Business Operations Manager-Legal

Members of the Legal organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions.

Join the OPAL team, a global, multi-disciplinary organization of ~40 attorneys and legal professionals who provide critical regulatory and governance oversight alongside expert day-to-day counseling to enable Cisco’s most ambitious technology initiatives. Led by our VP & Deputy General Counsel, we integrate legal strategy into every stage of development across our four core technology law pillars:
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Privacy & Data, Open Source, and Legal Engineering & Governance Operations. We thrive at the intersection of law and innovation, partnering with cross-functional leaders to build the frameworks that ensure compliance and trust in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Our work is essential to sustaining Cisco’s success while navigating the rapid evolution of global technology regulations.

We are seeking a highly strategic and execution-oriented Business Operations Manager / Project Manager to serve as the operational lead, partnering directly with the VP and pillar leads to drive a robust operational cadence across our core pillars. This individual will function as the primary architect for our organization’s operational infrastructure—ensuring complex cross-functional initiatives across the pillars are delivered to standard, establishing rigorous performance frameworks, and facilitating high-level strategic alignment across the organization.

• Operational Architecture:
  Partner with the VP and pillar leads to define and manage the rhythm of business, including recurring review cycles and performance frameworks, while institutionalizing executive operational models.
• Project Delivery & KPI Management:
  Oversee critical cross-functional project life cycles, proactively identify bottlenecks, define review gates, and develop the reporting infrastructure required to ensure all commitments are achieved on schedule.
• Meeting Governance & Executive Facilitation:
  Elevate meeting effectiveness by defining clear objectives, curating strategic agendas (reflecting the priorities and constraints of all pillars), and facilitating sessions that drive consensus, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
• Cross-Pillar Alignment & Measurement:
  Coordinate initiatives across our four technology law pillars to eliminate silos, ensure transparency, and evaluate collective progress against institutional performance metrics.
• Synthesis & Executive Reporting:
  Aggregate complex status updates, performance metrics, and project developments into clear, executive-ready summaries to inform leadership decision-making.
• Governance & Workflow Coordination:
  Standardize communication channels and governance protocols across legal and key business partners to streamline cross-functional projects.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Project Management, or a related field.
• 8+ years of professional experience in business operations, executive program management, or strategic operations within a corporate legal or technology environment.
• Demonstrated track record of designing operational cadence models, developing performance metrics (KPIs), facilitating executive-level engagements, and managing complex timelines.
• Superior stakeholder management, communication, and organizational skills, characterized by meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to data‑driven decision‑making.

• Advanced degree or professional certifications (e.g., PMP, Scrum Master).
• Prior experience providing operational…