Manager, Counsel - Vendor & Commercial Contracts - Remote

Velera

2d•Remote

About The Position

Join the People Helping People Velera is the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization (CUSO) and an integrated fintech solutions provider. The company serves more than 4,000 financial institutions throughout North America, operating with velocity to help our clients keep pace with the rapid momentum of change and fuel growth in the new era of financial services. Our purpose: We accelerate partners’ success through innovative financial technology solutions and inspired service. The Opportunity: The Manager, Counsel – Vendor & Commercial Contracts is responsible for managing a team of attorneys who draft, negotiate, and manage all of the company’s contracts for approximately 3000 financial institution clients. In addition, the Manager, Counsel – Client Contracts is responsible for creating and managing template contracting documents, advising the business on contractual terms and approaches, identifying and explaining potential areas of business risk, and ensuring the successful completion of the sales process with clients. This role has significant impact on the success of the organization in maintaining clients, securing new clients, and launching new products and advising on strategic product and contracting efforts. Day in the Life: Create and maintain vendor and commercial contracting processes and internal service levels to meet the needs of the organization and its institution clients. Direct the attorneys, including oversee work-product and provide career/development path for staff. Train staff on contracting processes and product changes. Act as an escalation point for complex agreements, templates, and other documents that affect the company’s contractual relationships with its clients. Act as a resource and advisor to internal business owners and external customers in the development and negotiation of client agreements and other general documents (i.e. statements of work, terms and conditions, etc.). Collaborate with, and make recommendations to, Corporate Counsel on the development of standards for contracts, including general language and provisions based on strategy discussions, senior management input, and organizational needs and expectations, while ensuring they meet acceptable organizational risk limits. Establish and ensure appropriate internal governance and approvals are followed in sales and contracting process with client. Negotiate and execute new vendor contracts and renew existing contracts consistent with other contracts and help create updated standards for new/changing contracts. Understand and communicate to stakeholders across the enterprise on the impact of contract terms and requirements. Ensure accuracy and appropriateness of contract text and attachments. Manage and track contract terms and conditions, as well as SLA’s, to ensure alignment between client and vendor contracts, and subsequently make recommendations for continuous improvement. Maintain deadlines on deliverables and communicate on an ongoing basis with all appropriate parties about contractual issues. Responsible for reporting risks that are identified to the appropriate team and/or management. Additionally, responsible for managing, monitoring and reporting risks within the scope of your work area, to include, but not limited to Information Security risks. Manage the team of client contracting attorneys. Identifies process and skill gaps within the team – places people in situations that give them the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge. Responsible for identifying process improvements and implementing the required changes needed to recognize the efficiencies.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited law school (JD).
Admission (and active license) to at least one state bar.
Minimum of 10 years of vendor and commercial contracting experience preferred.
Experience negotiating complex technology and payments transactions.
Strong leadership, management and people skills.
Understanding of contracting and legal principles.
Data, reporting and analytic capabilities that drive continued process improvement and accountable results.
Ability to collaborate with the company’s internal and external legal advisors, sales personnel, and other key internal stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the EFT industry, with ATM or POS knowledge.
Credit Union or banking industry experience/knowledge with a strong understanding of financial institutions, payments industry and customer relationships.
Background and experience with contract management solutions, tools and resources, including CMS, Level Path.

Responsibilities

Create and maintain vendor and commercial contracting processes and internal service levels to meet the needs of the organization and its institution clients.
Direct the attorneys, including oversee work-product and provide career/development path for staff.
Train staff on contracting processes and product changes.
Act as an escalation point for complex agreements, templates, and other documents that affect the company’s contractual relationships with its clients.
Act as a resource and advisor to internal business owners and external customers in the development and negotiation of client agreements and other general documents (i.e. statements of work, terms and conditions, etc.).
Collaborate with, and make recommendations to, Corporate Counsel on the development of standards for contracts, including general language and provisions based on strategy discussions, senior management input, and organizational needs and expectations, while ensuring they meet acceptable organizational risk limits.
Establish and ensure appropriate internal governance and approvals are followed in sales and contracting process with client.
Negotiate and execute new vendor contracts and renew existing contracts consistent with other contracts and help create updated standards for new/changing contracts.
Understand and communicate to stakeholders across the enterprise on the impact of contract terms and requirements.
Ensure accuracy and appropriateness of contract text and attachments.
Manage and track contract terms and conditions, as well as SLA’s, to ensure alignment between client and vendor contracts, and subsequently make recommendations for continuous improvement.
Maintain deadlines on deliverables and communicate on an ongoing basis with all appropriate parties about contractual issues.
Responsible for reporting risks that are identified to the appropriate team and/or management.
Additionally, responsible for managing, monitoring and reporting risks within the scope of your work area, to include, but not limited to Information Security risks.
Manage the team of client contracting attorneys.
Identifies process and skill gaps within the team – places people in situations that give them the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge.
Responsible for identifying process improvements and implementing the required changes needed to recognize the efficiencies.