Lead Contract Operations Manager

Job Description: Title: Lead Contract Operations Manager Locations: Chicago, IL Workstyle: Onsite Mars does not sponsor visas for this role. This position is not eligible for relocation benefits The Contract Operations Manager leads the day‑to‑day execution, optimization, and continuous improvement of the contracting lifecycle for a large, complex corporate legal department. This role manages a team of Contract Analysts who perform contract intake, review support, drafting, negotiation support, execution, and post‑execution administration using a modern Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platform. The successful candidate is both an experienced contracts practitioner and an operational leader—someone who understands commercial contracting deeply, is fluent in CLM technology (with strong preference for Ironclad), and can translate contracting activity into data‑driven insights that improve speed, quality, risk management, and business outcomes. This role partners closely with Legal, Procurement, Finance, Compliance, and other business stakeholders to ensure contracting operations are scalable, predictable, and aligned to business priorities. What will be your key responsibilities? Contracting Operations & Execution Oversee contract intake, triage, and routing to ensure the right work is handled by the right resources. Ensure consistent use of standard templates, clause libraries, and fallback positions. Partner with Legal counsel on complex or high‑risk agreements, escalations, and exception handling. Monitor contract cycle times, bottlenecks, and quality issues; implement process improvements to reduce friction. Ensure accurate contract execution, storage, metadata capture, and post‑signature obligations tracking. CLM Platform Liaison for MGS Legal Serve as the primary liaison with the CLM implementation and owner (Commercial) for Mars Global Services (MGS) Legal.Configure and optimize workflows, templates, clause libraries, approval rules, and integrations. Partner with Legal Operations, IT, and vendors on CLM enhancements, releases, and roadmap planning. Team Leadership & People Management Lead, coach, and develop a global team of Contract Analysts responsible for end‑to‑end contracting support. Set clear performance expectations, workflows, service‑level targets, and quality standards. Drive consistent training and enablement across the team, including contract playbooks, templates, and negotiation standards. Allocate work effectively across the team to balance speed, complexity, and risk. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration. Template, Playbook & Knowledge Management Own and maintain the contract template ecosystem, including standard agreements, fallback language, and clause guidance. Partner with Legal subject‑matter experts to refresh templates and playbooks based on risk tolerance and business needs. Ensure templates and clause libraries are version‑controlled, easy to use, and aligned to negotiation strategy. Data, Analytics & Reporting Develop and deliver regular reporting on contracting volume, cycle times, bottlenecks, risk trends, and outcomes. Use CLM and related data to identify improvement opportunities and support legal and business decision‑making. Create executive‑ready dashboards and insights that tell a clear story about contracting performance and value. What are we looking for? Bachelor’s degree required 8+ years of experience working with commercial contracts in a large corporate legal department or equivalent environment. 3+ years of experience leading or managing teams in a legal operations or contracting function. Deep hands‑on experience with modern CLM technology; Ironclad experience strongly preferred. Strong understanding of commercial contracting structures, negotiation dynamics, and risk management. Demonstrated experience managing contract templates, clause libraries, and playbooks. Proven ability to use data and analytics to measure performance and drive operational improvement. Experience working cross‑functionally with Legal, Commercial (Procurement), Finance, and Compliance. What can you expect from Mars? Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles. Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today. Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University. An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus. #LI-onsite #LI-RW1 The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment. The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 108,160.00 - USD 148,720.00 Mars is a family-owned business with more than $35 billion in global sales. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL®, and COCOAVIA®. Alongside our consumer brands, we proudly take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCA™ and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our 140,000 Associates into taking action every day towards creating the world we want tomorrow.