Contracts Attorney

Total Compensation is targeted at $175K – $250K. To be determined based on candidate's credentials, experiences, and potential value to the department / firm.

Contracts Attorney

Position Overview

Our client is a leading institutional investment firm known for its disciplined investment philosophy, collaborative culture, and long-standing relationships with institutional capital partners. It offers a work environment that values precision, transparency, and operational excellence.

Currently, they seek to hire a Contracts Attorney to join its growing Legal team offering support to the firm’s procurement and vendor management function. This position is designed for a legally trained professional who brings both attention to detail and a practical understanding of commercial contract law. The role supports a sourcing organization that manages a diverse portfolio of vendor relationships across the enterprise.

The Contracts Attorney will work alongside procurement leads, legal counsel, and senior business stakeholders to negotiate agreements, manage documentation, and ensure that contract terms reflect both legal standards and business needs. The role offers meaningful exposure to the operational and legal frameworks that support a complex financial organization and is well suited to someone who thrives in a role that blends legal precision with cross-functional coordination.

This is an opportunity for a thoughtful, solutions-oriented legal professional to contribute to a high-performing team, with the chance to help shape contract governance practices in a fast-paced and highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities will include (but not me limited to):

Serving as a core member of the Legal & Procurement function, the Contracts Attorney will be instrumental in elevating the firm's contract governance standards, accelerating commercial negotiations, and championing scalable, best-in-class legal workflows. This individual will act as a change agent, actively identifying opportunities to refine processes, reduce legal and operational friction, and promote a culture of accountability and precision in contract execution.

• Drafting, negotiating, and executing a wide array of vendor agreements, consulting contracts, NDAs, amendments, renewals, and service-level agreements, ensuring each engagement aligns with the firm’s legal and commercial risk thresholds.
• Partnering closely with Sourcing Managers and Procurement leadership to advise on contractual structure, enforce policy standards, and streamline intake-to-execution workflows across the firm.
• Translating complex legal provisions into business-aligned terms, enabling decision-makers across Technology, Operations, Compliance, and Finance to act confidently and in alignment with enterprise objectives.
• Leading redline discussions and contract revisions with internal stakeholders and external vendors, applying both technical legal expertise and diplomatic negotiation skills.
• Maintaining high-precision version control and documentation standards, supporting the firm’s internal audit, regulatory compliance, and contract lifecycle protocols.
• Enhancing cross-functional coordination by serving as a legal liaison between procurement, legal counsel, business units, and executive stakeholders.
• Championing continuous improvement by identifying structural inefficiencies in current contract management processes and recommending automation, standardization, or policy enhancements.
• Contributing to knowledge management and institutional memory by refining playbooks, clause libraries, and template agreements in collaboration with senior legal leadership.
• Tracking contractual milestones such as renewals, obligations, and terminations, ensuring the firm maintains visibility into key vendor relationships and contractual risks.
• This role demands not only a strong legal foundation but also a proactive mindset, intellectual agility, and the ability to influence enterprise-wide practices through sound judgment, clarity, and execution.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) required; bar admission preferred (active or inactive).
• Minimum 3+ years of experience in contract negotiation or commercial law, ideally with exposure to procurement, vendor governance, or legal operations.
• A minimum of 6+ years of total professional experience, preferably within financial services, asset management, or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience with ERP systems such as PeopleSoft Financials, Oracle, or SAP.
• Familiarity with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools or Source-to-Pay platforms.
• Understanding of Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) principles and foundational contract law.
• Exposure to third-party risk management, legal technology systems, or procurement transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to distill legal nuance into actionable business advice and to draft, revise, and interpret contracts with precision and speed.
• Strong interpersonal presence and the ability to interface with senior executives, legal counsel, and sourcing professionals in high-stakes environments.
• Proven capacity to manage multiple matters simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines in a complex, high-accountability culture.
• Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to produce clear legal summaries, business-facing commentary, and stakeholder communications.
• Highly organized, with mastery of document versioning, contract tracking, and workflow prioritization in dynamic settings.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint), Adobe Acrobat Pro, and electronic signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign).