Legal - Contracts Specialist

Golden 1 Talent Acquisition Team•Sacramento, CA

About The Position

The Contracts Specialist will be responsible for coordinating and conducting the review of all new and existing third-party/vendor contracts to ensure alignment with applicable law and internal contracting standards. The Contracts Specialist will provide a broad range of contract management review, analysis, reporting and support to internal business partners. Acts as a specialist/expert in providing guidance/advice on a range of contract management matters. Assists the Legal and Enterprise Risk Management teams in implementing and educating business partners on the contract management policies, standards, guidelines, tools, and procedures required to support the Credit Union’s vendor management program. This role will interface extensively and collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders and cross functional teams, including vendors, business owners, Enterprise Risk Management, Information Technology, Information Security, Compliance, Finance, Project Management Office, etc.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, or related field.
At least six (6) years’ relevant experience in contract management or procurement or as a corporate paralegal, reviewing vendor contracts.
Demonstrated/strong knowledge of contract frameworks, contract management, contract language and industry standards. Ability to review and draft contracts and identify legal issues and liabilities.
Solid grasp of governance, privacy and security laws, business continuity/resumption, risk management and compliance principles relevant to third-party vendors. Familiarity with the financial services industry, terminology, products and services.
Must have strong business communication (verbal, written and presentation) skills with ability to write/speak clearly, concisely, and professionally for a variety of audiences.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and workflow analysis skills, including demonstrated ability to quickly synthesize information from various sources, identify key points and effectively resolve issues.
Proven sound judgment, work ethic, and professional integrity with exceptional attention to detail and discretion in handling highly confidential information.
Ability to apply judgement and make sound decisions using balance of data, logic and intuition to inform critical business strategies and processes.
Strong interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to negotiate, influence, and build collaborative, cross-organization relationships with internal and external stakeholders, even in difficult situations.
Ability to influence and interface effectively with all levels of responsibility within the organization. Ability to collaborate with multiple teams to design and implement contract management processes and procedures.
Strong organizational skills, with a high degree of initiative and demonstrated ability to self-start and self-prioritize assignments, make timely and effective decisions, drive accountability and get results.
Strong process facilitation, process management and improvement skills; ability to independently and effectively handle multiple priorities and deliver a quality result within tight deadlines.
Able to work effectively both independently and in a team.
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Visio, Outlook, PowerPoint). Experience with leveraging systems, tools, and techniques to enhance and automate processes. Familiarity with contract management software.
Prolonged sitting throughout the workday with occasional mobility required.
Corrected vision within the normal range.
Hearing within normal range. A device to enhance hearing will be provided if needed.
Ability to lift 15 lbs. as may be required.
Occasional movements throughout the department daily to interact with staff, accomplish tasks, etc.
Unusually long or inconsistent hours may be required to accomplish tasks.
Travel may be needed to accomplish tasks. Overnight travel is sometimes necessary. Occasional weekend and evening schedules required.

Nice To Haves

Paralegal certification would be a plus.
Familiarity with financial industry laws and regulations and/or similar highly regulated industry is preferred.

Responsibilities

Independently review, evaluate, and/or draft contractual documents, including but not limited to Master Services Agreements, Statements of Work, Order Forms, and Non-Disclosure Agreements. Analyze and interpret terms and conditions of routine and non-routine agreements and contracts.
Collaborate with the Credit Union’s attorneys, Compliance specialists, and subject matter experts to ensure contract terms comply with legal and regulatory requirements, policies, standards, and business needs.
Assist in the development of standard contract language to be included in proposals and contracts by serving as the primary liaison for key stakeholders in developing required contract language and provisions.
Manage and lead the contract review process and workflow by acting as a point of contact for internal and external parties and coordinating review by all stakeholders (for example, business partners, Compliance, and Information Security) in alignment with established policies and procedures.
Manage and maintain data integrity of contract review software system, ensuring consistency and best practices are followed.
Proactively seek to identify and implement opportunities for improvement in third- party/vendor contract review and negotiation, controls, processes and systems. Assist with efforts to rationalize and simplify documentation and processes, where appropriate.
Develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships and trust with key stakeholders across business units and corporate areas (e.g., Legal, Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Information Security, Information Technology).
Maintain a thorough understanding of state and federal laws and regulations related to credit union compliance including bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws appropriate to the position.
Maintain an ever-growing knowledge of third-party/vendor risk and contract management industry trends, best practices and techniques that can be practically applied at Golden 1.
Champion and provide awareness of the contract review process and vendor management program throughout the organization; train and advise internal staff on contract management processes.
Perform other duties as required to support the Legal department and the Credit Union.