Senior Director – Legal Operations & Innovation Lead
About the position
The Senior Director – Legal Operations & Innovation leads the Legal Division’s operational backbone, driving strategic transformation, digital enablement, and process excellence. Reporting to the VP – Risk Assessment, Monitoring, Governance and Legal Operations , this role is responsible for designing and executing a unified legal operations strategy, fostering a culture of integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement, and enabling the business to deliver with speed and efficiency across global markets. This is a senior leadership role that directly interfaces with the Legal Division Executive Leadership Team (LDET) in support of all the Legal Division Practice Areas. The Legal Operations & Innovation Lead will partner with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to advance operational priorities, technology adoption, and scalable solutions that reduce costs, increase efficiency and effectiveness, and support the evolving needs of the Legal Division.
Responsibilities
• Legal Operations Strategy & Execution Develop and execute long-term legal operations strategies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and align with divisional and enterprise objectives.
• Oversee vendor management partnering with key stakeholders on operational efficiencies and cost transparency for the Legal Division.
• Support end-to-end vendor management processes (intake, POs, matter coding, invoicing, reporting).
• Partner with senior Legal Division leadership on optimizing outside counsel engagement and budget.
• Lead analytics on outside counsel and vendor spend; streamline and scale Legal Ops reporting.
• Process Optimization & Change Management Identify and implement process optimization opportunities using data-driven and risk-based approaches.
• Lead cross-functional teams on long-term projects, from inception to implementation, supporting measurable outcomes.
• Automate manual processes and reporting to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Support evolving support models, including delivery of client self-service solutions.
• Technology, Digital Strategy & Innovation Manage the Legal Division technology stack governance, and related budget – Technology stack includes TeamConnect, Legal Data Management (LDM), Legal Data Warehouse (LDW), Legal on Demand (LoD), and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM).
• Drive adoption of AI, Copilot, and automation opportunities to gain efficiencies in ways of working.
• Oversee annual tech budgeting process and monitor project spend; assess emerging technologies and implement best-in-class solutions.
• Lead digital strategy and governance, centralizing intake and accelerating scale of reusable solutions.
• Work closely with Legal Digital partners to support division-wide and practice group-specific technology solutions.
• Knowledge Management & Service Delivery Oversee Administrative Center of Excellence (ACOE) to ensure focus on highest-impact requests while continuing to build skills and experience that identify complex operational tasks and processes that might be centralized into Legal Ops.
• Curate Legal Division-wide information and resources; manage knowledge/document management strategy and communications.
• Support training and development, upskilling programs, and adoption of digital tools by working with practice groups to expand legal professional support and/or self-service models to meet client needs.
• Champion best practice sharing and continuous improvement across the Division including benchmarking exercises with peer companies.
• Data Analytics & Reporting Lead strategy and development of analytics and reporting to support Division goals and data-driven decisions.
• Deliver automated, fit-for-purpose solutions for improved efficiency and visibility.
• Culture & Colleague Engagement Maintain a diverse, high-performing, change-agile team; foster a culture anchored in integrity, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Support colleague development, engagement, and recognition programs.
• Role model Pfizer’s values and actionable attitudes, influencing enterprise culture to align with business strategy.
Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (JD, CPA, MBA, or equivalent) preferred.
• 12+ years of senior experience in operations, legal, compliance, finance, or related functions within a complex global organization.
• Previous people manager experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams and Centers of Excellence, with proven ability to influence senior stakeholders in a matrix environment.
• Experience in finance, budgeting, and vendor management.
• Proven track record of operational expertise, delivering synergies, and driving innovative solutions with emerging technologies.
• Experience leading digital transformation, technology adoption, and knowledge management initiatives.
• Superior project management skills, with the ability to effectively manage time, prioritize work, and multi-task across many competing high priorities.
• Experience across multiple geographies and functions, with a strong culture of engagement, quality, and continuous improvement
• Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.
• This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.
Benefits
• participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 25.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program
• a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution
• paid vacation, holiday and personal days
• paid caregiver/parental and medical leave
• health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage
Apply tot his job
Apply To this Job
The Senior Director – Legal Operations & Innovation leads the Legal Division’s operational backbone, driving strategic transformation, digital enablement, and process excellence. Reporting to the VP – Risk Assessment, Monitoring, Governance and Legal Operations , this role is responsible for designing and executing a unified legal operations strategy, fostering a culture of integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement, and enabling the business to deliver with speed and efficiency across global markets. This is a senior leadership role that directly interfaces with the Legal Division Executive Leadership Team (LDET) in support of all the Legal Division Practice Areas. The Legal Operations & Innovation Lead will partner with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to advance operational priorities, technology adoption, and scalable solutions that reduce costs, increase efficiency and effectiveness, and support the evolving needs of the Legal Division.
Responsibilities
• Legal Operations Strategy & Execution Develop and execute long-term legal operations strategies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and align with divisional and enterprise objectives.
• Oversee vendor management partnering with key stakeholders on operational efficiencies and cost transparency for the Legal Division.
• Support end-to-end vendor management processes (intake, POs, matter coding, invoicing, reporting).
• Partner with senior Legal Division leadership on optimizing outside counsel engagement and budget.
• Lead analytics on outside counsel and vendor spend; streamline and scale Legal Ops reporting.
• Process Optimization & Change Management Identify and implement process optimization opportunities using data-driven and risk-based approaches.
• Lead cross-functional teams on long-term projects, from inception to implementation, supporting measurable outcomes.
• Automate manual processes and reporting to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Support evolving support models, including delivery of client self-service solutions.
• Technology, Digital Strategy & Innovation Manage the Legal Division technology stack governance, and related budget – Technology stack includes TeamConnect, Legal Data Management (LDM), Legal Data Warehouse (LDW), Legal on Demand (LoD), and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM).
• Drive adoption of AI, Copilot, and automation opportunities to gain efficiencies in ways of working.
• Oversee annual tech budgeting process and monitor project spend; assess emerging technologies and implement best-in-class solutions.
• Lead digital strategy and governance, centralizing intake and accelerating scale of reusable solutions.
• Work closely with Legal Digital partners to support division-wide and practice group-specific technology solutions.
• Knowledge Management & Service Delivery Oversee Administrative Center of Excellence (ACOE) to ensure focus on highest-impact requests while continuing to build skills and experience that identify complex operational tasks and processes that might be centralized into Legal Ops.
• Curate Legal Division-wide information and resources; manage knowledge/document management strategy and communications.
• Support training and development, upskilling programs, and adoption of digital tools by working with practice groups to expand legal professional support and/or self-service models to meet client needs.
• Champion best practice sharing and continuous improvement across the Division including benchmarking exercises with peer companies.
• Data Analytics & Reporting Lead strategy and development of analytics and reporting to support Division goals and data-driven decisions.
• Deliver automated, fit-for-purpose solutions for improved efficiency and visibility.
• Culture & Colleague Engagement Maintain a diverse, high-performing, change-agile team; foster a culture anchored in integrity, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Support colleague development, engagement, and recognition programs.
• Role model Pfizer’s values and actionable attitudes, influencing enterprise culture to align with business strategy.
Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (JD, CPA, MBA, or equivalent) preferred.
• 12+ years of senior experience in operations, legal, compliance, finance, or related functions within a complex global organization.
• Previous people manager experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams and Centers of Excellence, with proven ability to influence senior stakeholders in a matrix environment.
• Experience in finance, budgeting, and vendor management.
• Proven track record of operational expertise, delivering synergies, and driving innovative solutions with emerging technologies.
• Experience leading digital transformation, technology adoption, and knowledge management initiatives.
• Superior project management skills, with the ability to effectively manage time, prioritize work, and multi-task across many competing high priorities.
• Experience across multiple geographies and functions, with a strong culture of engagement, quality, and continuous improvement
• Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.
• This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.
Benefits
• participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 25.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program
• a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution
• paid vacation, holiday and personal days
• paid caregiver/parental and medical leave
• health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage
Apply tot his job
Apply To this Job