Senior Legal Operations Manager

Senior Legal Operations ManagerFacility: Legal, Compliance & Audit Location: Plainsboro, NJ, USAbout the Department: The Legal department is comprised of our Legal and Patents functions. We depend on our legal team to help drive growth and maintain the highest level of standards and practices across all of our legal efforts. It's a tall order, which is why we only hire those who thrive on protecting the interests of our patients, employees and business, all while creating and implementing efficient and innovative solutions. As part of the team, you'll work with employees across the organization to oversee legal matters and provide guidance on strategies that drive business and policy priorities and shape the reputation of Novo Nordisk Inc. (NNI). At Novo Nordisk, your skills, dedication and ambition will help us change lives for the better. In exchange, we'll offer you an opportunity to work with extraordinary talent and benefit from a range of possibilities for professional and personal development. Are you ready to realize your potential?The Position: Responsible for leading the Legal department's overall budget planning and prioritization, outside counsel management approach, and legal spend optimization efforts. Responsible for department's financial planning and analysis, and shaping how the Legal department engages, manages, and derives value from outside counsel and other legal service providers. This role leads panel strategy, engagement negotiations, performance management, managing relationships with external resources, and ensuring cost-effective and high-quality legal support for the department.Relationships: Reports to Associate Director, eDiscovery & Operations. Partners and collaborates with internal teams including Legal, Finance, and Procurement to achieve operational objectives in support of legal strategy. Interacts with individuals in other USO departments, global headquarters, and affiliate companies. Also interacts with external law firms and service providers, including eDiscovery and alternative legal service providers, and other business entities.Essential Functions:Budgeting Strategy and Oversight: Manage and lead the strategic oversight of the Legal department's overall budget, with a particular focus on analysing outside counsel and external legal spend, working closely with finance and legal teamsLead the annual and quarterly budget development, forecasting, and ongoing spend managementMonitor department-wide spend trends, risks, and opportunities, and provide recommendations to improve budget discipline, predictability, and resource allocationEnsure accurate and transparent financial management of external legal service providersPartner with in-house counsel and matter owners to identify cost optimizationSupport Legal leadership in making informed decisions about departmental spending priorities and trade-offsResource Engagement and Contract Negotiation: Develop and lead the Legal Department's outside counsel strategy across practice areas, jurisdictions, and matter typesAdvise on external resourcing strategy, how to align staffing and fee structures with the needs of the matterDesign and manage preferred-firm and panel strategies, include law firm segmentation, consolidation opportunities, competitive sourcing, and governance frameworkSupport selection process of outside counsel based on expertise, service model, cost, overall value, and appropriateness for a specific matterLead the engagement process with external resources, including legal process outsourcing companies, managed review, and other service vendors, including negotiations of global engagement agreements with law firmsDevelop consistent approaches to rate reviews, rate increase requests, and fee negotiationsMonitor matters for changes in scope, budget, or staffing and recommend proactive interventions to improve efficiency and predictabilityEvaluate opportunities to improve matter economics through staffing changes, phased budgets, alternative fee arrangements, portfolio approaches, or use of lower-cost providers, where appropriateEnsure compliance with company goals, and legal and regulatory requirements with all external engagementsCreate templates, playbooks, and negotiation standards to drive consistency and leverage outside counsel relationshipsProvide support for presentation materials for key steering and strategy group meetings (e.g. EVP Steering Group, Litigation Strategy Group)Relationship Management and Performance Evaluation: Develop and manage a framework for measuring law firm performance to assess overall valueLead regular business reviews with key law firms and make recommendations regarding continued use, expanded use, corrective action, or panel changesServe as the primary liaison and relationship manager for external legal resources and provide feedback to law firms/providers to drive continuous improvement in service deliveryIdentify trends in law firm performance and legal spend to support stronger sourcing and matter-management decisionsCollaborate with legal teams to ensure that external providers meet quality and efficiency standardsProcess Improvement and Best Practices: Continuously assess and enhance processes related to budget strategy, external resource selection, engagement management, and performance evaluationStay updated on industry best practices, market trends, and emerging technologies to drive innovation and efficiency in external resource engagementHandles highly confidential matters with discretion and judgmentPhysical Requirements: 0-10% overnight travel required.Qualifications: A Bachelor 's Degree required; relevant experience may be substituted for degree where appropriate. JD or MBA is a plus, but not required A minimum of 10 years of legal operations, outside counsel management, and/or spend management experience Demonstrated ability to identify and drive cost optimization opportunities across a portfolio of legal matters and vendors Ability to work autonomously with minimal guidance At least 5 years of pharmaceutical or other regulated industry experience strongly preferred Experience supporting or owning a department-wide legal budget Experience negotiating commercial terms, engagement agreements, rates, and alternative fee arrangement Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate financial and matter data into clear recommendations Excellent analytical, research, and organizational skills required Excellent verbal and written communication skills required Must be a self-starter; flexible, customer-focused, and have a professional demeanour Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel Proficiency in eBilling and/or other matter/spend management and tracking tools (i.e. LegalTracker, SAP, COUPA) requiredThe base compensation range for this position is $[120K] to $[222K]. Base compensation is determined based on a number of factors. This position is also eligible for a company bonus based on individual and company performance. Novo Nordisk offers long-term incentive compensation and or company vehicles depending on the position's level or other company factors. Employees are also eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs including medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; disability insurance; 401(k) savings plan; flexible spending accounts; employee assistance program; tuition reimbursement program; and voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance. The Company also offers time off pursuant to its sick time policy, flex-able vacation policy, and parental leave policy.Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.