Vice President, Legal Strategy + Innovation

Vice President, Legal Strategy + Innovation

Ares is seeking a Vice President, Legal Strategy + Innovation to serve as the operating leader and second-in-command for its Legal Strategy + Innovation (LSI) function.

This role is responsible for translating LSI's strategic vision into an integrated operating model and execution roadmap across legal data, workflow, technology, vendor strategy, performance management and innovation. Working closely with the Head of LSI, this leader will help build the systems, governance, cross-functional partnerships and management disciplines required to modernize how Ares Legal captures knowledge, manages work, measures performance and scales delivery.

This is not a narrow legal operations or knowledge management role. It is a cross-functional transformation leadership role spanning operating model design, workflow and product implementation, legal data strategy, change management, management reporting and integrated service delivery. The successful candidate will function as architect, operator and integrator, connecting strategy to execution and ensuring that LSI's priorities advance as a coherent portfolio rather than as separate initiatives.

Reports to: Head of Legal Strategy + Innovation

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Execution

• Serve as the day-to-day operating leader for the LSI function and a strategic thought partner to the Head of LSI.
• Translate LSI strategy into a sequenced, executable roadmap across priority programs, including data intake and workflow orchestration, contract lifecycle management, GC dashboard, vendor governance, spend and performance and next-generation law firm collaboration.
• Own portfolio management across LSI initiatives, including prioritization, interdependencies, resource planning, risk management and executive reporting.
• Establish governance structures, decision rights, working groups and operating cadences that drive accountability and execution across stakeholders.
• Prepare materials and recommendations for senior legal leadership and other cross-functional stakeholders on roadmap progress, key decisions, risks and resourcing needs.
• Help shape LSI's priorities, organizational design and resource model as the function grows.

Legal Operating Model and Workflow Enablement

• Design and continuously refine Ares Legal's target operating model for how work is requested, triaged, routed, executed, measured and improved.
• Lead the design and implementation of standardized legal workflows, intake models, approval logic, escalation paths and service delivery rules across geographies and lines of business.
• Partner with legal, technology and business stakeholders to define requirements and drive implementation for LSI-enabled platforms and tools.
• Partner with the Knowledge & Workflow Management team to embed legal knowledge, playbooks, templates and decision frameworks into workflows and systems in ways that improve effectiveness, consistency and efficiency.
• Drive a pilot-learn-scale execution model across new processes, tools and operating practices.

Data, Analytics and Performance Management

• Drive the development of management reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into operational and substantive performance measures.
• Establish data standards, metadata requirements and process controls that improve the reliability, accessibility and usability of legal operational data.
• Help define the KPI framework and data requirements needed to measure legal activity, legal performance and value realization across the function.
• Use metrics and feedback loops to identify gaps, optimize workflows, improve service delivery and inform strategic decision-making.

Integrated Service Delivery Model Enablement

• Partner with the Legal Vendor Strategy & Management team to design and operationalize an integrated service delivery model in which work is routed to the right resource across internal teams, outside counsel, alternative providers and automation.
• Support governance mechanisms that improve cost discipline, performance transparency, knowledge transfer, data access and accountability across Ares' legal service providers.
• Ensure that vendor-related initiatives are integrated into LSI's broader data, workflow and performance architecture.

Cross-Functional Leadership and Change Management

• Lead cross-functional implementation efforts that require alignment across business priorities, technical requirements and legal judgment.
• Drive stakeholder adoption through training, communications, change management and operating support.
• Build credibility with senior attorneys, business stakeholders and technical partners by combining strong judgment with practical execution capability.

Team Building and Organizational Development

• Help shape the future-state organizational design of LSI and identify the talent, capabilities and support model required to scale the function.
• Lead, coach and develop team members as the function grows.
• Foster a high-accountability operating culture grounded in execution, transparency and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in legal operations, legal transformation, legal technology, management consulting, law firm innovation, in-house legal leadership or a closely related operating role.
• Demonstrated track record leading large-scale, cross-functional transformation initiatives in a complex and fast-paced environment with significant process and data complexity.
• Proven ability to build and operationalize business processes, workflows, governance models and management systems rather than simply administer existing ones.
• Experience owning or materially leading multiple areas such as workflow orchestration, CLM, matter or spend management, outside counsel and vendor management, analytics and dashboards, knowledge management, AI enablement or enterprise process redesign.
• Strong understanding of how to translate legal and business requirements into scalable operating models, structured data, system requirements and measurable outcomes.
• Experience defining KPIs, using data to drive decisions and improving performance through structured feedback loops.
• Excellent program management, executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels with strong judgment, rigor and follow-through.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within or alongside a sophisticated in-house legal department undergoing transformation.
• Experience with AI-enabled legal technology.
• Experience standing up or scaling a new function or operating model.

What Success Looks Like

• LSI operates with a clear governance model, execution cadence and portfolio view across major programs.
• Priority initiatives are sequenced, staffed and managed against defined milestones, dependencies and measurable outcomes.
• Legal workflows are standardized where appropriate and key points of intake, routing, approval and escalation are visible and controlled.
• Reliable legal operational data is captured and translated into management reporting and decision support.
• Vendor governance, spend visibility and performance management are integrated into the broader LSI operating model.
• Cross-functional stakeholders understand their roles, decisions move faster and implementation risk is reduced through stronger program discipline.
• LSI is viewed not as a collection of projects but as a cohesive operating function that materially improves legal execution, visibility and scalability.

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.

$190,000 - $220,000 / annum

The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.

Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.