Lead Contract Associate

IN553 Guidehouse India Pvt Ltd; Chennai District; On-site; INR 2,400,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In-house physician

Wellness program

Learning & development

Job summary

Guidehouse India seeks an experienced Legal Counsel to manage contract administration, review, and compliance across commercial and government workflows. You will coordinate COI processing, NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, and DPAs, while advising on risk and regulatory considerations.

In this role you will use contract lifecycle systems like SalesHub and Costpoint, support RFP responses, FOIA requests, and reporting needs, and collaborate with internal clients to drive compliant, efficient contracting

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 35+ years of experience in contracts administration, legal operations, procurement, paralegal services, or a related field.
• Experience reviewing, analyzing, and negotiating commercial agreements (NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, TPAs, DPAs, and other client-facing contracts).
• Ability to identify contractual risks, interpret legal and business implications, and communicate practical recommendations to internal stakeholders.
• Experience supporting proposal and contracting activities, including RFP reviews and compliance-related requests.
• Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills; able to support attorneys on legal and regulatory matters.

Responsibilities

• Contract administration & business operations including COI requests and coordination with brokers.
• Contract review, negotiation & compliance for NDAs, MSAs, DPAs, TPAs, and SOWs; draft responses and redlines.
• Proposal & government contracting support including RFP reviews and FOIA responses.
• Legal research & risk management to identify mitigation strategies.
• Systems & reporting using SalesHub and Costpoint; generate reports for stakeholders.

Skills

Contract administration

Negotiation

Compliance

Legal research

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Project management

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SalesHub

Costpoint

Evisort

Job description

Job Family: Legal Counsel (India) Travel Required: Up to 10% Clearance Required: None

What You Will Do:

• Contract Administration & Business Operations: Manage certificate of insurance (COI) request processing, and coordination with insurance brokers and internal stakeholders. Prepare initial responses to client questionnaires, due diligence requests, and administrative forms. Support business teams by responding to day-to-day contracting, compliance, and process-related inquiries.
• Contract Review, Negotiation & Compliance: Analyze contract terms, identify business and legal implications, and ensure compliance with Guidehouse policies, procedures, and applicable legal requirements. Provide guidance to business teams regarding contractual obligations, requirements, and risk considerations. Perform initial review and redlining for Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), Teaming Agreements (TAs), Third-Party Agreements (TPAs), Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) and other low-risk/low-value contracts and statements of work, escalating legal issues as appropriate. Conduct initial negotiations with client procurement representatives for these agreements. Perform initial review and redlining of client contracts, including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statement of Works (SOWs), Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), and other engagement documents. Draft responses to opposing party contract redlines and support contract negotiations under attorney supervision.
• Proposal & Government Contracting Support: Conduct initial review of Request for Proposals (RFPs) and related solicitation documents. Assist with drafting and reviewing contractual responses and exceptions during the proposal process. Prepare initial drafts of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses and related government-request documentation.
• Legal Research & Risk Management: Conduct legal and regulatory research at the direction of attorneys and summarize findings. Assist in identifying contractual, compliance, and operational risks and support attorneys in developing appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Systems & Reporting: Maintain advanced proficiency in contract lifecycle management and business systems, including SalesHub, and Costpoint. Generate, analyze, and customize standard and ad hoc reports to support legal, operational, and business needs. Collaborate with internal stakeholders to troubleshoot and resolve system-related issues and process challenges.

What You Will Need:

Bachelor's degree and 35+ years of experience in contracts administration, legal operations, procurement, paralegal services, or a related field. Demonstrated experience reviewing, analyzing, and negotiating commercial agreements, including NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, Teaming Agreements, and other client-facing contracts. Ability to identify contractual risks, interpret legal and business implications, and communicate practical recommendations to internal stakeholders. Experience supporting proposal and contracting activities, including RFP reviews, client questionnaires, conflict of interest reviews, and compliance-related requests. Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize information and support attorneys on legal and regulatory matters. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to conduct initial contract negotiations with clients and procurement representatives. Organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment regarding escalation of legal, commercial, and compliance issues.

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Fluent in German
• Advanced Degree
• Strong understanding of commercial contracting principles and contract lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze contractual language and communicate risks and recommendations effectively.
• Experience supporting government and commercial contracting environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Proficiency with contract management and ERP systems, including Evisort, SalesHub, and Costpoint.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, client-service environment.

About Guidehouse India

Guidehouse India, we're redefining what's possible by creating opportunities that change lives. Guidehouse is a global professional services firm that delivers advisory, technology, and managed services to clients across both the commercial and public sectors. Our teams turn bold ideas into solutions that transform industries, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful impact worldwide. Across our Chennai, Trivandrum, and Gurugram locations, you'll find opportunities where your passion and curiosity help shape what comes next. With cutting edge benefits, innovative learning and development programs, and a people first culture, we empower our people to lead with purpose. We continue to expand our teams and capabilities across India, investing in state-of-the-art offices and high impact work. Here, you'll collaborate with experts from around the world, build deep expertise, explore new domains, and accelerate your professional growth while making a real impact.

What We Offer

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package designed to help you thrive both inside and outside the workplace.

• In house physician consultations, nutritious food options at the workplace, and confidential counseling through our Employee Assistance Program, along with other wellness focused offerings that support your overall well being.
• Our comprehensive learning and development programs ensure you're continuously upskilled and ready to tackle what's next, so you can shape your own career path while contributing to meaningful, purpose driven work.