Director Legal Operations

At Harris the true value of what makes us successful is found in our people. It is our unique mix of cultures experiences beliefs and backgrounds that sets Harris apart from the rest. We constantly strive to cultivate nurture and amplify an unparalleled environment where we value intellectual curiosity and uniqueness of thought. Inclusion is embedded in the very fabric of our culture of collaboration and openness.

We understand that a job description only tells one part of a broader story and Harris is seeking dynamic candidates who can add to our bestinclass environment. We recognize that qualifications can be gained through both traditional and nontraditional paths and we are committed to considering candidates who possess the potential to be excellent in this role regardless of prior experiences.

Therefore we encourage ALL interested individuals to submit their applications even if they do not meet every requirement outlined in the job description.

Position Summary

Harris Associates L.P. is seeking a Director Legal Operations to optimize the operational financial and strategic performance of various support functions of the investment advisory firm. This position will report directly to the Harris Chief Administrative Officer. This role will develop and implement processes technology solutions and resource strategies that enhance the departments productivity reduce risk and enable the legal compliance enterprise risk and people functions to act as a key business partner across the organization.

Success in this role means having a proactive handson and collaborative attitude with a readiness to take ownership of a variety of initiatives. This individual will need to excel in a high volume timesensitive environment and be proactive in establishing productive relationships with key stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Department Strategy & Operations

• Design and execute an operational roadmap for the legal risk audit compliance and people functions ensuring alignment with the firms strategic goals.
• Implement functional department KPIs and reporting metrics to track efficiency costeffectiveness and risk management performance.
• Establish best practices and standardized processes to enhance workflow knowledge management and interdepartmental collaboration.
• Serve as the departments liaison to ensure seamless integration of department operations into broader business functions.

Technology & Process Optimization

• Lead the selection and implementation of technology solutions (e.g. contract lifecycle management legal research tools document automation AIassisted contract review) to enhance efficiency and reduce manual workload. Provide ongoing input regarding process and technology improvements and drive scalable solutions.
• Develop a centralized knowledge management system including playbooks and legal templates to improve consistency and reduce reliance on outside counsel.
• Streamline workflows for new product launches due diligence meetings reducing turnaround times and improving department responsiveness.
• Have an indepth knowledge of the departments tech stack and serve as a key stakeholder with enterprise technology team:
  • Work closely across departments to develop business process definitions and common metrics to measure the effectiveness of the legal and compliance organization
  • Develop and maintain department productivity and efficacy dashboards
  • In close coordination with finance manage and closely monitor timespend analysis

Financial & Vendor Management

• Oversee department budget planning tracking and forecasting to optimize spending and resource allocation.
• Develop and implement a department vendor management strategy negotiating fee structures and evaluating the performance of all vendors. Maintain favorable pricing and manage renewals for department vendors.
• Develop and administer outside counsel and vendor guidelines document and assist with annual assessment of same.
• Assist with department vendor RFPs and coordinate with vendor business oversight team.

CrossFunctional Collaboration & Business Support

• Partner with compliance and risk management teams to ensure alignment of legal processes with evolving regulatory and operational needs.
• Lead onboarding efforts for new hires within the department ensuring a seamless integration into the organization. Organize training sessions and engagement initiatives to promote interdepartmental as well as cross functional collaboration and foster a positive workplace culture.
• Serve as the central point of contact for the CAO fostering a strong relationship between the departments and firm. Communicate department initiatives polices and best practices for broader visibility with the attempt to align with goals of the organization.
• Act as a strategic adviser to investment operations and sales teams to ensure processes are structured to support business growth.

ProjectBased Initiatives

• Lead the integration of AI and automation in legal workflows to improve efficiency in contract negotiations due diligence risk assessment and corporate governance.
• Implement a deal framework that ensures seamless coordination between legal investment and finance teams on key transactions.
• Develop a firmwide contract risk management strategy ensuring visibility into obligations renewal deadlines and key legal risks.
• Design an enterprisewide approach for legal data analytics providing business teams with actionable insights into legal risks trends and opportunities.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelors degree with a minimum ten 10 years of relevant legal operations experience; preferably within asset management financial services and/or professional services.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills including the ability to communicate constructively and in different degrees of detail tailored to the audience.
• Have an intellectual curiosity a desire to learn and a drive to improve current processes.
• Ability to quickly learn and implement technology solutions.
• Exceptional project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple critical projects.
• Understanding of legal matter management eblling and contract management.
• Strong financial management and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills with superior attention to detail.
• Ability to operate independently and perform a wide variety of complex and confidential tasks with speed and accuracy coupled with a professional and positive attitude.
• Selfstarter with the ability to assess explain and solve complex problems in a deadline oriented environment.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office with key strengths in PowerPoint Excel SharePoint and PowerBI.

Preferred

• Experience working with auditors attorneys compliance and risk management function.
• Experience within a highly regulated organization; appreciation for control functions.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
Harris Associates L.P. pursues a policy of equal opportunity in all areas of employment including recruitment hiring training compensation benefits advancement and treatment on the job. This means that Harris does not discriminate against employees or qualified applicants based on an individuals race color religion creed sex age national origin physical disability sexual orientation transgender status transsexual status status as a veteran or disabled veteran genetic information or for any other reason prohibited by law. Harris reserves the right to review publicly available information about applicants (i.e. via social networking sites) to the extent permissible under applicable law.

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