Legal Operations Manager

Description

Who are we?

Western National Insurance Group is a private mutual insurance company with over 120 years of experience serving customers' property-and-casualty insurance needs in the Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southwestern United States. Known as “The Relationship Company®,” we define success as a measure of the relationships we’ve built over time. In everything that we do, we know that delivering a friendly and helpful interaction makes for a better experience for everyone involved. That’s the power of “nice”. At Western National, nice is something we work to bring to every person and organization with whom we partner and serve.

Does this opportunity interest you?

Western National is seeking a Legal Operations Manager to join our team!  The individual in this role will have the opportunity to play a critical role in supporting regulatory compliance, legal operations, and risk management across our Property & Casualty insurance business. This position exercises independent judgment and discretion in regulatory filings, project management of compliance and process improvement initiatives, and legislative monitoring within a collaborative and fast-paced legal department.  This role is ideal for a seasoned legal operations or paralegal professional with strong P&C insurance regulatory experience who thrives in a dynamic, hands-on environment.

What are the responsibilities and opportunities of this role?

Regulatory & Compliance Operations

• Research, prepare, and submit regulatory filings, annual reports, and other state-required submissions.
• Track, interpret, and coordinate responses to regulatory surveys, market conduct examinations, and compliance inquiries.
• Monitor Department of Insurance (DOI) review statuses and coordinate responses to regulator objections and requests.
• Maintain regulatory calendars, monitor deadlines, and ensure complete and accurate documentation of submissions and approvals.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments; analyze business impact and assess compliance risks and gaps.
• Conduct legal and regulatory research related to P&C statutes, rules, bulletins, and industry  standards.

Legal Operations & Process Improvement

• Manage projects across all phases, including planning, stakeholder coordination, documentation, and change management.
• Identify, map, and improve legal and enterprise processes; develop documentation and procedures to enhance operational efficiency.
• Implement and maintain legal document organization systems, repositories, and retention schedules.
• Track outside counsel spend and support legal budget oversight.

Contract & Risk Support

• Partner with Vendor Management to draft, review, and organize contracts.
• Perform preliminary risk assessments and determine when escalation to attorneys is required.
• Anticipate attorneys’ needs by conducting research, drafting documents, and managing communications.
• Assist with litigation support as needed.

Decision-Making & Impact

• Exercise independent judgment and  discretion in progressing regulatory, operational, and risk-related initiatives.
• Partner with business leaders and  in-house counsel to evaluate regulatory changes and strategic impacts.
• Identify opportunities to  strengthen compliance frameworks and enterprise risk mitigation.

Requirements

What are the must-have qualifications for a candidate?

•  5–10+ years of legal operations or paralegal experience (in-house preferred).
• 3–5+ years of Property & Casualty insurance experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of P&C insurance regulations, forms, compliance frameworks, and Department of Insurance processes.
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Exceptional organization, project management, and time-management skills.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on significant matters.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across business units.
• Creative, pragmatic, and flexible problem-solving approach.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and enterprise systems.
• Experience with document management and contract management platforms.
• Ability to manage regulatory tracking tools and reporting systems.

What will our ideal candidate have?

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
• Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Certified Paralegal (CP, ACP, or similar)
• Project Management Professional (PMP or similar)
• Legal Operations certification (CLOC or similar)

Compensation overview

The hiring range for this role is $83,100 – 103,900 annually. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on the job-related knowledge, skills, credentials, and experience of each candidate as well as other factors such as the scope and location of the role. Candidates looking for compensation outside of the posted range are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on their individual qualifications and/or may be considered for other positions.

Culture and Total Rewards

Western National has long been known as “The Relationship Company®” and caring for our employees is part of that relationship commitment. We value connectiveness, empowerment, and accountability, and we believe that our employees are our biggest asset. 

Currently ranked as the 41st largest private company by revenue in Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal), Western National has earned accolades year-over-year as an employer of choice and garnered multiple awards for wellness in the workplace. Western National has also been named a Top Workplace by the Star Tribune for consecutive years. In addition, the Group is consistently recognized as a Ward’s 50 property-and-casualty insurance company for its outstanding financial results.

Western National offers full-time employees a significant Total Rewards Package, including:

• Medical insurance plan options and other standard employee benefits, including dental insurance, vision benefits, life insurance, disability insurance, and more!
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) Plan (participants are eligible for 100% matching on the first 6% of their contributions)
• Wellbeing Program, including onsite fitness studio
• Paid Time Off – including holiday, vacation, and volunteer
• 100% company-paid tuition reimbursement for approved job-relevant coursework and access to The Institutes (Risk and insurance education)
• Paid parental leave
• Bonus opportunities

Western National believes in supporting balance between work and life by providing a flexible work environment, which includes a variety of hybrid and remote work arrangements designed to balance individual, job, department, and company needs. 

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Western National provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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