Contract Manager

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

11d•$110,000 - $150,000•Remote

About The Position

Oklo is seeking a Contract Manager to join its Legal team. The role is a primary day-to-day reviewer and negotiator of procurement agreements, supporting the company’s growing contracting needs as it scales and develops its first wave of projects. The Contract Manager reviews and negotiates agreements for goods and services, manages assigned matters from intake through execution, and provides practical contracting guidance to Procurement, Product, Engineering, Finance, and other business teams. The position reports to Oklo’s current Contract Manager and works closely with Legal and Procurement. The role focuses primarily on procurement agreements, while also supporting SaaS, event, consulting, and related statement-of-work agreements. The Contract Manager uses Ironclad to manage matters, approvals, execution, and contract data throughout the contract lifecycle; coordinates execution; and maintains accurate records in the contract repository. The role also applies approved templates and playbooks, identifies recurring negotiation issues, recommends updates, and provides training and self-service guidance, including on meaningful milestones and requirements in statements of work and task orders. Oklo describes its environment as a fast-paced, highly iterative startup. Remote employees are required to travel to headquarters in Santa Clara, California, twice per quarter based on business or team needs. Employees must work in person at headquarters for the first two weeks of onboarding. The position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws; eligibility may be limited to applicants who meet the applicable definition of a U.S. person. Employment may be contingent on successful completion of a drug screening, and employees may be subject to drug testing under company policy and applicable law.

Requirements

At least 5 years of contract management or commercial contracting experience, including reviewing and negotiating procurement agreements for goods and services.
Demonstrated experience reviewing and negotiating agreements for the procurement of goods and services, including support for complex or large-scale development projects.
Strong analytical and prioritization skills, including the ability to assess legal risk and business impact.
Knowledge of commercial contracting principles across Master Services Agreements, Purchase Orders, Statements of Work, Task Orders, and related procurement agreements.
Project management experience and the ability to coordinate cross-functional matters and communicate effectively with different stakeholders.
Exercises sound contracting judgment and balances legal risk with business objectives within established guidelines.
Works independently within defined authority and recognizes when an issue requires escalation.
Able to bring order to ambiguity and resolve open-ended contracting issues without unnecessary process.
Detail-oriented and able to work efficiently in a fast-moving environment.
Collaborative, with a willingness and ability to learn Oklo’s business, contracting positions, and technical context quickly.
Passionate about clean energy and comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment.
Clear, upbeat communication skills; creativity in solving open-ended problems; self-motivation and a team-oriented approach.
Excellent grammar and spelling.
Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible if the position involves access to export-controlled information.

Nice To Haves

Relevant experience as a lawyer or non-lawyer; no J.D. is required.
Advanced Ironclad experience and knowledge of contract lifecycle management best practices.
Knowledge of legal technology, including appropriate uses of legal AI to support contract review and negotiation.
Legal technology implementation or integration experience, including DocuSign or NetSuite.
Experience with procurement of goods and services supporting complex construction or hard tech projects.

Responsibilities

Review and negotiate agreements, primarily procurement agreements for goods and services, and also SaaS, event, consulting, and related statement-of-work agreements.
Partner with Procurement to support acquisition of goods and services for complex or large-scale development projects.
Identify legal and commercial issues, recommend practical solutions, and escalate deviations outside approved playbooks or risk parameters.
Independently triage and prioritize assigned matters and communicate status, open issues, and next steps to stakeholders.
Use Ironclad to manage assigned matters, approvals, execution, and contract data throughout the contract lifecycle.
Coordinate contract execution and maintain complete and accurate records in the contract repository.
Apply approved templates and playbooks, identify recurring negotiation issues, and recommend practical updates.
Provide training and self-service resources, including guidance on meaningful milestones and requirements in statements of work and task orders.
Draft, redline, and negotiate procurement agreements for goods and services.
Communicate legal and commercial issues clearly and give stakeholders practical options and next steps.
Work collaboratively with Legal, Procurement, Product, Engineering, Finance, and other business teams.