Legal Operations Manager / Data Analyst - hybrid

We're seeking a Legal Operations Manager (Data Analyst) to support the legal team through data-driven insights and operational support. In this role, you will be responsible for rate analysis, rate approvals, and invoice review and approval. You'll also track key legal metrics, develop reports and dashboards, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.

• Location: Hybrid - NY. Wednesday/Thursday are onsite.
• Hours: 9:30am to 6pm eastern or as needed for 8 hour day
• Reports To: Sr. Director, Legal and Finance Operations

Key Responsibilities:

This role will play a critical part in driving the efficiency and effectiveness of the legal department through data analysis, financial management, and process optimization. The ideal candidate has a strong analytical background and experience in managing legal spend, reviewing invoices, performing rate analysis, and supporting vendor management relationships.

• Will be creating PowerPoint presentations, this is a very detail-oriented role, these are presented to executive leadership and require an eye for detail.
• Legal operations, supporting legal dept. internationally, review legal invoicing, ensuring invoices comply with billing guidelines and rate review process, requires analysis of attorney rates.
• Lifecycle of creating and approving rates for outside counsel, working daily with attorneys at all levels of expertise internally and externally.
• Will analyze data on Excel files, pulling reports for invoices. Should be able to analyze the data with confidence, data files can very large.
• Legal Spend Management:
  • Oversee invoice review and approval processes to ensure accuracy, compliance with billing guidelines, and proper allocation to cost centers.
  • Manage law firm and vendor rate cards; review and approve rate changes and new rate proposals in alignment with internal policies.
  • Assist in budget tracking, variance analysis, and quarterly reporting, ensuring financial alignment with operational goals.
• Data Analysis & Reporting:
  • Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to track key metrics related to matter status, outside counsel spend, invoice statues, and departmental KPIs
  • Perform rate analysis and approval, ensuring alignment with internal policies and compliance with agreed terms.
  • Manage rate increase requests, analyzing their impact on overall legal spend and ensuring appropriate justification and approval.
• Technology & Process Optimization:
  • Support legal technology platforms (e.g., eBilling, matter management, and iManage) and contribute to system enhancements and adoption.
  • Identify and implement process improvements across legal operations, with a focus on automation and scalability.
  • Ensure data integrity across systems and assist with system integrations where necessary.
• Vendor & Outside Counsel Management:
  • Serve as a point of contact for law firm inquiries, providing prompt and effective responses to address concerns and resolve issues.
  • Track and verify correct rate billing across all legal vendors, ensuring accuracy and alignment with agreed-upon terms and billing guidelines.
  • Maintain and update comprehensive records of engagement contracts, billing arrangements, rate structures, and vendor profiles to ensure seamless operations and efficient management.
• Cross-functional Collaboration:
  • Serve as a key liaison between legal, finance, IT, and procurement teams to streamline processes and ensure alignment across departments.
  • Maintain a tracker for legal department contributions and subscriptions, ensuring accurate records of ongoing costs and usage.
  • Assist in creating and maintaining an internal legal website, providing up-to-date and informative content to support the team's efficiency and communication.
  • Support ad hoc data requests and special projects as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or a related field. Advanced degree or certification a plus.
• 5+ years of experience in legal operations, data analysis, or a related role within a corporate legal department or law firm.
• Strong project management, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.
• Excel experience should include VLOOKUP, formulas, pivot tables, averages and percentages - advanced skills preferred. Would like candidates to include example of process improvement in their history.
• Familiarity with law firm billing practices, legal rate structures, and vendor management best practices.
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable working independently in a fast-paced environment where you'll work on multiple projects at the same time, while meeting tight deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative mindset.
• Proven self-starter who can prioritize and manage multiple projects and responsibilities with agility and efficiency, acting as a pivotal contributor to a high-performing team.
  We can consider a candidate with a finance background, or with a background in a big law firm reviewing invoice processing, or prior legal operations with a large corporation.

Nice to Have:

• Advanced degree or certification a plus.
• Experience with legal technology platforms such as eBilling (e.g., CounselLink, Collaborati, SimpleLegal), and matter management. - Preferred
• Entertainment exp not required, priority is a background in legal operations and legal invoicing.