Contract Specialist

Contract Specialist

Seattle, Washington, United States

Discover your future at DAT Freight & Analytics, where innovation meets impact. For over four decades, DAT has been at the forefront of transportation and logistics, helping businesses move freight with greater efficiency and confidence. We are a technology company that removes uncertainty from freight for truckers, brokers, and shippers every day. Our advanced tools and data intelligence empower professionals to make smarter decisions, optimize costs, and operate more successfully. Through the industry's largest digital freight marketplace and insights derived from over $1 trillion in freight transactions, we provide the mission-critical information that keeps supply chains running smoothly across the country. DAT is proud to be an award-winning workplace that fosters innovation, celebrates success, and values professional growth. With strategic offices in Beaverton, Oregon, Denver, Colorado, Springfield, Missouri, and Bangalore, India, our teams collaborate to solve the transportation industry's most complex challenges. Ready to shape the future of freight technology? Learn more at dat.com/company.

DAT is looking for a Contracts Specialist to join our outstanding Legal team. DAT Freight & Analytics operates the largest and most trusted freight marketplace in North America, connecting shippers, carriers, and brokers through a suite of SaaS and data products relied on across the transportation industry. As DAT continues to scale as a diverse software business, our Legal team is looking for an experienced Contracts Specialist to manage the full contract lifecycle for a fast-growing, technology-driven organization.

In this role, you will own the day-to-day administration, drafting, and negotiation of commercial agreements that support DAT's customers, vendors, and partners, from enterprise SaaS subscriptions and data licensing arrangements to procurement and partnership agreements. You will work cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, Product, Security, and Revenue Operations to keep contracting fast, consistent, and low-risk, while helping mature DAT's contract lifecycle management (CLM) practices as the business grows. This position offers a hybrid work schedule based out of our Seattle office.

What You'll Do

• Manage the end-to-end contracting process for SaaS subscription agreements, data licensing agreements, Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work, order forms, procurement agreements, consulting agreements, partner agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.
• Draft, evaluate, redline, and negotiate assigned contracts in accordance with company policy, approved playbooks, and risk tolerance, including utilizing approved AI tools to facilitate such work, escalating novel or high-risk issues to Legal leadership.
• Review terms and conditions, assess commercial and legal risk, and recommend positions that protect the company's interests while supporting deal velocity.
• Partner closely with Sales, Deal Desk, Finance, Security, Product, and Revenue Operations to keep quote-to-cash and contract workflows moving efficiently, including reviews tied to CRM systems.
• Support data privacy, security, and information-governance requirements in customer and vendor contracts, including Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), security addenda, and SOC 2-related terms.
• Translate contract terms and legal concepts into clear, practical language for internal stakeholders and external counterparties.
• Manage contracts through the contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform and contracts database, ensuring accurate metadata, version control, and searchability across the contract portfolio.
• Communicate fully executed agreements to relevant stakeholders and support downstream implementation, renewal tracking, and obligation management.
• Maintain organized contractual records, correspondence, and audit trails to support internal controls and compliance reviews.
• Support the continued rollout and adoption of contract lifecycle management software, including process design, template governance, and user training.
• Consistently utilize contract templates, playbooks, policies, and standard operating procedures, and monitor adherence across the organization.
• Track all contracting work and report on contracting metrics (cycle time, volume, turnaround) to support Legal operations and leadership visibility.

Skills and Experience You'll Bring

• 5+ years of relevant contracts experience, ideally within the software, SaaS, or broader technology industry.
• Working knowledge of standard commercial contract language, including SaaS/subscription terms, licensing, data protection, indemnification, and limitation-of-liability provisions.
• Experience with leveraging AI tools to solve complex problems, streamline contract review and analytics, and create a modern and efficient contracting environment. Being an AI-native thinker is a plus.
• Experience operating within a corporate legal or contracts department at a growth-stage or public software company.
• Hands-on experience with a contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform (e.g., Ironclad or similar) and e-signature tools.
• Familiarity with data governance (including artificial intelligence), data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and information-security frameworks (e.g., SOC 2) as they relate to commercial contracting is a strong plus.
• Experience working within a CRM/CPQ environment; Salesforce experience strongly preferred.
• Exceptionally organized and detail-oriented, with strong project and time management skills across a high volume of concurrent contracts.
• Analytical, solution-oriented mindset with sound business judgment and the ability to exercise independent decision-making under broad supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, business leaders, and external counterparties.
• Strong sense of ownership, with the ability to both give and receive direct feedback.
• Familiarity with typical enterprise sales cycles, renewal motions, and revenue operations practices.
• Collaborative, self-motivated, and adaptable, with experience working across distributed and remote teams.
• Bachelor's degree, paralegal certificate, or equivalent professional experience.

Why DAT?

DAT is an award winning employer of choice. For starters, we have a hybrid work environment, but we also know what makes a great workplace. We have a time-tested and resolute set of operating values predicated on integrity, mutual respect, open communication, and executing with excellence. These values inform our strategic vision as much as any one of our products does. We've been an employer of choice in the Portland metropolitan area for four decades, and within one year of opening our Denver office, DAT was #26 on Built In Colorado's 100 Best Places to Work In Colorado.

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and AD&D insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Flexible Time Off
• An additional 10 holidays of paid time off per calendar year
• 401k matching (immediately vested)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Short- and Long-term disability sick leave
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Additional programs - Employee Referral, Internal Recognition, and Wellness
• Free TriMet transit pass (Beaverton Office)
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Work on impactful projects in a cutting-edge environment
• Collaborative and supportive team culture
• Opportunity to make a real difference in the trucking industry
• Employee Resource Groups

For Washington-based candidates, in compliance with the Washington State Pay Transparency Law, the salary range for this role is $78,000 - $99,000. DAT considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education and training, core skills, internal equity, and market and business elements when extending an offer.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)