Sr. Manager - Outside Counsel and Legal Operations

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, You Can Do Work That Matters, Grow, And Learn, Care For Yourself And Family, Be Your True Self And Live a Full Life. You’ll Also Have Access To

​

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

​

The Opportunity 

This position works onsite out of our headquarters at Abbott Park, Illinois or Chicago, Illinois at Abbott’s Willis Tower location.

​

Abbott is seeking an attorney with a passion for creative and critical thinking to fill this position. The Senior Manager, Outside Counsel & Legal Operations is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing an array of programs to assist the in-house legal team maximize the value of legal services to the company. The ideal candidate is familiar with a broad range of legal issues and current trends, and who can interact with Legal leadership (including the General Counsel). This is a unique opportunity to play a critical role in Abbott’s Outside Counsel Management Program.

​

What You’ll Work On

​

• Partner with Abbott’s Legal team to select and evaluate appropriate outside counsel and legal vendors to ensure quality of service and maximize value, support active law firm management.
• Participate in developing and implementing strategic outside counsel initiatives supporting DEI, spend management, training, and pro bono.
• Negotiate preferential rates and fee arrangements, manage RFP process, and oversee annual outside counsel rate increase request process.
• Analyze potential conflicts of interest and draft waivers, as appropriate; manage Abbott’s standard terms of engagement, draft and negotiate engagement letters.
• Drive strategy for using analytics and business intelligence to assess outside counsel work and spend; identify opportunities for improving efficiencies and driving value. 
• Collaborate internally and externally to analyze and improve processes and develop innovative solutions; develop communication strategy regarding outside counsel processes and initiatives.
• Leverage existing technology, identify new technologies and implement tools to increase business intelligence and efficiency.
• Participate in industry organizations to build a robust benchmarking and performance assessment program, benchmark approaches and identify new strategies and models for the delivery of legal services.
• Organize outside counsel educational meetings and training programs.
• Supervise direct report(s).

​

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor
• Ideally 2+ years strategic operations experience, preferably with legal
• Excellent analytical skills (problem structuring and problem solving); able to handle complex analysis.
• Excellent communication and conceptual synthesis skills (written and oral)
• Excellent project management skills
• Tech-savvy; comfortable exploring and using new technologies.
• Outstanding flexibility, adaptability, and sense of accountability
• Strong attention to detail, good judgement, and strong time management skills 

​

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 to 10 years of legal experience
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across a global, matrixed company.
• Passionate, positive attitude with ability to motivate others to perform their best.

​

Location

• Located at Abbott’s headquarters in Abbott Park, Illinois or at our Chicago office, Willis Tower.

​

Apply Now

•  Participants who complete a short wellness assessment qualify for FREE coverage in our HIP PPO medical plan. Free coverage applies in the next calendar year.

​

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: Visit our Website

​

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

​

Connect with us at Abbott Website, on Facebook at Abbott Facebook and on X (formerly Twitter) @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

​

The base pay for this position is $125,300.00 – $250,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.