Contract Manager

Position: Contracts Manager

Location: India

Reports to: Head of Contract Management

Type: Full-time, Permanent

Role Overview

As a pivotal member of the Legal team, the Contracts Manager serves as the first point of contact for managing customer and vendor contracts. This role encompasses the review, negotiation, and drafting of various agreements, including sales, licensing, and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), ensuring compliance with internal policies and legal requirements. The Contracts Manager will work closely with key stakeholders across the organization to streamline the contracting process, mitigate legal risks, and facilitate seamless contract execution and management.

This position demands a commercially-driven, pragmatic approach to legal matters, with a focus on minimizing operational and legal risks while supporting the business's strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

As a Contracts Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Drafting and Negotiating Agreements: Independently draft, review, and negotiate customer and vendor contracts (including sales, NDAs, and other commercial terms) with a high level of autonomy, ensuring compliance with departmental guidelines and procedures.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Engage with various internal teams to incorporate diverse expertise into contract negotiations, minimizing risks and maximizing value for the organization.
• Contract Management: Maintain and utilize a contract management tracking database to ensure timely execution and adherence to contractual terms. Ensure efficient storage and retrieval of all customer contracts.
• Training and Guidance: Provide training and ongoing support to internal teams (e.g., sales, operations) on contract terms, review processes, and negotiation strategies.
• Issue Resolution: Address contract-related issues promptly, escalating to senior legal team members (Head of Contract Management, Legal Counsel, etc.) when needed.
• Process Improvement: Identify opportunities to enhance contractual processes, improve contract documentation, and reduce legal risks. Assist in the development of tools that streamline the contract lifecycle.
• Administrative Support: Provide general administrative support to the legal department, including managing deadlines, filing, and tracking contract expiry dates.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate legal and contractual risks, advising the business on strategies to address potential issues.
• Compliance and Best Practices: Assist in the development of company-wide policies and best practices related to contract management, legal compliance, and corporate governance.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Support key stakeholders throughout the entire contracting process, from RFP to contract signature, ensuring that contracts align with organizational goals and mitigate risks.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• A degree in Law, Business, or a related field preferred (Advanced Law degree strongly preferred)
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in commercial contracts and legal negotiations (Candidates with a strong academic background and advanced legal qualifications may be considered with fewer years of experience)
• Expertise in drafting and negotiating commercial, corporate, and regulatory contracts
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Proficiency in MS Office required
• Understanding of United States or United Kingdom law required
• Full professional proficiency in English, both written and verbal, is essential. Preference will be given to candidates with an official language proficiency certification (e.g. ACTFL or CEFR rating of Advanced (B2 or higher))
• Experience with contract lifecycle management systems (Ironclad) is a plus
• Flexibility and dependability in managing daily work schedules
• Strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders

Additional Requirements

• Work Hours: Willingness to work 8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST with flexibility for occasional out-of-hours work based on project deadlines and stakeholder requirements
• Ability to manage a high volume of contracts while maintaining a focus on quality and compliance
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset that drives practical and commercially focused legal advice