Paralegal - Legal Operations

We are seeking an experienced Paralegal / Legal Operations Manager to join our Legal Department and provide broad-based legal and operational support to the General Counsel and the Company's business operations. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of paralegal experience, a bachelor's degree, excellent organizational skills, and outstanding oral and written communication abilities. The Paralegal / Legal Operations Manager will support a wide range of legal matters, including contract review and management, employment and employee matters, insurance matters, litigation, and general legal department operations. The position will also play an important role in improving the efficiency, organization, technology, and processes of the Legal Department. Experience working in a professional services environment, particularly with an architecture, engineering, construction, or related firm, is highly desirable. The successful candidate will be comfortable working independently, managing multiple priorities and deadlines, exercising sound judgment with confidential information, and working collaboratively with attorneys, executives, managers, and employees throughout the Company. Key Responsibilities Contract Management and Review • Assist with the review, organization, processing, and administration of contracts, including client, vendor, consultant, subcontractor, and other business agreements. • Identify and track key contractual provisions, obligations, deadlines, insurance requirements, indemnification provisions, limitations of liability, and other risk-allocation provisions. • Coordinate contract review and approval processes with business personnel and the Legal Department. • Maintain accurate and organized electronic contract files and records. • Assist with contract negotiations and follow-up communications as directed by the General Counsel. • Monitor contractual obligations, renewals, expirations, and other important dates. Legal Operations • Assist the General Counsel in developing, implementing, and improving Legal Department processes, procedures, systems, and workflows. • Manage and maintain the Company's contract management and legal document management systems. • Administer contract intake, routing, approval, execution, storage, and reporting processes. • Develop and maintain legal department calendars, trackers, dashboards, and reports. • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through technology, automation, and standardized workflows. • Assist with the implementation and responsible use of AI-assisted and agentic processes to improve legal and business workflows. • Establish and maintain organized electronic filing and document-retention practices. • Coordinate with Information Technology and other departments on legal technology and systems as appropriate. • Track legal department matters, deadlines, outside counsel activity, and other operational metrics. • Assist with budgeting, invoice review, and administrative coordination relating to outside counsel and other legal service providers. Employment and Employee Matters • Assist the Legal Department and Human Resources with employee-related legal matters and documentation. • Support preparation, review, and maintenance of employment agreements, policies, notices, and other employment-related documents. • Assist with responding to employee inquiries and coordinating with Human Resources and management on employment matters. • Maintain confidentiality of sensitive employee and personnel information. Insurance Matters • Assist with the administration and management of the Company's insurance program. • Coordinate with insurance brokers, carriers, attorneys, and internal personnel regarding claims, certificates of insurance, renewals, and coverage-related matters. • Maintain insurance records and assist with tracking claims and related documentation. • Assist in gathering information and documentation required for insurance claims and litigation. Litigation and Claims • Assist the General Counsel and outside counsel with litigation, arbitration, claims, and disputes. • Coordinate collection, organization, and preservation of relevant documents and information. • Maintain litigation and claims files, calendars, deadlines, and status reports. • Assist with discovery, subpoenas, document requests, and other litigation-related activities. • Coordinate communications and information flow among the Legal Department, business personnel, insurers, and outside counsel. Legal Department Administration • Maintain organized legal files, databases, calendars, and records. • Assist with legal research and preparation of reports, summaries, correspondence, and other documents. • Support implementation and administration of Legal Department policies and procedures. • Assist in identifying opportunities to improve legal processes, efficiency, and risk management. • Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism. • Perform other legal and operational duties as assigned by the General Counsel. Qualifications Required: • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. • At least 5 years of relevant paralegal experience. • Demonstrated experience with: • Contract review and administration. • Employment and employee-related matters. • Insurance matters and claims. • Litigation and dispute-related matters. • Excellent written and oral communication skills. • Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail. • Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while meeting deadlines. • Ability to work independently and exercise good judgment. • Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. • Ability to handle confidential information appropriately and maintain a high degree of professionalism. Preferred: • Experience working in a professional services organization, particularly an architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, or similar firm. • Experience working with a contract lifecycle or contract management system, such as LinkSquares or a similar platform. • Experience implementing or managing legal operations processes and workflows. • Familiarity with AI-assisted or agentic processes and tools used to automate or improve legal and business workflows. • Experience with document management systems and electronic legal databases. • Familiarity with construction and/or professional services contracts and risk allocation provisions. Key Competencies The successful candidate will demonstrate: • Excellent communication: Able to communicate clearly, professionally, and effectively with attorneys, executives, managers, employees, clients, vendors, insurers, and outside counsel. • Attention to detail: Able to identify important contractual, legal, and factual details and maintain accurate records. • Organization and follow-through: Able to manage numerous matters, deadlines, and competing priorities. • Judgment and discretion: Able to handle confidential and sensitive legal and personnel matters appropriately. • Technology proficiency: Comfortable learning and using legal technology, contract management platforms, document management systems, and emerging AI-enabled tools. • Process orientation: Able to evaluate existing workflows and identify practical ways to improve efficiency, consistency, and accountability. • Initiative: Able to identify issues, anticipate needs, and take appropriate action without requiring constant direction. • Teamwork: Able to work effectively with the Legal Department and colleagues throughout the organization. Additional Information For more information, please visit www.socotec.us Job Type: Full-Time Salary range: $80,000-$100,000