Associate Counsel

Zelis; Morristown (TN); On-site; USD 153,000 - 193,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) employer match

Flexible paid time off

Health benefits

Job summary

Zelis is seeking an Associate General Counsel, Sales/Commercial Transactions to support the Zelis Sales Legal Team. You will draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contracts with health plans, TPAs, and self-insured plans, while advising on compliance, HIPAA, ERISA, and related regulations.

The role demands in-house experience, strong drafting and collaboration with cross-functional teams, and the ability to manage multiple deals in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school and admitted to practice.
• 5+ years of legal experience, preferably in healthcare tech and with health plans.
• Superior drafting skills and experience drafting/negotiating commercial contracts and corporate documents.
• In-house experience preferred.
• Experience working with sales teams to prioritize and close transactions.
• Able to manage multiple deals in a fast-paced environment with initiative and decisiveness.
• Strong ethics, integrity, and risk-management mindset.
• Proficient with MS Office and AI-assisted workflows.

Responsibilities

• Serve as key lawyer/advisor on sales transactions and client management matters.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and complete a variety of sales contracts (SOWs, MSAs, BAAs, amendments, referral/ reseller agreements).
• Analyze and advise on contractual matters and issues.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to resolve contractual points (compliance, information security, employment, operations).
• Work with Sales Legal Team on process improvements and playbook updates.
• Advise on client-management matters and coordinate with business to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Conduct research and analyze various legal issues.

Skills

Legal drafting

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Time management

Risk management

Team collaboration

Strategic thinking

Problem solving

Ethics & integrity

Education

J.D. degree from an accredited law school

Admitted to practice

Tools

MS Office

AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot)

Job description

Position Overview

The Associate General Counsel, Sales/Commercial Transactions will be part of the Zelis Sales Legal Team and responsible for providing legal support and advice to the Zelis Sales and Client Management team (Zelis Sales). The Counsel will work closely with Zelis Sales and business stakeholders to draft, review, negotiate, and complete agreements with clients, such as health plans, third party administrators, and self‑insured plans, and strategic partnerships that Zelis has with other organizations. This role will assist with a wide variety of sales transactional matters spanning a range of regulatory areas, including, but not limited to, federal and state regulation of health insurers, ERISA, and HIPAA privacy and security. The Counsel will report to the Vice President—Managing Counsel, Sales and work closely and collaboratively with fellow Sales Legal Team members and other members of the Zelis Enterprise Legal Organization to provide effective, efficient, and timely legal support and advice to Zelis Sales.

Responsibilities

• Serves as key lawyer/legal advisor on sales transactions and client management matters for the company.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and complete a variety of sales contracts, including, but not limited to, Business Associate Agreements, Master Service Agreements, Statements of Work, Amendments, Referral Agreements, and Reseller Agreement.
• Analyze and advise on various contractual matters and issues.
• Cross‑functional collaboration with stakeholders to resolve contractual points, such as compliance, information security, employment, and operations.
• Collaborate with fellow Sales Legal Team members on process and procedure initiatives, such as contract template management and updates and playbook build out.
• Advise on, handle, and manage resolution of client management matters.
• Conduct research and analysis of various legal issues.
• Work jointly with Sales Legal Team paralegals on projects and transactional matters.
• Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations, as applicable, for Zelis Sales and the business.
• Coordinate with Zelis Sales and the business to ensure the company is transacting and conducting its business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, such as HIPAA, ERISA and TCPA.
• Manage and prioritize workload to meet Zelis Sales timing objectives.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school, admitted to practice.
• 5+ years of legal experience, with experience handling commercial and technology transactions required, preferably supporting a healthcare technology company that does business with health plans.
• In‑house experience preferred.
• Superior legal drafting skills and experience drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts and corporate documents.
• Experience working with sales teams to prioritize and close transactions.
• Able to work and act decisively in a fast‑paced, high activity environment; comfortable in managing and responding to messages quickly and balancing multiple deals at one time.
• Collaborative team player with an attitude that no job is too big or too small.
• Strategic and pragmatic thinking.
• Growth mindset, strong attention to detail, excellent critical thinking and problem‑solving abilities.
• Demonstrated accountability and keen ability to meet aggressive time frames.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of business law.
• Exceptional analytical and communication skills.
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies.
• Sound judgment and ability to analyze situations and information.
• Able to apply effective risk management techniques and offer proactive advice on possible legal issues.
• Knowledge of MS Office suite.
• Proficiency with the use of Artificial Intelligence, e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, to streamline workflows and legal operations.

Please note at this time we are unable to proceed with candidates who require visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Location and Workplace Flexibility

Zelis is headquartered in the U.S., with multiple locations across the country and in Hyderabad, India. All employee work locations are based on the needs of the position and are determined by the Leadership team. In‑office work and activities vary based on work and team objectives in accordance with Company policies. While location expectations vary by role, candidates within approximately 50 miles of a U.S. office are generally preferred to support collaboration when needed. Our hybrid approach is flexible, and in‑office presence is guided by team and business needs rather than a fixed weekly schedule.

Base Salary Range

$153,000.00 - $193,800.00

At Zelis we are committed to providing fair and equitable compensation packages. The base salary range allows us to make an offer that considers multiple individualized factors, including experience, education, qualifications, as well as job‑related and industry‑related knowledge and skills, etc. Base pay is just one part of our Total Rewards package, which may also include discretionary bonus plans, commissions, or other incentives depending on the role.

Zelis’ full‑time associates are eligible for a highly competitive benefits package as well, which demonstrates our commitment to our employees’ health, well‑being, and financial protection. The U.S.–based benefits include a 401(k) plan with employer match, flexible paid time off, holidays, parental leaves, life and disability insurance, and health benefits including medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Zelis is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications for the role. We believe in the value of diverse perspectives and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive workplace for all.

Accessibility Support

We are dedicated to ensuring our application process is accessible to all candidates. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require a reasonable accommodation with any part of the application and/or interview process, please email [e-mail].

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities, duties, and skills from time to time.