Leader - Process Improvement and Legal Operations

Sonoco; Hartsville (SC); On-site; USD 88,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan with company**

Wellbeing tools and Employee Support

Paid time off and holidays

Insurance options

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Sonoco is seeking a Leader - Process Improvement and Legal Operations to strengthen the Office of Legal and Compliance by leading and supporting legal operations initiatives, systems optimization, reporting, process improvement, change management, and project execution at our Hartsville, SC headquarters.

This role partners with attorneys, business partners, and vendors to drive CLM implementation, governance, budgets, analytics, and scalable processes that enable proactive engagement and

Qualifications

• Experience in legal operations, contract management, and cross-functional project delivery.
• Strong ability to design and optimize legal processes, dashboards, and reporting structures.
• Proven track record in governance, budgeting, and change management within a legal function.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end administration and adoption of legal department software platforms.
• Drive CLM implementation, process design, training, and stakeholder engagement.
• Identify and improve CLM workflows, intake, playbooks, and reporting practices.
• Develop knowledge resources, templates, trackers, and documentation for consistency.
• Provide project management support for legal ops initiatives and timelines.
• Lead departmental reporting, metrics dashboards, and budget-related reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement to increase efficiency, governance, and scalability.
• Lead AI-related legal operations initiatives and adoption support.
• Monitor governance reporting and deadlines across systems like GEMS.
• Support budget compliance and communication of key budget information.
• Lead change management for new processes and technology adoption.
• Assist with ad hoc projects as priorities shift.

Skills

Project management

CLM systems

Legal operations

Change management

Budgeting & reporting

Knowledge management

Process improvement

Data analytics

Tools

CLM platforms

Reporting tools

GEMS

Legal tech platforms

Job description

From a small family business to a multi-billion-dollar global company, Sonoco has been changing the face of products and packaging since 1899 — all while keeping the heart of “People Build Businesses” alive.

Our talented people are at the core of our growth, constantly reinventing the Sonoco wheel with brilliant solutions every year. Today we are a world leader in global packaging solutions with diversified operations in over 34 countries. We’re extremely proud of our portfolio of brands, our achievements in sustainability and industrialization and the groundbreaking work accomplished by our people.

While reporting to the Manager of Legal Operations, the Leader - Process Improvement and Legal Operations will provide dedicated operational support to the Office of Legal and Compliance by leading and supporting legal operations initiatives, systems optimization, departmental reporting, process improvement, change management, and project execution. This role is intended to strengthen the Legal Operations function by creating capacity for proactive engagement, scalable processes, improved governance support, and more effective use of legal technology across the department.

What you’ll be doing:

• Support end-to-end administration, optimization, and adoption of legal department software platforms, including proactive engagement with users and stakeholders.
• Lead and support Contract Lifecycle Management implementation activities, including process design, rollout support, user adoption, training coordination, issue tracking, and continuous improvement as additional departments are onboarded.
• Identify and implement improvements to CLM workflows, intake processes, playbooks, reporting, and related contract management practices.
• Develop and maintain knowledge management processes, resources, templates, trackers, and documentation to improve consistency, accessibility, and institutional knowledge across the department.
• Provide project management support for legal operations, technology, process improvement, and other department initiatives, including tracking deliverables, timelines, owners, risks, and dependencies, as assigned.
• Drive departmental reporting, including recurring operational metrics, dashboards, workload reporting, budget-related reporting, and other leadership reporting needs.
• Drive proactive continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, standardization, governance support, and scalability within Legal Operations.
• Serve as a lead operational resource for artificial intelligence-related legal operations initiatives, including coordination, process assessment, responsible use considerations, and adoption support.
• Monitor governance-related reporting and deadlines within applicable systems, including GEMS, to support proactive positioning and timely follow-up.
• Support budget compliance activities, including tracking, reporting, process discipline, and communication of key budget-related information.
• Lead change management efforts related to new processes, technology adoption, workflow transitions, and department-wide operational improvements.
• Assist with ad hoc projects as assigned, based on capacity, expertise, business need, and department priorities.

This position is located at our Corporate Headquarters in beautiful Hartsville, SC and close to exciting destinations (Myrtle Beach, SC Charleston, SC, Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC).

We’d love to hear from you if:

• Experience in legal operations, contract management, corporate legal department support, compliance operations, project management, business operations, or a related function.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management systems, matter management systems, entity management systems, reporting tools, knowledge management resources, or other legal technology platforms.
• Experience supporting process documentation, training materials, user adoption, change management, or cross-functional implementation projects.
• Familiarity with corporate legal department budgeting, vendor management, operational reporting, or legal service delivery models.
• Strong project management, organization, and execution skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to understand legal department workflows and translate operational needs into practical processes, tools, and reporting structures.
• Experience supporting technology-enabled business processes, system adoption, workflow improvement, or implementation initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to develop reports, identify trends, evaluate process gaps, and recommend improvements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with attorneys, legal staff, business partners, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities and a need for both responsive support and proactive improvement.
• High attention to detail, sound judgment, discretion, and ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to identify inefficiencies, propose solutions, and help implement sustainable changes.

Compensation:

The annual base salary range for this role is from $88,000 to $99,000.

At Sonoco Products Company, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including competitive pay and benefits. *Benefits listed below are for employees located in the U.S. Specific benefits and wellbeing programs may vary depending on your location (within the U.S. or global), or if you are a union employee.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, including FSA and HSA options
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Wellbeing tools and resources to support holistic health, including an Employee Assistance Program with a variety of services
• Paid time off and holidays to recreate, rejuvenate and care for the health of yourself and family
• Variety of company paid and voluntary employee-paid insurance plans including life, personal accident, and disability insurance
• Tuition reimbursement

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.