Head of Legal Operations and Chief of Staff

Avalara India; United Arab Emirates; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Head of Legal Operations & Chief of Staff to transform the Legal function. This strategic role blends operational excellence with legal expertise, focusing on process optimization, financial management, and technology integration. You'll partner closely with the Chief Legal Officer to shape strategy and ensure effective communication across the organization. With a focus on continuous improvement, this position offers the chance to lead impactful changes in a dynamic environment. If you're passionate about legal operations and looking to make a significant impact, this role is for you.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in legal operations or related roles.
• Expertise in legal processes and law firm operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop a roadmap for legal operations and team effectiveness.
• Manage legal budget forecasting and vendor programs.
• Define and maintain the Legal technology roadmap.

Skills

Legal Operations

Strategic Coordination

Process Optimization

Financial Management

Data Analytics

Vendor Management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Tools

e-Discovery Tools

Legal Technology Systems

Job description

What You'll Do

The Head of Legal Operations & Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer is a strategic role responsible for transforming how the Legal function operates and contributes to the broader business. This dual-role leader will improve operational excellence, lead legal technology and process optimization, and act as a trusted partner to the Chief Legal Officer, shaping strategy, coordinating execution, and ensuring agreement across the Legal function and partners. You will blend legal operations expertise with chief-of-staff responsibilities, ideal for someone who excels at both operational thoughtfulness and strategic coordination. You will report to our Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and can work remotely.

What Your Responsibilities Will Be

Operational Management and Efficiency

• You will develop a long-term roadmap to grow legal operations and improve overall Legal team effectiveness.
• Promote process optimization across contract lifecycle management, litigation, IP, entity management, and knowledge management.
• You will oversee legal project management, resource allocation, and internal team workflows to ensure priorities are implemented.
• You will implement systems and infrastructure that allow the Legal team to support our needs at scale.

Strategic Partnership & Chief of Staff Support

• You will partner with the CLO on Legal department strategic planning, quarterly goal setting, and OKR agreement.
• Ensure communication between the Legal function and executive leadership, ensuring communication flow, priority agreement, and coordination.
• Manage preparation and execution of Legal team business reviews, leadership meetings, and board-level presentations.
• You will guide special programs and team communications on behalf of the CLO.

Financial Management and Data Analytics

• Manage Legal budget forecasting, tracking, and reporting with Finance.
• You will build and manage a legal vendor program that ensures high-quality support at efficient costs.
• Use data and analytics to evaluate team performance, vendor metrics, and operational measurements.

Technology and Litigation Support

• Define and maintain the Legal technology roadmap, identifying automation and efficiency opportunities.
• Oversee litigation support operations, including e-discovery tools and workflows.

Knowledge and Information Management

• Lead the development of a centralized knowledge management framework for contracts, policies, templates, and institutional knowledge.
• Promote consistency and standardization across global legal documentation and practices.

What You'll Need To Be Successful

• 15+ years of experience in legal operations, chief of staff, legal business management, or related roles within in-house legal teams.
• Expertise in partnering with CLO and legal leadership to lead both strategic and operational impact.
• Experience with legal processes (eBilling, CLM, IP management), and law firm operations.
• Financial experience managing large budgets, vendor relationships, and accrual processes.
• Continuous improvement and building scalable processes.