Legal Project Manager

Ciena; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Ciena is seeking a Legal Project Manager to lead the Legal technology portfolio, partnering with Legal, IT, and business stakeholders to define strategy, prioritize investments, and deliver measurable outcomes. You will shape the future of Legal at Ciena by building trusted contract data, simplifying processes, and expanding self-service capabilities.

The role emphasizes transforming processes, driving adoption of AI, and delivering enterprise-wide improvements while aligning with Compliance and

Qualifications

• Experience leading legal tech projects and product backlogs.
• Ability to translate business needs into backlog items.
• Engagement with Legal, Compliance, Procurement, IT.
• Strong stakeholder management across senior leadership.
• Experience delivering process improvements at scale.

Responsibilities

• Own the Legal technology product roadmap.
• Translate objectives into requirements and delivery plans.
• Manage the Legal product backlog and priorities.
• Lead transformation initiatives like intake modernization.
• Drive AI adoption to improve self-service.
• Define success metrics and KPIs.
• Collaborate with Legal leadership, IT, and business stakeholders.

Skills

Legal PM

Stakeholder mgmt

Agile delivery

Requirements mgmt

Cross-functional

Tools

Jira

ServiceNow

Power Platform

Power BI

Copilot

Job description

As the global leader in high-speed connectivity, Ciena builds the critical infrastructure powering the AI era. We’re a technology company shaping the future of networking, guided by innovation, integrity, and collaboration. Through development opportunities, meaningful work, and flexibility, Ciena supports growth and well-being—on and off the job. Connect with a career that matters.

Ciena is transforming how Legal supports the business through simplified processes, trusted contract data, AI-enabled workflows, and scalable self-service capabilities. The Legal Project Manager serves as the primary project manager for the Legal technology portfolio, partnering with Legal leadership, IT, and business stakeholders to define strategy, prioritize investments, and deliver measurable business outcomes. This role shapes the future of Legal at Ciena by establishing trusted contract data, simplifying processes, expanding self-service capabilities, and accelerating the responsible adoption of AI.

How You Will Make An Impact

• Own the Legal technology product roadmap and align priorities with Legal, Compliance, Procurement, and IT stakeholders.
• Translate business objectives into product strategies, requirements, and delivery plans as the primary liaison between Legal and IT.
• Manage and prioritize the Legal product backlog to deliver measurable business value and operational improvements.
• Lead Legal transformation initiatives, including Legal Intake modernization, contract lifecycle optimization, and contract data governance.
• Drive adoption of AI and automation capabilities to improve productivity, increase self-service, and reduce manual effort across Legal processes.
• Identify opportunities with Legal leadership for process simplification, standardization, and digitization.
• Define success metrics, business outcomes, and KPIs to measure product performance and user adoption.

The Must Haves

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in Project Management, Product Management, Business Systems Analysis, Legal Operations, or related business technology roles.
• Experience partnering directly with Legal, Compliance, Contract Management, Procurement, or other corporate functions.
• Experience owning product roadmaps, prioritization processes, and business-driven technology investments.
• Experience leading enterprise process transformation initiatives and delivering measurable operational improvements.
• Experience gathering and translating business requirements into actionable product backlogs and delivery plans.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in Agile, product-centric, or hybrid delivery environments.
• Experience managing stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization, including senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with CLM platforms such as DocuSign CLM, Ivo Intelligence, or similar solutions.
• Experience leading contract data transformation or data governance initiatives.
• Experience with AI-powered Legal solutions, including contract intelligence, clause analysis, and document automation tools.
• Experience using Jira and ServiceNow to manage, track, and prioritize project tasks, defects, and workflow activities.
• Utilization of Microsoft Power Platform, Power BI, Copilot, workflow automation, or enterprise integration technologies.
• Experience supporting global Legal organizations within a technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, or multinational environment.
• Exposure to compliance, audit, regulatory, or risk management programs.

Pay Range

The annual pay range for this position is $109,700 - $175,300. Pay ranges at Ciena are designed to accommodate variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions, and locations, reflecting our diverse products, industries, and lines of business. Please note that the pay range information provided in this posting pertains specifically to the primary location, which is the top location listed in case multiple locations are available.

Non-Sales employees may be eligible for a discretionary incentive bonus, while Sales employees may be eligible for a sales commission. In addition to competitive compensation, Ciena offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, participation in 401(K) (USA) & DCPP (Canada) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time. We also comply with all applicable laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

At Ciena, we are committed to building and fostering an environment in which our employees feel respected, valued, and heard. Ciena values the diversity of its workforce and respects its employees as individuals. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.

Ciena is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

If contacted in relation to a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.