Senior Contracts Manager

Zūm•Redwood City, CA

4d•$185,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Zūm is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zūm CMX™) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zūm CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 6,500 schools rely on Zūm CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zūm has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zūm is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, TPG, and Softbank. We're looking for a Senior Contracts Manager who's ready to own our contract lifecycle from the ground up. This isn’t a “maintain the status quo” position — it’s a builder’s role. You'll take full ownership of our Linksquares CLM platform, design and implement the processes and workflows that scale with our growth, and serve as a trusted commercial contracts negotiator across the business. You'll work cross-functionally, move fast, and have a direct hand in shaping how Zum operates. Fair warning: This is a high-volume, fast-paced environment. If you require heavy hand-holding or prefer to move slowly, this one isn’t for you. But if you’re energized by building something meaningful with speed and autonomy, like to roll up your sleeves and make a big impact, keep reading! This role is required to be in-office Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at our headquarters in Redwood City, CA. We will only consider candidates currently living and within a reasonable commuting distance to our Bay Area HQ.

Requirements

5–10 years of experience in contracts management, commercial legal operations, or a related field
Hands-on experience administering and configuring a CLM platform (Linksquares strongly preferred)
Proven track record as a commercial contracts negotiator, you can independently handle deals from kickoff through execution
Demonstrated ability to build contract processes, workflows, and systems from scratch
Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of building trust and credibility with cross-functional stakeholders
Self-starter mentality: you're comfortable with ambiguity, take initiative, and don't wait to be told what to do
Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage a high volume of contracts simultaneously while maintaining great consistent work product
Bachelor's degree required; JD or paralegal certification a plus

Nice To Haves

Direct, hands-on experience with Linksquares (administration, reporting, workflow configuration)
Experience implementing AI-powered tools or integrations within a CLM environment
Background in a high-growth technology or startup environment
Familiarity with public sector, transportation, or education-related contracts
Experience building and scaling a contracts function at a growth-stage company
Knowledge of data privacy frameworks and compliance requirements

Responsibilities

Support the commercial legal team in responding to RFPs and other client-facing due diligence requests.
Own the Linksquares CLM platform end-to-end, including implementation, administration, configuration, user management, reporting, and ongoing optimization. You are the go-to expert and internal champion for the system.
Design, implement, and continuously improve contract processes, workflows, playbooks, AI integrations, and operational tools within the CLM. Build the infrastructure that lets the team scale.
Independently draft, review, redline, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including government contracts, vendor agreements, customer contracts, NDAs, SaaS agreements, partnership deals, and more.
Build deep trust with key stakeholders across Legal, Finance, Procurement, Sales, and Operations. Be the person teams rely on to get deals done right and done fast.
Create and maintain contract playbooks, cheat sheets, clause libraries, templates, and negotiation guides that drive consistency and speed.
Identify and escalate contractual risks, ensuring the business is protected while deals keep moving forward.
Educate internal teams on contract processes, CLM tools, and best practices so the organization operates with confidence and efficiency.
Oversee the maintenance of legal records, templates, and document repositories. Ensure executed vendor agreements, NDAs, and union-related documents are logged and accessible. Lead annual reviews and refresh of legal templates.
Develop and execute legal operations strategies. Evaluate and implement legal tech tools (e.g., CLM, matter management, ticketing systems, entity management). Build and maintain workflows for intake, contract lifecycle management, and cross-functional support across Sales, Operations and Compliance.
Maintain shared drives and systems to ensure executed contracts, NDAs, and key legal documents are organized and easily accessible. Own the management of self-service resources.
Serve as the first point of contact for business teams seeking legal support: triage requests, assign work, and track progress. Collaborate with Sales to support client diligence (e.g., RFPs, questionnaires, contract approvals). Provide practice support as needed.