Senior Director of External Counsel

About this role

Job Description

WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY? The Senior Director of External Counsel Management will lead RBC's enterprise-wide external counsel management program. This senior role will drive organizational transformation of how RBC manages external legal resources, to further position external law firms as strategic partners that deliver measurable business value while maintaining rigorous risk and financial discipline. The Senior Director will lead a high-performing team and serve as the owner of RBC's external counsel strategy across four interconnected pillars: financial governance, relationship management, documentation standards, and enterprise risk management. This role will report to the VP of the Chief Legal & Administrative Officer (CLAO) Group Shared Services & Enterprise Legal Advisory, and will provide governance oversight to ensure external legal spend and law firm relationships are fully optimized, transparent, and aligned with the bank's enterprise risk framework and strategic objectives.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED? 1. Enterprise Financial Governance & Strategic Sourcing • Design and oversee sophisticated financial governance frameworks for global law firm spend, including rate structures, alternative fee arrangements (AFAs), performance-based models, and competitive procurement strategies

• Establish enterprise-wide spend analytics and business intelligence capabilities to drive cost optimization and value realization

• Work alongside procurement team to lead strategic negotiations with major law firms on pricing, capacity planning, and service-level agreements

• Partner with other functional partners to influence forecasting methodologies, executive reporting, and ROI measurement for external legal spend

• Champion continuous innovation in pricing discipline, value-based engagement models, and legal service delivery optimization

2. Strategic Relationship & Portfolio Management • Own the enterprise law firm relationship strategy in close collaboration with the Global Head of Litigation and Chief Operating Officer for Law Group, as well as the VP, CLAO Group Shared Services & Enterprise Legal Advisory, and other senior leadership

• Establish governance frameworks for law firm performance measurement, including balanced scorecards, KPIs, benchmarking, qualitative evaluations and strategic reviews

• Lead law firm panel optimization, succession planning, and strategic partnerships

• Manage escalation processes for complex operational or relationship issues

3. Documentation, Standards & Governance • Establish and maintain comprehensive governance documentation for external counsel engagements, including external counsel manuals, engagement letter frameworks, billing protocols, and compliance requirements

• Ensure global consistency and alignment with regulatory expectations, internal policies, and operational best practices

• Drive adoption of standards across the organization and serve as the subject matter expert for external counsel governance matters

• Periodically audit and refresh documentation to reflect evolving regulatory requirements and market practices

4. Enterprise Risk Management & Compliance Oversight • Lead the third-party risk management program for external counsel, to establish risk assessment frameworks and ongoing monitoring mechanisms

• Identify, assess, and mitigate operational, compliance, and reputational risks associated with global external counsel management

• Ensure alignment with enterprise risk management expectations and emerging regulatory trends affecting legal service delivery

5. Leadership & Organizational Development • Lead, mentor, and strategically develop a team, fostering a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement

• Drive initiatives that enhance scalability, consistency, transparency, and maturity across the external counsel lifecycle

• Employ legal technology solutions, data analytics, and automation to enhance reporting, controls, risk visibility, and decision-making

• Serve as a thought leader within the organization on legal operations and external counsel management best practices

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED? Must have: • Bachelor's degree in any field

• 15+ years of progressively senior experience in legal operations, external counsel management, procurement, enterprise risk management, or a related field

• Demonstrated experience managing law firm relationships and enterprise-level legal spend at significant scale

• Proven leadership experience, including building, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams

• Strategic stakeholder management experience at senior organizational levels (C-suite, Board, or equivalent)

• Strong track record of driving organizational transformation and implementing large-scale process improvements

• In-depth knowledge of alternative fee arrangements, legal service delivery models, and pricing innovation

• Deep understanding of financial governance, enterprise risk management, and third-party oversight in regulated environments

Nice to have: • JD, LLB, MBA, or equivalent advanced degree

• Extensive experience within a financial institution or other highly regulated environment (banking, insurance, asset management)

• Proven experience leading global, multi-jurisdictional law firm programs across multiple time zones and legal systems

• Advanced expertise in enterprise risk management and compliance frameworks

• Demonstrated success implementing legal spend management platforms, matter management systems, and analytics capabilities

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? We thrive on the challenge to be our best, progressive thinking to keep growing, and working together to deliver trusted advice to help our clients thrive and communities prosper. We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual. • A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitiv

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