Contracts Manager

Overview

This role involves managing end-to-end contract operations by drafting, negotiating, and overseeing customer, vendor, and partner agreements with a focus on precision, scalability, and legal compliance. The position requires collaboration across departments to optimize workflows, centralize and prioritize contract work within the Legal Operations group, establish foundations for a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, and improve contract lifecycle efficiency.

Responsibilities

Customer Contracts

• Draft and maintain templates for customer-facing agreements including Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Order Forms, Statements of Work (SOWs), and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) emphasizing clarity and efficiency.
• Create and update schedules and addenda such as Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Adapt contract terms and structures by region and business unit as needed.
• Implement and maintain contract term parameters and clause libraries to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Review and negotiate redlines within established parameters, providing timely responses to customer counterparts.
• Collaborate with Product and Service Delivery teams to maintain accurate service descriptions referenced in agreements.
• Work with Sales Operations to streamline workflows for contract extensions and execution, reducing friction and improving quality.
• Contribute to requirements gathering and design of a customer contract management system to track contract status, key terms, and renewal dates.

Vendor and Partner Contracts

• Draft and maintain templates for partner engagements including channel, referral, and agent agreements.
• Review, analyze, and negotiate vendor and partner agreements in line with corporate standards.
• Partner with Procurement leadership to ensure accurate and scalable vendor CLM systems and practices.
• Organize key terms of partnership agreements centrally for internal reference.
• Collaborate with internal teams to operationalize and track partner agreement obligations and activities.

Contract Workflows and Guidance

• Collaborate with department leaders to establish efficient workflows and systems integration for commercial contract needs.
• Develop and refine playbooks and standards for agreement templates to ensure alignment within Legal Operations.
• Coordinate with outside counsel on escalated matters, complex scenarios, and legal interpretations.
• Provide guidance on contract provisions and their operational impact.
• Ensure contracts comply with legal, regulatory, and corporate guidelines and align with business risk thresholds.
• Work with external brokers to facilitate insurance requests related to contract obligations.
• Prioritize and triage contract-related requests within the Legal Operations function.
• Identify opportunities to automate repetitive tasks and optimize workflows using AI and legal technology tools.

Corporate Legal Operations Support

• Maintain relationships with registered agents for statutory representation and manage service of process or jurisdictional filings.
• Coordinate with outside counsel on corporate entity setup, registrations, filings, board resolutions, and related documents.
• Assist Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) teams with industry certifications and compliance by providing necessary documentation and communications.
• Promote adherence to corporate governance structures for contract signatures and approval deviations.

Skills

• Proven experience managing a high volume of diverse contracts in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of contract law and negotiation strategies with the ability to translate complex commercial concepts into contractual language.
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management software (e.g., Ironclad).
• Advanced understanding of service-level terms common in technology service provider agreements.
• Ability to collaborate with technical teams to accurately translate technical concepts into contract provisions.
• Demonstrated ability to streamline processes, drive adoption of new tools, and collaborate across teams.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
• Detail-oriented with strong writing and editing capabilities.
• Analytical mindset focused on continuous improvement and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of contract management experience in a B2B technology services environment (software or IT services preferred).
• Bachelor's degree required.
• JD or paralegal certification is a plus but not required.
• Ability to work a standard schedule of 8am-5pm Central Standard Time (CST).

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation package.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, 401(k), and paid time off.
• Opportunities for career advancement within the organization.
• Exposure to a diverse array of technologies.
• Access to online courses for further education.

Location

• Work schedule aligned with 8am-5pm CST hours.