Contracts Manager

Contracts Manager

The Contracts Manager is an experienced contracts professional who independently manages complex commercial negotiations and serves as a trusted operational advisor to business stakeholders across the organization. This role owns high-value and non-standard agreements throughout the contract lifecycle, exercises significant independent judgment in negotiation strategy and playbook application, and partners closely with Legal to balance commercial objectives with contractual risk. The Sr Contracts Manager influences contracting practices through process improvements, playbook governance, and mentorship while helping scale efficient, consistent contracting operations across the business.

Key Responsibilities & Duties:

• Lead negotiation of complex customer, vendor, procurement, SaaS, and strategic commercial agreements by evaluating contractual, operational, and commercial risks while balancing business objectives.
• Manage the complete lifecycle of complex commercial agreements by drafting, reviewing, negotiating, executing, amending, and interpreting contractual obligations with minimal supervision.
• Serve as the primary contracts advisor for assigned business units by providing guidance on contract structure, negotiation strategy, and approved commercial positions.
• Negotiate non-standard contractual terms by applying advanced judgment within established playbooks and escalating novel legal risks to Legal when appropriate.
• Partner with Sales, Procurement, Finance, Information Security, Privacy, Product, Compliance, Risk, and Legal teams by facilitating efficient negotiations that support strategic business objectives.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate contractual and commercial risks by recommending practical business solutions and appropriate escalation strategies for legal review.
• Lead resolution of complex contractual disputes and negotiation challenges by collaborating with internal stakeholders and counterparties to achieve mutually acceptable outcomes.
• Mentor Associate Contracts Managers and Contracts Managers by providing technical guidance, reviewing negotiation strategies, and sharing best practices for contract administration and stakeholder management.
• Coordinate with Legal on high-risk negotiations by preparing contract summaries, documenting key issues, and ensuring timely escalation of legal matters requiring attorney review.
• The Senior Contract Manager will be a trusted partner to the attorneys in Alkami Legal and will often be trusted partners on key business objectives such as monthly SOX reporting, M&A activities and other special projects.
• Maintain accurate contract records and reporting by ensuring agreement documentation, metadata, obligations, and audit trails comply with company governance standards.
• Represent the Contracts Management function during cross-functional initiatives by providing subject matter expertise, improving contracting operations, and supporting organizational scalability.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience managing commercial contracts, contract negotiations, legal operations, procurement, or contract management functions with demonstrated responsibility for independently negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience; paralegal certificate or J.D. is a plus but not required.
• Extensive experience negotiating complex commercial agreements within established contracting authority
• Advanced knowledge of commercial contracting principles, negotiation strategy, and contract lifecycle management
• Strong understanding of contractual risk assessment and appropriate legal escalation practices
• Excellent written communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills
• Experience developing contract templates, negotiation playbooks, and operational contracting procedures
• Ability to independently manage high-value negotiations across multiple business functions
• Experience using contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms and contract reporting tools
• Strong analytical, organizational, and process improvement capabilities

Desired Skills:

• In-house contracts or legal operations experience supporting a fintech, banking, financial services, or SaaS organization
• Experience leading contract lifecycle management process improvements or CLM implementations
• Experience mentoring contracts professionals or coordinating cross-functional contracting initiatives
• Knowledge of procurement, vendor management, privacy, or information security contracting
• Paralegal certificate, contract management certification, or equivalent professional credential

The salary range for this position is: $79,600 - $99,500