Contract Manager

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

12d•Remote

About The Position

Oklo is seeking a Contract Manager to join its Legal team. The role serves as a primary day-to-day reviewer and negotiator of procurement agreements as the company scales and develops its first wave of projects. The Contract Manager 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 the current Contract Manager and works closely with Legal and Procurement. The role primarily focuses on procurement agreements for goods and services, while also supporting SaaS, event, consulting, and related statement-of-work agreements. It involves assessing legal and commercial issues, applying approved templates and playbooks, coordinating approvals and execution, maintaining contract records and data, and helping stakeholders understand meaningful milestones and requirements in statements of work and task orders. Oklo describes its environment as a fast-paced, highly iterative startup. Remote employees 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 role may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws; only applicants who meet the applicable definition of a U.S. person may be eligible. Employment may be contingent on successful drug screening, and employees may be subject to drug testing in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.

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 goods-and-services procurement agreements, 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 covering Master Services Agreements, Purchase Orders, Statements of Work, Task Orders, and related procurement agreements.
Project management experience and ability to coordinate cross-functional matters and communicate effectively with different stakeholders.
Sound contracting judgment and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives within established guidelines.
Ability to work independently within defined authority and recognize when an issue requires escalation.
Ability to manage ambiguity and resolve open-ended contracting issues efficiently.
Detail orientation and ability to work efficiently in a fast-moving environment.
Collaborative approach with Legal, Procurement, Product, Engineering, Finance, and other business teams.
Ability to learn Oklo's business, contracting positions, and technical context quickly.
Clear, effective communication; excellent grammar and spelling.
Passion for clean energy and comfort working in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment.
Applicants must meet the applicable definition of a U.S. person to be eligible if the position involves access to information subject to U.S. export control laws.

Nice To Haves

Relevant experience as a lawyer or non-lawyer; a J.D. is not 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 a variety of agreements, primarily procurement agreements for goods and services, as well as SaaS agreements, event agreements, consulting agreements, and related statements of work.
Partner with Procurement to support the 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 Oklo's 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 offer stakeholders practical options and next steps.