Joanna Diaz
Contract Analyst & Legal Operations
Email:
Location:
Central Pennsylvania, US
Seeking:
Remote opportunities in any US time zone
Hello! I'm Joanna
I’m a Pennsylvania-based operations professional with experience building scalable systems, improving workflows, and driving cross-functional alignment. At an AI-powered recruiting software company, I was recruited during late-stage startup growth to architect and implement foundational systems and processes from the ground up. I’m passionate about creating clarity through structure, documentation, and thoughtful process design.
GOALS
I am driven by creating measurable operational impact and enabling teams to achieve their goals through clarity, structure, and scalable systems. I thrive in roles where I can design solutions, improve efficiency, and build strong cross-functional partnerships.
The legal technology landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and I am seeking an opportunity with an organization that is actively investing or strategically positioned to invest in innovative solutions to drive operational efficiency and scalability. I am particularly drawn to environments that prioritize continuous learning and professional development, enabling me to expand my technical capabilities while contributing to meaningful process improvements. Equally important to me is alignment with a company culture that values collaboration, innovation, and employee growth.
While I am actively pursuing roles in Legal Operations, I am equally open to opportunities in Business Operations and People Operations where my operational expertise and systems mindset can make a strong impact.
ABOUT ME
I’m a naturally curious self-learner with a strong problem-solving mindset. My military-brat upbringing gave me both structure and adaptability; two traits that power my work in operations.
Outside the office, I spend my time volunteering, training at the gym, and exploring trails and races with my dogs.
I am:
Driven. I’m motivated by understanding how things work and finding smarter ways to make them better.
Always Learning: I’m a proud nerd with a constant appetite for new knowledge.
Strong communicator: I communicate thoughtfully, concisely, and on time in both written and verbal forms.
I am not:
A robot. I take my work seriously, but I still appreciate humor.
A pushover. I welcome constructive criticism, yet I expect a respectful, healthy work environment.
A child. I’m accountable, self-motivated, and committed to delivering results without needing to be micromanaged.
EXPERIENCE
2019-Current
[REDACTED]
Contract Analyst & Legal Operations
Built and scaled a legal operations function from the ground up, owning contracting workflows, intake processes, vendor management, and legal technology infrastructure across Sales, Finance, and cross-functional teams. Served as primary CLM administrator, leading a 1,000+ agreement migration and managing workflow configuration, approval routing, template governance, and metadata standards. Designed matter-management dashboards and an automated intake system using Google Forms, Sheets, and Slack, leveraging AI tools to build and troubleshoot the underlying scripts without engineering support, delivering real-time visibility into contract volume, turnaround times, and legal team performance. Maintained centralized knowledge repositories, drafted and negotiated commercial agreements, advised executives on contract risk, and led change-management efforts across stakeholder groups. Additionally supported SOC 2 audit preparation, vendor onboarding documentation, and CLM-to-Salesforce data reconciliation to strengthen compliance and revenue recognition accuracy.
2018-2019
Program Manager
[REDACTED]
Oversaw operational performance, staffing, and budget planning, producing reporting used for leadership decision-making. Led performance management, training, and documentation initiatives to improve team quality and efficiency.
2014-2018
Senior Business Operations, Project Manager
[REDACTED]
Transitioned operations to a paperless system, improving efficiency and reducing overhead. Managed a 12-person team, overseeing hiring, onboarding, compensation, and compliance. Aligned cross-team goals, and led multi-project planning and execution.
Autodidact
I'm a HUGE nerd with endless curiosity. I am proactively exploring ways to optimize workflows and reduce manual work. My latest project involved automating intake/triage in a way that also tracks SLAs, automated status updates for team visibility, and creating self-service channel for stakeholders to have instant access to the latest templates.
Transferable to Business Operations
I’ve spent several years driving operational improvements in fast-paced environments, including my role as Senior Business Operations & Project Manager, where I managed project lifecycles, oversaw staffing and budgets, and transitioned the company to a paperless operations system. I enjoy digging into processes to find ways to make them more efficient and sustainable, whether that means clarifying steps, improving communication, or setting up reporting to track performance. I’m comfortable working with multiple teams and stakeholders, adapting to shifting priorities, and quickly learning new systems to keep operations running smoothly. My goal is to help teams work smarter, reduce friction, and deliver results consistently.
Business Operations-Focused Skills
Program & Project Management:
Cross-functional leadership • Project planning & execution • Stakeholder coordination • Resource allocation • Change management • Budget oversight
Operations & Process Optimization:
Workflow design • Process improvement • Root-cause analysis • Standard operating procedures (SOPs) • Intake & triage systems • Operational scalability • Documentation & knowledge management
Technology & Systems:
Salesforce • Netsuite • IntelAgree CLM (transferable to other enterprise tools) • DocuSign • Jira • Google Workspace • Microsoft Suite • Reporting & tracking tools
Data & Reporting:
KPI dashboards • SLA tracking • Volume & cycle-time analysis • Operational performance reporting • Forecasting & trend analysis
People & Team Enablement:
Training & onboarding • Coaching teams • Stakeholder alignment • Communication & collaboration • Employee engagement support
Transferable to People Operations
With a background in Legal Operations and a Master’s in Psychology, I bring a mix of operational expertise and people insight to People Operations. I’ve led cross-functional programs, designed scalable workflows, and built SOPs—skills that transfer easily to HR processes like onboarding, performance management, and employee engagement. I’m comfortable managing projects end-to-end, analyzing data, and working with stakeholders to get everyone aligned. I also pick up new software quickly, which helps me hit the ground running with HR systems. Combined with my understanding of organizational behavior and employee needs, I’m ready to help improve employee experience, streamline operations, and support data-driven HR decisions.
People Operations-Focused Skills
People & Program Management:
Cross-functional leadership • Program/project execution • Employee experience • Onboarding & training • Stakeholder alignment • Change management
Operations & Process Improvement:
Process design • Workflow optimization • SOP & policy development • Compliance & governance
Data & Reporting:
KPI dashboards • Operational reporting • Workforce analytics
Technology & Systems:
Salesforce • Netsuite • IntelAgree CLM (transferable to HRIS systems like Workday, BambooHR, SAP SuccessFactors) • Jira • Google Workspace • Microsoft Suite
Psychology & People Insight:
Organizational behavior • Employee engagement • Coaching & training • Mental health & wellness program design
SKILLS
Salesforce
Microsoft Suite
IntelAgree CLM
KPI Dashboards
Netsuite
Slack
Google Suite
Jira
Docusign
Data-Driven Reporting
Compliance
AI: ChatGPT, Claude
EDUCATION & COURSES
2018
Master's Degree
ADLER UNIVERSITY
Psychology with Military Specialization. Graduated Magna cum laude.
2007
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Bachelor's Degree
General Psychology.
2025
Udemy (In Progress)
AI Agents & Workflows
2025
LinkedIn Learning
From Excel to SQL
2024
LinkedIn Learning
Tableau Essential Training
2023
LinkedIn Learning
Project Management Foundations
ABOUT *YOU*
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Values work/life balance: I do my best work when life isn’t all work.
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Strong communication skills: My skills are strong, but mind-reading isn’t included.
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Invests in growth and development: Career growth matters.
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Fosters a healthy, inclusive company culture.
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Has personality and a sense of humor.