Director, Head of Legal Operations

About InterDigital

InterDigital is a global research and development company focused primarily on wireless, video, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and related technologies. We design and develop foundational technologies that enable connected, immersive experiences in a broad range of communications and entertainment products and services. We license our innovations worldwide to companies providing such products and services, including makers of wireless communications devices, consumer electronics, IoT devices, cars and other motor vehicles, and providers of cloud-based services such as video streaming. As a leader in wireless technology, our engineers have designed and developed a wide range of innovations that are used in wireless products and networks, from the earliest digital cellular systems to 5G and today’s most advanced Wi-Fi technologies. We are also a leader in video processing and video encoding/decoding technology, with a significant AI research effort that intersects with both wireless and video technologies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on Nasdaq.

InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc. 

For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.

Position Summary

This position will be based at InterDigital’s office in Conshohocken, PA and will include travel to other InterDigital sites in the U.S. and Europe.  The successful candidate will drive InterDigital’s efforts to enhance legal operational efficiency and business processes for the global legal department, lead a global outside counsel management program, lead the identification, selection, and implementation of tools and technology, and serve in a chief of staff capacity to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) (for example, supporting leadership team meetings, town halls and organizing process/performance improvement initiatives).  The successful candidate will combine their significant operational, administrative, financial, M&A integration and/or project management expertise with an understanding of patent-related and other legal processes to accomplish these goals. This position will report directly to the CLO and work closely with other C-suite executives, members of the legal department as well as business partners in Finance, IT, HR, Licensing and other colleagues across the organization.

Responsibilities

Counsel Management

• Run global outside counsel management program to harmonize the engagement, performance, improve efficiencies and reduce costs associated with the use of external legal resources

• Optimize and enhance the use of legal spend management and matter management technology, including harmonization of internal business process management and tools to enhance efficiency, decision making and reduce costs

• Work with internal counsel, external law firms and benchmarking data to manage outside counsel performance and spend

• Serve as primary point of contact and negotiator with respect to rate increases and disputed invoices

Legal Operations

• Advise the CLO on operational and strategic aspects of running the Legal Department

• Work with other members of Legal to develop process improvements leading to cost reductions and other efficiencies

• Serve as primary administrator of Serengeti Legal Tracker (or equivalent)

• Use data-centric metrics and analytics to develop recommendations to CLO designed to maximize resources and performance

• Provide guidance and advice across the organization as a member of multi-disciplinary project teams

• Serve as primary negotiator and point of contact for legal teams’ tools, dues and subscriptions

Chief of Staff

• Support the CLO in a chief of staff capacity, including for example, developing and leading department town halls and legal leadership team planning and off-site meetings

• Assist CLO in identifying, organizing and executing upon process and performance improvement initiatives

• Serve as a member of the legal leadership team to provide general leadership and support across the global department to promote strong internal departmental communications, strong team performance and team member well-being

Financial Management 

• Serve as Legal’s primary liaison with the company’s Finance Department

• Partner closely with Finance business partners and FP&A team to manage budgeting, forecasting and budget variance analysis for Legal

• Support and guide strategic short-term and long-term projects focused on efficient use of internal and external legal resources

Required Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant legal operations experience within a large corporate legal department or other professional legal environment and at least 7 years of other relevant work experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required

• JD, MBA, or Master’s degree in an accounting, financial, operations, administration, or project management discipline is preferred

• A solid combination of operational, financial, and business acumen and a demonstrated ability to utilize data, metrics and analytics to design, implement and manage process improvements, personnel optimization and administrative and operational efficiency.

• Demonstrated ability to act as a change agent

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across all levels of global, multi-functional teams

• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build relationships within department and across all members of the company

• Self-starter willing to both handle and manage assigned projects and tasks, as appropriate

• Strong attention to detail and facility with numbers and financial tools

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills

• Personable and a team player

Location: Strongly Preferred Conshohocken, PA.  Can also be located in Wilmington, DE.

InterDigital is an equal employment opportunity employer. InterDigital will not engage in or tolerate unlawful discrimination with regard to any employment decision, policy or practice based on a person’s sex, gender, pregnancy (including childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local  law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, assignments, evaluations, coaching, promotion, discipline, discharge and layoff.