Sr Legal Operations Analyst

OVERVIEW Realize new levels of autonomy and professional ownership. At Ulta Beauty, our Legal, Risk & Governance team provides clarity and continuity in ways that have made our growth a seamless venture, with keen insights that have opened up new and previously unexplored areas of opportunity. Through superior leadership and work that continually challenges, you'll have the chance to help set strategic direction through ethical and collaborative thought and practice.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE The Senior Legal Operations Analyst - Financial & Data Analytics plays a key role in advancing financial stewardship and data-driven decision-making across Legal, Risk, and Governance (LR&G). This role is responsible for owning core financial operations processes, including forecasting and accruals, and delivering actionable insights that inform leadership decisions. This position serves as a subject matter resource in legal spend management and analytics, partnering closely with Legal leadership, Finance, and external vendors to enhance financial predictability, improve reporting maturity, and identify opportunities for cost optimization and operational efficiency.

YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY:
* Own and manage the monthly accrual and forecasting process in coordination with Legal matter owners, Finance, and external vendors
* Analyze budget vs. actual spend, including variance identification, root cause analysis, and trend evaluation
* Provide forward-looking insights to support financial planning and decision-making
* Identify risks and opportunities related to legal spend and proactively communicate to leadership
* Support adherence to billing guidelines and assist in identifying inefficiencies or discrepancies in billing practices
* Lead development and enhancement of recurring reporting and dashboards (e.g., spend by firm, practice area, matter type, top matters)
* Translate complex datasets into clear, concise, and actionable insights for Legal leadership
* Identify trends, anomalies, and key drivers of legal spend and operational performance
* Prepare executive-ready summaries and reporting materials to support leadership discussions
* Ensure accuracy, consistency, and integrity of legal operations data
* Identify and lead improvements to financial and reporting processes to increase efficiency and scalability
* Enhance forecasting accuracy and reporting reliability through process standardization
* Recommend and support implementation of process improvements related to spend management, reporting, and data governance
* Contribute to the development of scalable frameworks for Legal Operations processes and reporting
* Serve as a trusted partner to Legal leadership and Finance on financial and operational matters
* Collaborate with stakeholders to align financial data, reporting expectations, and planning cycles
* Support vendor management efforts through data-driven analysis of performance and spend
* Support optimization and effective use of legal technology platforms related to eBilling and reporting
* Oversee data validation, reconciliation, and issue resolution across systems
* Contribute to improvements in data governance and reporting capabilities within Legal Operations THE ESSENTIALS OF SUCCESS
* Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Data Analytics, or related field (or equivalent experience)
* 4-7+ years of experience in financial analysis, legal operations, data analytics, or a related field
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data and provide actionable insights
* Advanced proficiency in Power BI, Microsoft Excel (e.g., modeling, pivot tables, advanced formulas) and Power Point  
* Experience with legal eBilling or matter management systems (e.g., Simple Legal, Legal Tracker, Tymetrix)
* Experience developing reports, dashboards, and financial analyses
* Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy
* Ability to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment
* Strong written and verbal communication skills
* Experience in a corporate legal department or law firm environment
* Exposure…