Director of Contracts & Procurement

RubinBrown LLP is seeking a business-oriented Contracts & Procurement Director to lead the firm's contract lifecycle management, procurement contracting, and contract operations functions. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this role will scale and enhance contract review, negotiation, and management processes while strengthening risk mitigation and supporting firm growth. The Director will serve as a strategic partner and trusted advisor to firm leadership, client service teams, operations, and risk management - overseeing a high-volume portfolio of client and vendor agreements, driving process improvements, leveraging technology and AI-enabled solutions, and ensuring RubinBrown's contractual protections evolve with changing legal, regulatory, and business requirements. Major Responsibilities Contract Management & Negotiation • Manage the full contract lifecycle-drafting, review, negotiation, execution, and retention-for client and vendor agreements, including engagement letters, non-disclosure agreements, subcontractor agreements, and vendor/supplier contracts. • Analyze contract requests and third-party agreements to identify legal, operational, financial, and regulatory risks; negotiate favorable terms that balance firm protections with business objectives. • Provide a high level of service in the form of practical, business-focused guidance to stakeholders on key contractual terms, risk allocation, indemnification, liability limitations, confidentiality, data security, and AI-related provisions. • Serve as a primary point of contact for client procurement departments, vendor legal teams, and internal stakeholders; drive consistency through contract playbooks, standard positions, and AI-assisted negotiation resources. • Develop educational resources and training to improve contract literacy and stakeholders' ability to escalate contractual risks. • Provide practical, business-focused guidance to Partners, Service Unit Leaders, Operations leaders, managers, and other stakeholders regarding key contractual terms and obligations, risk allocation provisions, insurance, indemnification, and limitation of liability provisions, confidentiality and privacy obligations and data security and AI-related provisions. • Develop educational resources and training opportunities to improve understanding and increase stakeholders' ability to identify and escalate contractual risks. • Drive consistency in negotiation positions through the development and maintenance of contract playbooks, standard fallback positions, and AI-assisted negotiation resources. Contract Operations & Repository Management • Manage the contracts intake process and shared mailbox, ensuring prompt responsiveness, clear communication, and timely status updates to stakeholders. • Lead the development of a centralized contract repository; create visibility into key obligations, renewals, milestones, and notice deadlines through calendaring and notification systems. • Continuously improve turnaround times and service levels while maintaining appropriate legal and risk controls. Process Improvement, Technology & Governance • Identify and implement opportunities to improve contracting efficiency through technology, workflow automation, AI, and process redesign. • Own and enhance contract management systems (including Client Central), self-service resources, templates, and guidance documents available through the Risk Management Intranet. • Conduct periodic reviews and updates of the firm's standard contracting templates and positions to address evolving legal, regulatory, and business requirements; maintain a library of approved templates, negotiation guidance, and standard risk positions. Procurement and Vendor Risk Support • Partner with business leaders to enhance vendor procurement, due diligence, and onboarding processes and coordinate responses to due diligence questionnaires. • Expand vendor due diligence and procurement support across multiple functions. Preferred Experience / Background / Skills • Bachelor's degree or paralegal certificate required; related advanced degree preferred. • 7+ years of progressive experience in contract management, procurement, commercial contracting, or related fields. • Significant experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and managing commercial agreements, with strong knowledge of contract law, risk management, and procurement/vendor relationships. • Excellent written, verbal, analytical, and negotiation skills with a proven ability to communicate legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders in a practical, business-focused manner. • Ability to manage multiple priorities and high-volume workloads with strong attention to detail, project management, and process improvement skills. • Experience within a professional services or similarly regulated businesses. • Experience with CLM systems, AI, workflow automation, or other technology solutions to improve contract management and legal operations. Success Measures • A client service attitude leading to improved turnaround times and service levels for contract review and negotiation requests. • Increased consistency, scalability, and strength of contractual protections and risk mitigation across the firm's agreement portfolio. • Expanded self-service tools, playbooks, and resources for firm stakeholders. • Enhanced visibility into contractual obligations, renewals, and critical dates, with greater organizational understanding of contractual risks. • More efficient vendor procurement and due diligence support. Work Environment • Hybrid work arrangement with significant onsite presence required to support executive partnership, cross-functional collaboration, and business operations. • Standard business hours with occasional additional hours as needed to support business objectives. • Ability to perform the essential functions of the role in an office environment, including computer-based work, movement throughout the workplace, and occasional handling of materials weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.