The Business Partner, Legal Operations is the primary connection between the Digital team and their assigned practice groups The role works closely with practice group leaders and team members to understand their strategic and operational priorities, identify opportunities to improve the way legal services are delivered, and coordinate the resources required to implement practical improvements.

The role brings together legal knowledge, process improvement, technology, project coordination and change management. It works collaboratively with the Finance, Business Development, and People and Culture business partners aligned with the practice groups to address needs that cross functional boundaries.

As a legal practitioner, the Business Partner also supports the development, governance and maintenance of the practice groups’ precedents, drafting resources and knowledge assets. The role also has a collegiate relationship with the other Business Partners working with other Practice Groups.

Key Accountabilities

Practice Group Business Partnering

- Represent the Digital team in practice group meetings while acting as the voice of the practice groups when in Digital meetings.
- Develop a strong understanding of the assigned practice groups’ strategy, services, clients, work practices, commercial drivers and operational priorities.
- Build trusted working relationships with practice group leaders, partners, lawyers and support teams.
- Act as the primary point of connection between the assigned practice groups and Digital teams
- Engage with stakeholders to identify challenges, opportunities and emerging requirements.
- Assist in translating practice group needs into clearly defined, appropriately scoped initiatives.
- Provide practical advice on legal service delivery, process, knowledge, technology and operational improvement.
- Support practice group planning by identifying legal operations priorities and coordinating relevant contributions from Digital and other business functions.
- Work collaboratively with the other PG Business partners to facilitate cross functional outcomes.

Legal Operations and Continuous Improvement

- Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve legal and administrative processes.
- Coordinate, in conjunction with the Process Optimisation team, the mapping and analysis of current processes, including pain points, duplication, delays, risk and manual effort.
- Work with practitioners and operational specialists to design practical future state processes.
- Develop business requirements, problem statements, options and recommendations for improvement initiatives.
- Coordinate the delivery of agreed legal operations initiatives using resources and expertise from across Legal Service Operations.
- Support pilots, implementation, adoption and ongoing refinement of new processes, tools and ways of working.
- Establish appropriate measures of success and monitor whether implemented improvements deliver the intended outcomes.
- Share reusable processes and lessons across practice groups where appropriate and with other Business Partners

Knowledge, Precedents and Legal Content

- Establish and maintain an effective knowledge management approach for the practice group.
- Coordinate the creation, review, approval, publication and maintenance of precedents, templates, checklists, guidance and other knowledge assets.
- Work with partners, lawyers and subject matter experts to ensure knowledge assets reflect current law, practice and client requirements.




- Monitor relevant legal and procedural developments and coordinate updates to affected precedents, guidance and workflows.
- Identify opportunities to improve the accessibility, consistency and reuse of legal knowledge.
- Support the development of document automation and knowledge-enabled workflows.
- Provide training and guidance on precedents, templates, knowledge systems, drafting standards and relevant tools.
- Promote compliance with the firm’s style guide, precedents guide and drafting standards.

Technology Adoption and Change

- Identify opportunities to use existing or new technology, including AI, to improve legal service delivery.
- Work with Digital specialists to evaluate requirements and develop suitable solutions.
- Represent the needs of the assigned practice groups during the design, testing and implementation of tools and systems.
- Coordinate practitioner input, testing, communications and training as required.
- Monitor adoption and feedback following implementation.
- Encourage effective and responsible use of the firm’s legal technology and knowledge platforms.

Portfolio and Initiative Coordination

- Maintain visibility of legal operations requests and initiatives relating to the assigned practice groups.
- Assist practice group and Digital leaders to assess value, urgency, effort, risk and dependencies.
- Develop clear scopes, outcomes, responsibilities and delivery plans for agreed initiatives.
- Provide stakeholders with updates on progress, decisions, risks and outstanding actions.
- Support effective handover of initiatives into business-as-usual ownership.
- Maintain appropriate documentation of decisions, processes and implemented improvements.

Risk, Governance and Information Security

- Act as a role model for information security and support compliance with the firm’s information security policies and controls.
- Ensure legal operations and knowledge initiatives appropriately consider confidentiality, privilege, information security, records management and professional obligations.
- Complete required information security training and promote secure working practices when implementing processes, tools and systems.
- Escalate identified information security, privacy, legal or operational risks.

Skills/Knowledge

- Understanding of legal practice, legal service delivery and the operational environment of a law firm.
- Strong legal drafting, critical analysis and plain English communication skills.
- Ability to understand business problems, identify root causes and translate needs into requirements.
- Knowledge of process improvement, project coordination and change management principles.
- Strong facilitation, consultation and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to influence and coordinate outcomes across teams without relying on formal authority.
- Understanding of knowledge management principles, precedent governance and document lifecycle management.
- Interest in legal technology, document automation, workflow tools and emerging approaches to legal service delivery.
- Ability to use qualitative and quantitative information to assess needs, develop recommendations and evaluate outcomes.
- Strong written communication, presentation and documentation skills.

Experience





- Legal practitioner with experience in legal practice, knowledge management, legal operations.
- Demonstrated experience building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and legal teams.
- Experience identifying, scoping and coordinating process, technology, knowledge or operational improvements.
- Experience developing and maintaining legal precedents, templates, or knowledge assets.
- Experience in legal project management, process improvement, change management or legal technology implementation desirable.

Further Information Any questions regarding the vacancy can be directed to Rhoda Siu on (03) 9609 6737 or [email protected]. For further information or to submit your application for this position please visit the careers page on our website. Please note any offer of employment made by Russell Kennedy to the successful candidate will be subject to a police check. We are currently accepting applications from direct applicants only. No agency referrals will be accepted at this stage.

Our Firm and Culture

Russell Kennedy is a commercial law firm with more than 380 people in Melbourne and Sydney. At Russell Kennedy we are committed to providing exceptional legal strategies and solutions to our clients, guided by market-leading expertise across our key sectors of focus.

We’re committed to making a difference for our clients, providing opportunities for our people, and delivering lasting change for our community. As part of our team, you’ll receive hands-on experience, quality mentoring and access to valuable learning opportunities. We encourage a professional and committed work ethic, while recognising the importance of an enjoyable working environment and balanced lifestyle.

At Russell Kennedy, we respect and celebrate the things that make each of us different. The firm is dedicated to creating an environment that is characterised by equal access and respected participation of all groups and individuals. This is regardless of all differences, including culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, age, religion, personal circumstances, physical features, abilities and disabilities, socioeconomics and sexual orientation.

We believe we have a culture where individuals of all backgrounds and abilities feel included and confident in bringing their whole selves to work, and where your talents are fostered, empowering you to contribute to the success of the firm.

Russell Kennedy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is certified as a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality. We are committed to being a LGBTIQ friendly and disability confident employer. The firm supports and promotes a range of initiatives including, the Russell Kennedy Women’s Network and our Diversity and Inclusion committee, with 3 key focuses: Access RK (Accessibility and Disability), Kaleidoscope (Cultural Diversity) and SPARKLE (LGBTIQ).

Russell Kennedy is dedicated to creating and participating in a meaningful process of reconciliation as part of the broader national reconciliation movement. Our key aims in embarking on our first RAP are to celebrate the deep knowledge of First Nations communities, the longest continuing cultures in the world, acknowledge past wrongs and to begin to build a structured future together where we can play our part in righting those wrongs through our own reconciliation initiatives.

Russell Kennedy is committed to attracting the best talent available and is open to discussing adaptable work arrangements and workplace adjustments for all of our listed vacancies.

📌 Business Partner - Legal Operations (Melbourne)
🏢 Russell Kennedy
📍 Melbourne