Atlassian is a global software company whose products, including Jira and Confluence, are widely used to support collaboration, project management, and software development across organizations worldwide.
Atlassian sought a leader who could help modernize and scale legal operations through technology, innovation, and operational strategy. The company and its 100-person legal department needed someone who could combine technical fluency with strong leadership presence and credibility across senior stakeholders.
Scope of the Search
Atlassian partnered with Kerwin to recruit a Head of Legal Technology, Innovation and Operations.
The mission for this role was to conduct a nationwide search, reflecting the company’s remote-first environment. The ideal candidate needed to be a seasoned, technology-first leader, preferably with an engineering background, who also demonstrated exceptional communication skills, strong leadership presence, and a proven ability to develop and manage high-performing talent. The unique challenge of the search was identifying a deeply technical executive who could also bring the gravitas and polished communication style that aligned seamlessly with the company’s legal leadership team.
Challenges
The search required identifying candidates with an uncommon combination of capabilities:
- Experience leading legal operations or legal technology initiatives
- Strong technology fluency and systems orientation
- Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills
- The ability to bridge legal, operational, and technical teams
The candidate market spanned multiple backgrounds, including legal operations, legal technology, product, engineering, IT, and in-house legal environments. Many candidates possessed strong traditional legal operations experience, but fewer demonstrated the broader innovation mindset and leadership profile Atlassian prioritized.
Our Approach
Kerwin partnered closely with Atlassian leadership to refine the role profile, align on target backgrounds, and calibrate against example candidates early in the process.
The search strategy combined targeted market mapping with a highly curated assessment process focused on:
- Technology and innovation experience
- Strategic and operational leadership
- Communication style and executive presence
- Ability to operate cross-functionally within a complex global organization
Kerwin conducted a broad national search across legal technology, traditional legal operations, software, SaaS, and adjacent innovation-focused environments, maintaining close alignment with stakeholders throughout the process.
Results
Kerwin successfully placed a Head of Legal Technology, Innovation and Operations within approximately three months.
The successful candidate brought a unique blend of legal training, deep technical expertise, and executive-level communication skills, aligning closely with Atlassian’s vision for the role and the future direction of its legal organization.
Impact
The hire strengthened Atlassian’s ability to advance legal innovation initiatives and scale the legal function’s use of technology, systems, and operational processes.
The search also demonstrated Kerwin’s ability to navigate complex and evolving talent markets, assess cross-functional leadership capability, and deliver candidates who meet both technical and cultural requirements for high-impact leadership roles.
A key factor in the success of this search was the outstanding partnership between Atlassian and Kerwin. The General Counsel and Talent Partner were deeply engaged throughout the process, demonstrating a strong commitment to achieving the right outcome rather than simply filling the role. They consistently evaluated candidates, sought ongoing market intelligence, and welcomed Kerwin’s perspective on how the talent landscape was evolving. As the search progressed, it became increasingly clear that success in the role would be defined not only by technical expertise but also by communication style, organized thinking, and the ability to effectively engage with engineering and other cross-functional stakeholders. The collaborative, transparent, and highly communicative partnership between Atlassian and Kerwin was instrumental in delivering an exceptional result.