Asst. Manager, Legal Operations & Contract Management

Assistant Manager, Legal Operations & Contract Management

New Era Cap, LLC is an international lifestyle brand headquartered in Buffalo, NY with an authentic sports heritage that dates back over 100 years. Best known for being the official on-field cap for MLB, official sideline cap for NFL, and official on-court cap for NBA, New Era Cap is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collection, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth. The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and some of the most interesting people around the globe. New Era Cap encourages people to truly express their personal style and individuality through its products.

Since 1920, this family-owned business has hired employees who are masters of their craft. We are innovators, architects of culture, experts, and forward thinkers. We demand excellence because we pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the authenticity of our brand.

Interested in working with us? Check out this exciting opportunity at New Era Cap's Headquarters (HQ) building located in downtown Buffalo, NY. This role is 100% on-site, encouraging employees to collaborate and connect in person five days a week. HQ offers an inviting atmosphere, complete with an on-site caf, fitness center, and Flagship store.

Apply to join New Era's team!

The Asst. Manager, Legal Operations & Contract Management is a newly created role responsible for supporting and advancing the Legal Department's operational excellence through technology, process improvement, project management, vendor administration, contract repository administration, corporate record keeping, and cross-functional collaboration. This role serves as the Legal Department's project lead and internal point person for the implementation, rollout, and ongoing support of New Era's contract lifecycle management, contract repository, and related legal technology platforms, working under the guidance of Legal Department leadership, while also supporting day-to-day legal operations, contract administration, repository governance, and corporate records management needs across the global business.

The Legal team at New Era Cap provides strategic legal guidance and support across all areas of the business, including licensing, finance, operations, logistics, technology, marketing, human resources, and corporate transactions. They oversee contracts, litigation, intellectual property, brand protection, compliance, risk management, and corporate governance while partnering with stakeholders to develop and execute legal strategies that support the company's goals and growth.

Responsibilities

• Contract Management Project Lead / Point Person
  • Serve as the Legal Department's internal project lead and day-to-day point person for the implementation, configuration, rollout, and ongoing support of New Era's contract lifecycle management, contract repository, and related legal technology platforms, with guidance from Legal Department leadership
  • Coordinate with Legal Department leadership to prioritize implementation workstreams, including requirements gathering, workflow design, template and clause library development, integrations, testing, training, and go-live planning
  • Prepare and maintain implementation roadmaps, project timelines, milestones, and status reporting for Legal Department leadership
  • Following go-live or implementation of any applicable platform, support the ongoing administration, optimization, user adoption, and day-to-day coordination of New Era's contract lifecycle management, contract repository, and related legal technology solutions under the guidance of Legal Department leadership
  • Support change management, training, communication, and user adoption plans to encourage effective rollout and ongoing use
  • Track and report on KPIs related to contract management and process efficiency
  • Identify and recommend opportunities for process improvements within the contracting function
• Legal Operations
  • Support the day-to-day operational, budgetary, administrative, and technology needs of the Legal Department
  • Assist in managing outside counsel engagement, legal vendor relationships, e-billing, matter intake, and legal spend reporting
  • Maintain and enhance Legal Department knowledge management tools, SharePoint resources, and operating procedures
  • Support governance, organization, retention, and ongoing maintenance of Legal Department records, including contract repositories, corporate records, entity files, and related legal documentation
  • Coordinate departmental initiatives, strategic projects, process improvement efforts, and special assignments
  • Support onboarding, training, and user support for Legal Department systems
• Contract Administration & Cross-Functional Support
  • Conduct intake, triage, and routing of contracts submitted to the Legal Department
  • Process contracts for signature and maintain repository records through New Era's contract management, repository, and related legal technology systems
  • Collaborate with cross-functional and international teams, including finance, procurement, IT, sales, marketing, merchandising, HR, and senior leaders
  • Support and help deliver training on contract management best practices and applicable legal technology functionality
  • Maintain confidentiality of sensitive legal and business matters
  • Maintain accurate, organized, and searchable contract repository records, including executed agreements, amendments, renewals, expirations, key metadata, and related supporting documentation
  • Support corporate record keeping and entity governance administration, including maintaining corporate records, board and shareholder materials, officer and director records, written consents, minutes, certificates, organizational documents, and related governance files in coordination with Legal Department leadership and external counsel
• Keep all sensitive matters confidential
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Experience with, or ability to quickly learn and support, contract lifecycle management platforms such as Onit, Agiloft, Ironclad, Icertis, ContractPodAi, Luminance or similar systems
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process improvement capabilities
• Ability to support change management, user adoption, training, and process standardization initiatives
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and take initiative
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work effectively under deadlines
• Familiarity with contract repository administration, legal records management, corporate governance records, and document retention practices
• Strong sense of confidentiality and professionalism

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Three (3) to five (5) years of relevant experience in a corporate legal department, law firm, legal operations, contract management, procurement operations, project management, or related role
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading a CLM or digital repository system implementation strongly preferred
• Paralegal certification, J.D., PMP, Six Sigma, CLOC, or related credentials are a plus

Travel Requirement

• The location for this position is 100% on-site in Buffalo, NY
• 0% to 10%; domestic and/or global

The salary range for this posted position is $70,000 - $90,000 (plus bonus & benefits) and pertains to candidates located in Western New York. Actual compensation will fall within this range and is determined by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, education, essential job duties and requirements, and necessary experience.

New Era Cap, LLC's casual work environment celebrates individuality and encourages employees to showcase their personal style. We pride ourselves on offering competitive compensation, a generous PTO policy, along with world-class benefits designed to promote health, financial stability, and personal growth.

As an employee, you'll enjoy a range of perks, including paid parking, exclusive discounts on apparel and headwear, and professional development opportunities right here on-site. We can't wait for you to experience all that our dynamic workplace has to offer!