Ascot Group · 1 week ago
Head of Legal Operations
Stamford, CT
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$150K/yr - $165K/yr
7+ years expAscot Group is one of the world’s leading specialty risk underwriting organizations. The Head of Legal Operations will lead the optimization and transformation of the global legal function, driving operational efficiency and aligning legal services with Ascot's business objectives.
Responsibilities
Develop and execute a comprehensive legal operations strategy to support Ascot’s global business goals, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and regulatory requirements
Develop and leverage metrics, analytics, and legal-industry benchmarking data to evaluate department performance, identify operational and spend trends, and deliver actionable recommendations to senior leadership for continuous improvement and competitive alignment
Streamline legal workflows, including contract management, e-billing, matter management, and compliance processes, to enhance efficiency and reduce costs, incorporating automation where appropriate
Oversee the selection, implementation, and ongoing management of legal technology platforms (e.g., CLM, e-discovery, data analytics, and AI-driven tools) to drive innovation, transparency, and scalability
Oversee the legal department’s budget, forecasting, and management of vendors/external counsel relationships, ensuring cost efficiency, accurate reporting (including MI), and risk mitigation. Build business cases for funding and new initiatives
Direct relationships with law firms and consultants, designing and managing panels, alternative fee arrangements, and performance assessments to ensure value and quality
Proactively partner with underwriting, claims, risk, finance, compliance, and IT to support business initiatives, foster innovation, and mitigate legal and operational risks
Ensure adherence to domestic and global regulatory standards, internal policies, and robust governance frameworks, overseeing privacy, information governance, and IT security, and advocating for legal exceptionalism when warranted
Facilitate the sharing of best practices and connect internal and external expertise to serve as the guardian of the legal department's knowledge and history
Oversee ad hoc requests, strategic projects, and implement processes/technologies to optimize legal service delivery and enable lawyers to focus on core legal tasks
Lead initiatives in process re-engineering, change management, and service delivery innovation, using KPIs for success evaluation
Lead change management initiatives to ensure successful adoption of new processes and technologies, including training programs, communication strategies, and stakeholder engagement plans that foster buy-in, minimize disruption, and promote a culture of continuous improvement
Demonstrate The Ascot Way in his/her daily interaction with colleagues, fostering colleague engagement and development, collaboration, inclusivity, and individual accountability
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required; JD, MBA, or advanced degree preferred
7+ years in legal operations, preferably with experience within insurance, financial services, or a comparably regulated sector
Proven success implementing legal tech solutions (CLMs, matter management, AI analytics) and driving process improvement
Strong budgeting, forecasting, and vendor management skills, with a focus on optimizing legal spend and experience building business cases for legal technology or resourcing
Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with experience presenting to C-suite and cross-functional stakeholders
Comfort with ambiguity and fast-paced change; proactive, analytical, and solutions-focused
Ability to travel to other offices and on business, domestically and internationally on an as needed basis
Preferred
Experience in a global organization with multi-jurisdictional legal and regulatory exposure
Certification in legal operations (CLOC, ACC Legal Ops) or project management (PMP)
Track record managing transformation or technology adoption projects in legal services
Benefits
Health and Welfare Benefits: Medical (including prescription coverage), Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, Commuter Account, Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, AD&D, Work/Life Resources (including Employee Assistance Program), and more
Leave Benefits: Paid holidays, annual Paid Time Off (includes paid state /local paid leave where required), Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability, Other leaves (e.g., Bereavement, FMLA, Adoption, Maternity, Military, Primary & Non-Primary Caregiver)
Retirement Benefits: Contributory Savings Plan (401k)
Company
Ascot Group
Ascot Group provides underwriting services for the insurance sector.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$350M2025-05-13Debt Financing· $350M
2024-11-13Private Equity
2016-09-16Acquired
Leadership Team
Jonathan Zaffino
Group Chief Executive Officer and President
Marc Amen
Chief Executive Officer, North America
Recent News
Life Insurance International
2026-01-09
2026-01-07
Life Insurance International
2026-01-06
Company data provided by crunchbase