Senior Manager, Legal Services Management

Company

Cox EnterprisesBusiness OperationsSr Manager, Operations ManagementSr Manager - People LeaderHybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the weekYes, 5% of the timeDay

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary of $108,800.00 - $181,400.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Cox Enterprises is currently looking for a Senior Manager, Legal Services Management to join our team in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Role:

The Senior Manager, Legal Services Management plays a key role in ensuring efficiency and transparency within the Law & Policy department, keeping track of and identifying opportunities to reduce costs, and ultimately create spend management strategies on how to achieve long-term, sustainable value.

In this role you will help manage key partnerships with outside counsel in a nuanced, highly specialized environment predicated on trusted relationships.  You will analyze and prepare strategic data, ask the right questions of external firms, and work alongside the general counsels and functional leaders from the data gathering stage through careful law firm selection and getting the right value for money.

We are seeking an experienced team member with a track record of success in analyzing spend data and market intelligence, developing category strategies, third party negotiations, and vendor management.

Join us on our journey to be the guardians of growth for the next generation of Cox Enterprises. Make your mark.

Responsibilities:

Category Management & Strategic Sourcing

• Develops and executes category spend strategies to optimize third party spend, total cost effectiveness, supplier service levels, coordination, delivery, pricing, lead-times, payments, risk mitigation and compliance at an enterprise level.

• Stays abreast of market conditions, forces and other dynamics impacting supplier products and services.  At an enterprise level, engages with functional Law & Policy stakeholders, and partners with Sourcing & Procurement Operations as well as boundary partners (Finance, Business Operations, Corporate Communications, etc.) to ensure category strategies align with and appropriately support business goals and objectives.

• Utilize data analytics to assess outside counsel performance and spending patterns, providing insights to inform strategic decision-making.

• Executes category sourcing strategies including development and implementation of RFIs and RFPs, preferred outside counsel programs, evaluation and selection criteria, negotiations and ongoing firm / program management.

• Negotiates favorable pricing, terms and conditions, risk reduction, volume discounts, and alternative fee arrangements while balancing cost and value.

Outside Counsel Relationship Management

• Establish performance metrics for law firms and monitor their performance against agreed-upon benchmarks.  Facilitate regular performance reviews and feedback sessions to foster continuous improvement.

• Collaborate with the legal team to develop and manage budgets for outside counsel spending, ensuring adherence to financial targets.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with external law firms, acting as the primary liaison to address performance issues and optimize collaboration.

• Identify and mitigate risks associated with outside counsel engagements, ensuring compliance with internal policies and external regulations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, law, or a related discipline and 8 years’ experience in pricing or spend analytics, negotiations, strategic sourcing, category management, supplier management, or operations within a legal or corporate environment.  The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master’s degree and 6 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 3 years’ experience in a related field; or 12 years’ experience in a related field.

• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to identify trends, analyze data, and develop actionable insights.

• Ability to provide thought leadership and engage with senior leaders in addressing cost containment issues and initiatives facing the legal organization.

• Knowledge of tools and systems used for spend analytics activities and category management.

• Experience influencing change, developing strategies with impact and delivering results with a proven ability to influence others without formal authority.

• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, presentation, and collaborative skills to work effectively with teams throughout organization, including executive presentation capability.

• Collaborative "team player" orientation with a strong cultural awareness.

• Leadership skills in third party relationship management.

• Strong leadership and team management skills.

• Experience with budget management and financial analysis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in business or JD preferred.

• Experience sourcing Legal Services category.

• Demonstrated experience with third party vendor performance and relationship management.

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.As our primary divisions Cox Automotive and Cox Communications drive new waves of innovation, Cox Enterprises is entering spaces like cleantech, healthcare, esports and more. We're a family business guided by a legacy of bold innovation that’s driven by those who want to make their mark. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.