Director, Legal Operations | Hybrid | Reston, VA

About Ellucian

Ellucian is a global market leader in education technology. We power innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,800 customers across 50 countries and serving over 20 million students. Ellucian's AI‑powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for all students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best‑in‑class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future.

These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, from student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners, and user community of more than 45,000 provide best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

We embrace the power to lead
, the courage to innovate
, and the determination to grow
. At our core, we believe in humanizing our approach, recognizing that our people are our greatest strength. With a shared vision of transformation
, we endeavor to shape a brighter future for higher education.

The Director, Legal Operations leads the operational strategy and infrastructure of Ellucian’s global Legal Department to ensure efficient, data‑driven, and scalable legal service delivery aligned with business objectives. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, this role partners closely with Legal leadership, Finance, IT, and other cross‑functional teams to modernize legal operations through technology, process optimization, vendor strategy, financial management, and analytics.

This role requires strong operational judgment, change leadership, and the ability to balance near‑term priorities with long‑term transformation. The Director will apply technology, automation, and data to improve efficiency, enhance visibility, and free legal talent for high‑value strategic work. This is a hybrid, in‑person role based in Ellucian’s Reston, VA headquarters.

• Legal Operations Strategy & Leadership
  • Define and execute the Legal Department’s operational strategy to support business growth, risk management, and scalability.
  • Serve as a strategic partner to the CLO and Legal leadership, providing operational insight and execution support.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop the Legal Operations team, fostering accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Support execution of the Legal Department’s operational strategy and annual priorities.
  • Manage day‑to‑day legal operations programs, timelines, and deliverables.
  • Provide operational support to Legal leadership, including preparation for leadership meetings and reporting forums.
• Technology, Process & Transformation
  • Own the Legal technology strategy, including system selection, implementation, optimization, governance, and ROI measurement.
  • Drive continuous optimization of legal workflows (e.g., matter intake, contract lifecycle management, knowledge management).
  • Partner with internal stakeholders, including IT and Engineering to leverage existing platforms and develop solutions for legal analytics, reporting, and insights.
  • Lead change management for new tools, processes, and policies; maintain documentation, playbooks, and standard operating procedures.
  • Manage adoption of automation, AI tools, and analytics to improve efficiency and reduce cycle times.
  • Oversee effective use of AI, automation, vendors, and consultants to deliver measurable efficiency gains.
• Financial & Vendor Management
  • Manage the Legal Department budget, including forecasting.
  • Oversee outside counsel and alternative legal service spend to ensure efficient engagement and value.
  • Manage vendor and technology ROI analysis.
  • Metrics, Reporting & Analytics
  • Establish and maintain KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to drive data‑informed decision‑making and demonstrate Legal’s value.
  • Provide workload visibility, performance analysis, and resource planning insights.
  • Identify…