Head of Legal Operations

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Position Overview

Reporting to the Group General Counsel, the Head of Legal Operations will lead the optimization and transformation of our global legal function. This pivotal role will drive operational efficiency, champion data-driven decision-making, and align legal services with Ascot's business objectives. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with deep expertise in legal operations and a proven track record of managing complex, high-stakes environments in the insurance or financial services industry. This is a hybrid role based in either our Stamford, CT or New York City office.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership : Develop and execute a comprehensive legal operations strategy to support Ascot's global business goals, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and regulatory requirements.
• Data-Driven Insights : Develop and leverage metrics, analytics, and legal-industry benchmarking data to evaluate department performance, identify operational and spend trends, and deliver actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
• Process Optimization : Streamline legal workflows, including contract management, e-billing, matter management, and compliance processes, to enhance efficiency and reduce costs, incorporating automation where appropriate.
• Technology Integration : Oversee the selection, implementation, and ongoing management of legal technology platforms (e.g., CLM, e-discovery, data analytics, AI-driven tools) to drive innovation, transparency, and scalability.
• Financial and Risk Management : Manage the legal department's budget, forecasting, and vendor / external counsel relationships, ensuring cost efficiency, accurate reporting, and risk mitigation. Build business cases for funding and new initiatives.
• Vendor Management : Direct relationships with law firms and consultants, designing and managing panels, alternative fee arrangements, and performance assessments to ensure value and quality.
• Stakeholder Collaboration : Proactively partner with underwriting, claims, risk, finance, compliance, and IT to support business initiatives, foster innovation, and mitigate legal and operational risks.
• Compliance and Governance : Ensure adherence to domestic and global regulatory standards, internal policies, and robust governance frameworks, overseeing privacy, information governance, and IT security.
• Knowledge Management : Facilitate the sharing of best practices and connect internal and external expertise to serve as the guardian of the legal department's knowledge and history.
• Project and Practice Management : Oversee ad-hoc requests, strategic projects, and implement processes / technologies to optimize legal service delivery and enable lawyers to focus on core legal tasks.
• Continuous Improvement & Change Management : Lead initiatives in process re-engineering, change management, and service delivery innovation, using KPIs for success evaluation.
• Culture : Commit to The Ascot Way by fostering colleague engagement, collaboration, inclusivity, and individual accountability.

Requirements

Preferred Requirements

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $165,000. Base pay is just one component of Ascot's total compensation package for employees and may be above or below the listed range based on factors such as experience, subject matter expertise, and skills. Other rewards may include an annual cash bonus and additional discretionary compensation.

Company Benefits

Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance to us, and we strive to ensure that you have a positive experience with Ascot Group. All official communication comes from our corporate email addresses; we will never ask for payment or sensitive personal information at any stage of the recruitment process.

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