Senior Manager & Team Lead, External Counsel Management
Description
The Senior Manager & Team Lead for External Counsel Management at RBC will lead and manage the bank's global external counsel program. This role involves driving operational excellence across all aspects of law firm engagement, overseeing financial governance, managing relationships with law firms as strategic partners, ensuring proper documentation and standards, and mitigating risks associated with external counsel. The role also includes leading, coaching, and developing a team of professionals and leveraging technology to enhance processes.
What We're Looking For
Oversee RBC's global external counsel management program and ensure operational excellence in law firm engagement.,Lead a team focusing on financial governance, relationship management, documentation, and risk management related to law firms.,Collaborate with Procurement, Risk, and Finance to optimize external legal spend and law firm relationships.,Establish and maintain financial governance frameworks for global law firm spending, including rate structures and alternative fee arrangements.,Manage programmatic invoice review, approval processes, and spend analytics for accuracy and compliance.,Serve as the operational owner for the bank's global law firm relationships and support relationship strategy.,Lead performance management programs for law firms, including scorecards and periodic reviews.,Own and maintain standard documentation for external counsel engagements, such as manuals and billing protocols.,Oversee risk controls related to law firm engagement, including conflicts, confidentiality, and data security.,Lead, coach, and develop a team of external counsel management professionals.,Drive cross-functional initiatives to improve scalability, consistency, and transparency across the external counsel lifecycle.,Leverage legal technology and data for enhanced reporting, controls, and decision-making.
Ideal Candidate
Bachelor's degree in any field.,8+ years of experience in legal operations, external counsel management, procurement, or a related field.,Demonstrated experience managing law firm relationships and legal spend at scale.,Strong understanding of financial governance and third-party oversight.,Proven people leadership experience, including building and developing teams.,Strong stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills.,Nice-to-have: LLB, MBA, JD or equivalent advanced degree.,Nice-to-have: Experience within a financial institution or other highly regulated environment.,Nice-to-have: Experience with global or multi-jurisdictional law firm programs.,Nice-to-have: Strong understanding of risk management practices.,Nice-to-have: Experience with legal spend management and matter management technologies (e.g., e-billing platforms, legal project management tools).,Nice-to-have: Familiarity with alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) and pricing models in legal services.
Minimum Education
Bachelor's Degree
Hard Skills
Soft Skills
Work Hours
37.5 hours/week
Benefits
Also Available At
About the Company
Royal Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. As Canada's largest bank, it provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management, and capital markets services to over 17 million clients worldwide.
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