Senior Manager, Legal Operations

Job Requisition  # 26WD98306

Are you ready to take on a pivotal role in a dynamic and fast‑paced legal department? Autodesk's Legal, Government Affairs & Public Policy (LGAPP) team is seeking an experienced and strategic Legal Operations Lead to help scale the organization’s operational infrastructure, systems, processes, and technology capabilities. Reporting directly into the senior leadership team of LGAPP, this role will serve as a key driver of operational excellence, transformation, and innovation across the department.

The Legal Operations Lead will oversee critical operational functions including legal technology, AI enablement, project and program management, outside counsel and vendor management, and knowledge management. In this role, you will play a central part in shaping how LGAPP operates at scale – identifying opportunities to streamline ways of working, modernize legal processes, improve cross‑functional collaboration, and implement strategic, legal‑optimised technologies that enable the LGAPP team to operate more efficiently, effectively, and strategically in support of Autodesk’s broader business objectives.

This position will report to our VP and Assistant General Counsel, Legal, and it is hybrid, based out of Denver or Portland.

• Team Leadership – Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing Legal Operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Align team priorities and operational roadmaps with the evolving strategic objectives of the LGAPP leadership team and Autodesk’s broader business strategy.
• Strategic Operations & Program Management – Partner closely with the LGAPP leadership team to ope rationalise strategic priorities across the department.
• Lead and drive execution of high‑impact initiatives across LGAPP, including new technology and systems rollouts, workflow modernisation efforts, and process improvement initiatives, while partnering cross‑functionally to ensure projects are accurately scoped, effectively tracked, and successfully delivered on time.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and proactively implement scalable process improvements and workflow optimisations.
• Build operational frameworks, governance models, and best practices that enable the legal organisation to operate more strategically and effectively.
• Develop and monitor KPIs, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms that provide actionable insights into team performance, operational health, and areas for improvement.
• Serve as a thought leader within LGAPP, driving innovation, continuous improvement, and operational maturity across the organisation.
• Legal Technology & AI Enablement – Own the roadmap, governance, and ongoing optimisation of LGAPP’s legal technology and tooling ecosystem, including: legal workflow and intake tools, contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms, knowledge management systems, e‑billing technologies, reporting and analytics capabilities, and AI‑enabled tools.
• Identify, evaluate, and deploy technologies that streamline legal workflows, automate processes, and improve operational efficiency and organisational productivity across LGAPP.
• Explore and implement innovative AI and generative AI solutions that enhance contracting operations, knowledge management, and broader business enablement capabilities.
• Partner closely with IT, Procurement, Finance, Security, and Business Systems teams to ensure seamless integration, connectivity, and ongoing support of legal technologies within the broader company systems landscape.
• Drive adoption, training, and change management efforts related to new systems, tools, and operational processes.
• Outside Counsel, Vendor & Financial Operations – Oversee the full lifecycle of outside counsel and vendor management, including onboarding, billing, evaluation, optimisation, and performance management.
• Collaborate closely with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, spend tracking, reporting, and identifying actionable insights from legal spend data.
• Maintain and optimise e‑billing platforms, billing guidelines, and outside counsel compliance processes (e.g. consistent discounting…