlement approvals, and legal spend tracking.
Monitor outside counsel expenses, billing performance, and cost trends to identify opportunities for savings and improved financial management.
Collaborate with Accounting, Legal leadership, and outside counsel to ensure financial accuracy, transparency, and alignment with budgetary objectives.
Maintain financial tracking tools and reporting to support departmental planning and decision-making.
Oversee the intake, logging, and tracking of subpoenas, claims, and litigation matters.
Coordinate with in-house and outside counsel to support litigation management, including the collection of responsive information and documents.
Maintain employment litigation tracking and coordinate insurance-related reporting.
Maintain and update legal and compliance-related policies, ensuring appropriate version control, accuracy, and accessibility.
Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and tracking tools to monitor Legal Department performance and key operational metrics.
Prepare executive-ready presentations that communicate legal spend, operational trends, departmental initiatives, and key performance indicators.
Translate complex legal and financial data into actionable insights that support business objectives and leadership decisions.
Identify and implement process improvements that enhance operational efficiency, reduce risk, and strengthen service delivery.
Serve as a key operational partner to Legal leadership, translating departmental strategies into scalable processes and effective solutions.
Build collaborative relationships with Accounting, IT, business stakeholders, and outside counsel to support department initiatives.
Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and the adoption of new technologies across Legal operations.
Provide guidance and support to legal team members on CLM best practices, project administration, and operational processes.