Legal & Public Affairs Operations Manager

Purpose/Introduction

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP is seeking qualified and highly motivated candidates to serve as Operations Manager in its Legal & Public Affairs department (“L&PA”) located at its headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas.  Chevron Phillips Chemical's L&PA department numbers over 70 professionals, including direct and indirect reporting relationships covering global operations.

The Legal & Public Affairs Operations Manager is a high-profile position that reports to an Assistant General Counsel and serves as a member of the L&PA leadership team (“L&PA LT”) which includes the Executive Vice President L&PA (General Counsel), Assistant General Counsels, Corporate Communications Manager, and Head of Government Affairs. The Legal & Public Affairs Operations Manager is a strategic partner in the effective management and continuous improvement of L&PA services to the enterprise, including:    

Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to identify and implement new technology solutions while optimizing and managing existing solutions to transform legal operations, automate processes, and streamline workflows with a focus on efficiency, accuracy, and scalability;
• Serve as liaison and strategic advisor between L&PA and the Finance and Information Technology departments on core business transformation initiatives and technology solutions;
• Partners within the L&PA LT to lead the development, monitoring and execution of L&PA’s annual objectives and long-term strategic planning in a manner that aligns with the enterprise’s strategic objectives;
• Serve as systems administrator for department-level recordkeeping, legal matter management, knowledge management tools, and related solutions;
• Optimize and manage department financial and budget reporting systems and processes with a focus on data analysis and trend identification for L&PA organization;
• Maintain strong command of and supervise vendor management activities, including engagement, onboarding, e-billing platform set up, troubleshooting, and billing / invoice processes executed by vendor specialist role;
• Lead, facilitate, and participate as a thought leader in L&PA LT meetings, including preparation of agendas and decision support materials so as to promote efficiency and maintain leadership transparency;

Responsibilities (continued)

• Ensure department compliance with enterprise procurement, internal controls and delegation guidelines and processes;
• Assist L&PA LT with the optimization of administrative resources to elevate L&PA department performance and satisfaction of enterprise objectives;
• Adapt to changing priorities and business needs, being proactive in identifying areas for improvement and implementing action plans;
• Monitor, document, and liaise between the L&PA LT and other personnel regarding administrative roles and responsibilities across the department, including proactively spotting administrative issues or friction points and developing and implementing changes, processes, or procedures to constructively address opportunity areas;
• Participate in legal operations associations and organizations to build relationships and a robust understanding of benchmarking and new strategies / models for the delivery of legal services, including public and government affairs facets;
• Lead department-level administrative initiatives / processes, including personnel transitions, training and ensuring collaboration among L&PA personnel;
• Develop, enhance, and maintain L&PA business continuity plans and strategies; and
• Take lead role in facilitating and preparing content for department-level events.

Required Qualifications

• Four (4) year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, preferably in a finance, accounting, economics, management or legal field of study;
• At least ten (10) years of experience working in a corporate, consulting, or law firm environment, including at least five (5) years of applicable experience;
• Strategic thinker able to develop and maintain strategic vision while focusing on day-to-day legal operations and driving results;
• Recognized ability to effectively manage multiple, simultaneous projects, clients, and responsibilities in a highly visible role with considerable autonomy;
• Strong experience in identifying, procuring, developing, implementing, and using legal department and corporate technology solutions (e.g., matter management, automation tools, contract lifecycle management, third party risk tools, etc.);
• Prior success in developing, communicating, collaborating, leading change, and effectively pursuing enterprise-level policies, programs, applications, and procedures;
• Leadership experience supervising or managing project / initiative stakeholders to ensure effective execution and maximum efficiency;
• Capable at navigating financial statements, analyzing and reporting on financial results, and working within financial accounting and internal control structures;
• Proficient in enterprise reporting systems (SAP preferred), and Microsoft Office suite; and
• Strong prior administrative experience with legal practice management and e-billing systems (CounselLink preferred) or similar software platforms.

Personal Attributes

• Self-starter and personally driven to prioritize workflow, seek continuous improvement, and deliver superior work product and results;
• Consistently exhibits high ethical standards and strong work ethic;
• Creative at recognizing and solving problems or friction areas, particularly with respect to core administrative functions, systems, and activities;
• Excellent writing and communication skills across a wide variety of stakeholders;
• Confidence to train and counsel others in systems and processes within span of responsibility;
• Strong ability to research, analyze, synthesize, and effectively communicate complex information with all levels within the enterprise including executives;
• Able to effectively lead, supervise, and otherwise work as productive member of cross- functional or multiple stakeholder team;
• Committed to building relationships, mentoring, and leveraging the diverse talents of L&PA team members and other stakeholders across the organization; and
• Organized and attentive to details.