Head of Legal & Compliance Business Operations
Roche · Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
- On site
- Full-time
- CHF 200,000 / year
- Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
Job highlights
- Lead global Legal & Compliance operations transformation.
- Drive AI strategy and digital innovation in legal tech.
- Oversee data strategy, governance, and predictive analytics.
- Manage financial operations and strategic sourcing.
- Redesign processes for an AI-enabled future.
About the role
About Roche
A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100,000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advancing science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact. Let’s build a healthier future, together. Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.The Position
At Roche, we believe the "business of legal and compliance" should be as innovative as our science. As the Head of L&C Business Operations, you will act as the "Operational Architect." Your mission is to transform the global Legal & Compliance (L&C) function into a high-performance, data-driven, and tech-enabled strategic partner. L&C at Roche includes Legal, Compliance, Patents, Group Audit and Risk Advisory. You will co-lead the transition to an "Augmented L&C" ecosystem together with the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy and your team of experts, ensuring our operating model reflects the business needs of Roche’s Digital & Data Ambitions.Your Opportunities
Digital Innovation & AI Leadership:- Define and evolve the L&C functional AI strategy, prioritizing use cases for maximum business impact.
- Lead the development of Agentic Workflows and self-service solutions to automate routine legal tasks and embed compliance guardrails directly into business systems.
- Govern the framework for Citizen Development, empowering legal professionals to build their own tech tools safely.
- Own L&C data strategy and governance, driving data readiness, quality, and curation across global systems.
- Shift the function from retrospective reporting to Predictive Analytics, using data to forecast legal risks before they materialize and ensure the budget trends are reflecting the real-time data.
- Execute the "Smart Sourcing" framework, leading the rigorous "make or buy" decision process to determine the optimal mix of in-house expertise, external counsel, and Alternative Legal Service Providers.
- Oversee Outside Counsel and Vendor Management, managing the global panel hierarchy and driving strategic sourcing to optimize the external legal fee budget.
- Execute the operational strategy required to meet the L&C financial ambition and maintain operational data and forecasts for external legal fees to ensure the budget reflects real-world L&C needs.
- Ensure the effectiveness of the L&C risk management framework and oversee remediation of key control deficiencies.
- Support Risk Control Self-Assessments and ensure rules are embedded "agentically" into business processes to maintain a robust "license to operate."
- Lead the end-to-end redesign and optimization of L&C processes to eliminate friction and ensure they are "digital-ready."
- Serve as the primary interface to Roche Digital Technology (RDT), translating complex legal requirements into tangible technical specifications.
- Work in a high-intensity "triad" with the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy, who focuses on strategy, change management, cross-functional coordination, community engagement, talent and leadership, and the Head of Digital Technology at RDT, who provides the underlying tech platforms, architecture, and technical frameworks for initiatives like citizen development.
Who You Are
You are a Senior Leader in Legal Operations, Finance or Digital Transformation with a minimum of 8 years of leadership experience, ideally in a complex and highly regulated global environment. On top you bring the following expertise:- Digital Fluency: Practical experience implementing Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI agents within a corporate environment. Deep understanding of the Legal Tech ecosystem, data architecture, and "Domain Lead" responsibilities.
- Financial Fluency: Expertise in legal spend architecture, high-stakes vendor management and complex commercial models designed to drive cost predictability and operational data integrity required for budgeting and forecasting.
- Systems Thinking: Proven ability to map complex business processes and redesign them for a human empowered and AI-enabled world.
- Interpersonal and Negotiation Skills: Proven track record of successful partnership with senior level stakeholders to achieve results.
- Change Leadership: Proven track record of leading large-scale cultural and workforce transformations, upskilling professionals to adopt new technologies and focus on strategic judgment.
- Collaborative Partnering: Skilled at aligning Legal, Finance, and IT functions, speaking "Lawyer," "CFO,” and "IT" fluently.
Key skills/competency
- Legal Operations
- Compliance
- Business Operations
- Digital Transformation
- AI Strategy
- Data Governance
- Financial Management
- Risk Management
- Process Optimization
- Change Leadership
Skills & topics
- Head of Legal
- Compliance Operations
- Business Operations
- Legal Tech
- AI Strategy
- Data Governance
- Financial Management
- Risk Management
- Process Optimization
- Change Leadership
- LLMs
- Vendor Management
- Basel
- Roche
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 8+ years of leadership in Legal Operations, Finance, or Digital Transformation, emphasizing AI, data governance, and change leadership.
- Showcase digital fluency: Detail your experience with LLMs, AI agents, and legal tech ecosystems in your application and interviews.
- Demonstrate financial acumen: Prepare to discuss your expertise in legal spend architecture, vendor management, and complex commercial models.
- Emphasize systems thinking: Be ready to explain how you map and redesign complex business processes for AI integration.
- Prepare for collaboration: Highlight your success in partnering with senior stakeholders across Legal, Finance, and IT.
Technical preparation
Familiarize with LLMs and AI agents.,Understand legal tech ecosystem and data architecture.,Practice process mapping and redesign.,Review Roche's digital and data ambitions.
Behavioral questions
Describe leading a major transformation.,How do you partner with IT and Finance?,Share an example of influencing senior leaders.,How do you foster innovation in a team?
Frequently asked questions
- What are the key responsibilities for the Head of Legal & Compliance Business Operations at Roche?
- The Head of Legal & Compliance Business Operations at Roche is responsible for transforming the global L&C function into a high-performance, data-driven, and tech-enabled strategic partner. This includes leading digital innovation and AI strategy, owning data strategy and governance, executing strategic operations and financial management, and overseeing operational risk and business process management.
- What kind of experience is Roche looking for in a Head of Legal & Compliance Business Operations candidate?
- Roche is looking for a Senior Leader with a minimum of 8 years of leadership experience in Legal Operations, Finance, or Digital Transformation, preferably in a regulated global environment. Key expertise areas include digital fluency (LLMs, AI agents, legal tech), financial fluency (legal spend, vendor management), systems thinking, change leadership, and collaborative partnering.
- How does Roche foster a positive work environment for its employees?
- Roche fosters a culture where employees can show up as themselves, embracing unique qualities. They encourage personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, valuing acceptance and respect to help individuals thrive both personally and professionally. This inclusive environment is key to their mission of preventing, stopping, and curing diseases.
- What are the primary goals of the "Augmented L&C" ecosystem at Roche?
- The 'Augmented L&C' ecosystem aims to transform the global Legal & Compliance function into a high-performance, data-driven, and tech-enabled strategic partner. This involves leveraging digital innovation, AI, and automation to streamline legal tasks, embed compliance, and provide predictive insights to support business needs, particularly Roche's Digital & Data Ambitions.
- What is the primary location for this Head of Legal & Compliance Business Operations role?
- The primary location for this role is Basel. Compensation details for other potential locations where the role may be available will be provided later in the hiring process.
- How does Roche approach digital innovation within its Legal & Compliance department?
- Roche approaches digital innovation by defining and evolving an L&C functional AI strategy, prioritizing use cases for maximum business impact. They are developing Agentic Workflows and self-service solutions to automate tasks, embedding compliance guardrails, and governing citizen development for safe tech tool creation by legal professionals.
- What is the role of data in this position at Roche?
- Data is central to this role. You will own the L&C data strategy and governance, ensuring data quality and readiness. The goal is to shift from retrospective reporting to predictive analytics, using data to forecast legal risks and inform budget trends.