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About the Role

The Senior Director of External Counsel Management will lead RBC's enterprise-wide external counsel management program, driving organizational transformation to position external law firms as strategic partners. This role will own RBC's external counsel strategy across financial governance, relationship management, documentation standards, and enterprise risk management, reporting to the VP of the Chief Legal & Administrative Officer (CLAO) Group Shared Services & Enterprise Legal Advisory.

Responsibilities

Design and oversee financial governance frameworks for global law firm spend, including rate structures, AFAs, performance-based models, and competitive procurement strategies.
Establish enterprise-wide spend analytics and business intelligence capabilities to drive cost optimization and value realization.
Lead strategic negotiations with major law firms on pricing, capacity planning, and service-level agreements.
Partner with functional partners to influence forecasting methodologies, executive reporting, and ROI measurement for external legal spend.
Champion continuous innovation in pricing discipline, value-based engagement models, and legal service delivery optimization.
Own the enterprise law firm relationship strategy in collaboration with senior leadership.
Establish governance frameworks for law firm performance measurement, including balanced scorecards, KPIs, benchmarking, qualitative evaluations, and strategic reviews.
Lead law firm panel optimization, succession planning, and strategic partnerships.
Manage escalation processes for complex operational or relationship issues.
Establish and maintain comprehensive governance documentation for external counsel engagements, including manuals, engagement letter frameworks, billing protocols, and compliance requirements.
Ensure global consistency and alignment with regulatory expectations, internal policies, and operational best practices.
Drive adoption of standards across the organization and serve as the subject matter expert for external counsel governance matters.
Periodically audit and refresh documentation to reflect evolving regulatory requirements and market practices.
Lead the third-party risk management program for external counsel, establishing risk assessment frameworks and ongoing monitoring mechanisms.
Identify, assess, and mitigate operational, compliance, and reputational risks associated with global external counsel management.
Ensure alignment with enterprise risk management expectations and emerging regulatory trends affecting legal service delivery.
Lead, mentor, and strategically develop a team, fostering a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
Drive initiatives that enhance scalability, consistency, transparency, and maturity across the external counsel lifecycle.
Employ legal technology solutions, data analytics, and automation to enhance reporting, controls, risk visibility, and decision-making.
Serve as a thought leader on legal operations and external counsel management best practices.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in any field
15+ years of progressively senior experience in legal operations, external counsel management, procurement, enterprise risk management, or a related field
Demonstrated experience managing law firm relationships and enterprise-level legal spend at significant scale
Proven leadership experience, including building, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams
Strategic stakeholder management experience at senior organizational levels (C-suite, Board, or equivalent)
Strong track record of driving organizational transformation and implementing large-scale process improvements
In-depth knowledge of alternative fee arrangements, legal service delivery models, and pricing innovation
Deep understanding of financial governance, enterprise risk management, and third-party oversight in regulated environments

Skills

Legal operations
External counsel management
Procurement
Enterprise risk management
Financial governance
Relationship management
Documentation standards
Alternative fee arrangements
Legal service delivery models
Pricing innovation
Third-party oversight
Team leadership
Stakeholder management
Organizational transformation
Process improvement
Legal technology solutions
Data analytics
Automation

Location

Jersey City

Work Type

Full time
Salaried

Experience Level

15+ years of progressively senior experience

Education Level

Bachelor's degree
JD, LLB, MBA, or equivalent advanced degree

Salary/Compensations

$200,000 - $340,000
Potential to earn more through RBC’s discretionary variable compensation program

Benefits

Bonuses
Flexible benefits
Competitive compensation
Commissions
Stock where applicable
Coaching and managing opportunities
World-class training program in financial services
Flexible work/life balance options

About the Company

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC.
We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world.
Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities.
RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

Equal Opportunity

We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world.
RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.