Head of Legal Operations (Senior Manager) at Cricut

Cricut is a fast-growing technology company, and our Global Legal Operations team plays a critical role in enabling the business to move quickly, thoughtfully, and compliantly. As the company expands into new products, markets, and operational complexity, our teams rely on integrated, practical contract and procurement guidance embedded into everyday decision-making. We are seeking a Head of Legal Operations to serve as the operational leader and connector between Legal and the broader business. This role supports a broad range of responsibilities requiring strong judgment, organization, collaboration, and integrity. You will oversee contract workflows, procurement and vendor processes, legal spend coordination, and legal systems, while leading and developing a high-performing Legal Operations team. This role reports to the VP, Associate General Counsel and manages a team of Legal Ops Specialists, Legal Ops Analysts, and Contract Managers across both in-office and international (remote) locations. Position Overview The Head of Legal Operations serves as the strategic and operational leader of Cricut’s Legal Operations function, translating legal and business strategy into scalable execution. Reporting to our VP, Legal – Associate General Counsel, this role drives high-level initiative and day-to-day execution with direct accountability for building and developing a global Legal Operations team responsible for contract management, vendor management, procurement operations, and privacy operations across the company.  Contract, Procurement & Vendor Operations (Team Execution) The Legal Operations team is responsible for the day-to-day execution of Cricut’s global contract management, procurement requisition process, privacy operation, and vendor management/due diligence activities. The team provides frontline, company-wide global operational support to ensure vendors, contracts, and risk are managed accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with established processes and systems as well as applicable law. This role requires a leader who excels as both a people manager and a high-output individual contributor. In addition to providing strategic leadership, prioritization, and continuous improvement oversight, the Head of Legal Operations is expected to remain closely connected to day-to-day operations—serving as backup support for Contract Managers and personally handling high-stakes deals that require senior-level attention or complex cross-functional alignment. By maintaining deep, hands-on fluency with contract workflows, redlining, negotiation dynamics, and operational tools, this leader is better positioned to support the team, remove obstacles, design scalable processes, and drive meaningful enhancements—while enabling consistent, high-quality service delivery at scale. What You’ll Own: Contract Management • Organize, maintain, and administer contract records within the company’s document repository and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, including accurate metadata application • Coordinate contract execution using the company’s approved electronic signature platform • Generate standard and ad hoc contract reports for contract sponsors, including recurring monthly tracking reports • Monitor contract milestones such as expirations, auto-renewals, and notice periods, and follow up with stakeholders as needed • Draft routine contract amendments using approved company templates and playbooks • Provide frontline CLM support to cross-functional business partners, including intake guidance, status updates, and basic troubleshootingProcurement & Vendor Management • Initiate, submit, and track Purchase Order (PO) requests within the company’s procurement system • Serve as a primary point of contact for routine PO status, balance, and process inquiries • Support vendor onboarding and due diligence activities in coordination with Legal, Finance, Procurement, Privacy, and Compliance teams • Provide additional procurement and vendor-related operational support aligned with evolving business and team needsStrategic Planning & Business Insight • Align people, processes, technology, and legal service delivery models—including contract lifecycle management, project management, and procurement management—with departmental priorities and enterprise goals • Act as the operational leader for Legal Operations initiatives, translating strategy into operating plans, milestones, success metrics, and governance frameworks • Support long-term capacity planning through analysis of workload trends, contract demand, and vendor utilization, adjusting resourcing models as neededFinancial Planning, Spend Management & Forecasting • In partnership with the General Counsel, lead the Legal Department’s global budgeting, forecasting, and accrual processes, working closely with FP&A and Accounting • Establish systems, controls, and financial governance to track legal spend, outside counsel costs, accruals, and budget-to-actuals with accuracy and transparency • Identify cost-savings and optimization opportunities through spend analysis, vendor strategy, alternative fee arrangements, and workload planning • Provide regular financial updates and forward-looking insights to Legal leadership to support data-driven decision-makingReporting, Analytics & Executive Insights • Lead and maintain a data-driven Legal Operations function, defining KPIs that measure efficiency, effectiveness, risk, value, contract performance, and outcomes • Drive weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting on key metrics such as contract turnaround times, renewal pipelines, and outside counsel spend • Develop executive-ready dashboards, reports, and presentationsVendor & Outside Counsel Management • Design and manage a comprehensive outside counsel and vendor program, including benchmarking, fee structures, performance reviews, billing guideline enforcement, and governance • Negotiate and oversee alternative fee arrangements, rate structures, and engagement models aligned with departmental goals, risk tolerance, and financial discipline • Maintain visibility into outside counsel performance and spend trends to inform sourcing decisions and resource allocation • Ensure alignment across Legal, Finance, Procurement, and Compliance on vendor onboarding, engagement, billing, and oversight processesTechnology Enablement, Adoption & Innovation • Develop and own the Legal Department’s technology roadmap aligned with strategic priorities, future-state vision, and contract, matter, and compliance needs • Oversee the evaluation, implementation, integration, and adoption of legal technologies—including CLM, matter management, spend management, and AI-enabled tools • Serve as executive sponsor and operational lead for legal technology initiatives, coordinating with IT, vendors, and internal stakeholders • Establish standards, playbooks, and governance to support scalability, reporting, operational visibility, and consistent contract lifecycle management • Lead change management and training efforts to drive adoption of new technologies and workflows while ensuring compliance and data security • Stay current on legal operations best practices and emerging technologies, proactively recommending innovations that improve efficiency and service deliveryDepartment Operations, Compliance & Governance • Oversee Legal Operations infrastructure, including project tracking systems, intake workflows, task management, and recurring process calendars • Establish and maintain policies, procedures, SOPs, and training materials related to contracting, procurement workflows, legal operations, and compliance