Kraken Digital Asset Exchange is a global cryptocurrency and financial technology company founded in 2011. Its platform supports the buying and selling of more than 200 digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, with tools designed for both newer users and experienced traders. Services include advanced trading interfaces, margin trading, over-the-counter trading, and custody solutions for individual and institutional clients. Kraken emphasizes security, liquidity, transparency through proof of reserves, and round-the-clock customer support while operating across international markets. Work at Kraken is connected to the development and operation of infrastructure for digital-asset trading and financial services, within a company guided by mission-driven values and an awareness of the risks and regulatory differences associated with cryptocurrency.
Director of Legal Operations
Lead Kraken’s legal operations function, scaling its crypto-finance legal work through AI, automation, technology, and data-driven processes. Oversee operating models, budgets, tools, governance, and transformation.
Description
- Set the strategy, execution, and governance for Legal Operations, Legal Technology, and Legal AI.
- Manage Legal’s operating model, including workflows, processes, staffing, and service delivery.
- Partner with Finance on budget planning, forecasts, accruals, and cost models.
- Oversee legal billing and outside counsel relationships.
- Lead capacity planning, headcount models, role design, and decisions about whether to build, buy, or automate work.
- Manage legal systems, including contract lifecycle and matter management, AI, knowledge management, intake, and spend tools.
- Set centralized ownership and standards for legal technology, and ensure its compliant use.
- Assess AI tools, turn requirements into technical roadmaps, guide build-or-buy choices, oversee secure deployment and integrations, and track returns.
- Create metrics, dashboards, and controls for workload, demand, spending, cycle times, efficiency, risk, and results.
- Build and run intake, triage, and demand frameworks with prioritization, service tiers, SLAs, and self-service options.
- Improve vendor and contractor oversight, spending controls, invoice review, performance tracking, and work allocation.
- Develop and scale legal workflows that use AI.
- Advance Legal’s knowledge resources, including playbooks, templates, decision trees, and guidance.
- Rank operations, process, and technology initiatives by impact, risk reduction, and return on investment.
- Guide change management, training, and adoption for new processes, technology, and AI systems.
- Ensure legal operations meet regulatory, security, privacy, and compliance standards.
- Maintain controls that reduce legal, regulatory, and model risks.
- Help attorneys focus on legal judgment, strategy, and advisory work.
Requirements
- At least 10 years in Legal Operations, legal technology, process design, finance-related operations, or operational leadership.
- Track record scaling legal operations and technology, managing finances, and delivering through data-informed execution.
- Experience taking automation and AI initiatives from strategy through deployment, governance, adoption, and return measurement.
- Knowledge of legal workflows such as contracts, regulatory matters, litigation, investigations, intake, outside counsel management, and process redesign.
- Practical experience improving contract lifecycle management, matter and spend management, intake, knowledge systems, and AI tools.
- Ability to convert requirements into technical roadmaps and operational plans.
- Experience building metrics, dashboards, controls, and OKRs.
- Strong communication skills for influencing legal leaders, executives, and technical teams.
- Ability to work through ambiguity and lead transformation in a high-growth setting.
- Experience in fintech, crypto, financial services, or another regulated industry is preferred.
- Background in enterprise AI governance, model risk management, or secure AI deployment is preferred.
- People management experience in Legal Operations or a related function is preferred.
- Experience benchmarking Legal Operations practices, tools, and cost structures against industry standards is preferred.
- Ability to work from the selected city and country; sponsorship requirements must be disclosed.
Benefits
- Equity program
- Bonus program
- Wellness allowance
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 401(k) plan
- Diverse and inclusive workplace
- Job-related skills or work-style assessments used consistently across candidates
- Requirement to use Kraken products after joining