Commercial Contracts Manager

CohnReznick LLP; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

CohnReznick is seeking a Commercial Contracts Manager to serve as the interface between Advisory professionals and the Firm’s Legal Department. You will review routine NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, and vendor agreements, while coordinating with Legal and Risk teams to move engagements toward timely execution.

The role emphasizes understanding service offerings, vendor terms, and delivery risks, with a focus on reducing contracting cycle time and maintaining strong internal controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD, business, accounting, finance, legal studies, or a related background preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong ability to understand commercial agreements and evolving delivery models; identify risks and deviations from terms.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a business-facing contracting partner between Advisory professionals and the Legal Department.
• Prepare complete contract review packages with summaries of business considerations and next steps for Legal review.
• Coordinate with Legal, Risk, Finance, and other stakeholders to move agreements toward execution.
• Lead contract pipeline meetings and track status, deadlines, and ownership.

Skills

Contracting knowledge

Communication

Risk assessment

Process improvement

Contract lifecycle management

Education

Bachelor's degree

JD or related legal studies

Tools

Contract lifecycle management systems

Job description

As CohnReznick grows, so do our career opportunities. As one of the nation’s top professional services firms, CohnReznick creates rewarding careers in advisory, assurance, and tax with team members who value innovation and collaboration in everything they do!

CohnReznick helps organizations optimize performance, manage risk, and maximize value through CohnReznick LLP (assurance services) and CohnReznick Advisory LLC (advisory and tax services). Together, the firm provides leaders with deep industry knowledge and relationships, solutions to address clients’ unique business goals and risks, and insight on how emerging market forces can drive opportunity. With offices nationwide, the firm serves organizations around the world as an independent member of Nexia.

We currently have an exciting career opportunity for a Commercial Contracts Manager to join the team in our Advisory team.

CohnReznick is a hybrid firm and most of our professionals are located within a commutable distance to one of our offices. This position is considered remote, which means it does not require job duties be performed within proximity of a CohnReznick office location. However, as a remote employee, you may be required to be present at a CohnReznick office with scheduled notice for client work, team meetings, or trainings.

WHY COHNREZNICK?

At CohnReznick, we’re united by a common mission to create opportunity, value, and trust for our clients, our people, and our communities. Whether it’s working alongside your peers to solve a client challenge, or volunteering together at the local food bank, there are so many ways to find your “why” at the firm.

We believe it’s important to balance work with everyday life – and make time for enjoyment and fun. We invest in a robust Total Rewards package that includes everything from generous PTO, a flexible work environment, expanded parental leave, extensive learning & development, and even paid time off for employees to volunteer.

YOUR ROLE.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

We are seeking an experienced, business-minded professional to serve as an interface between the Advisory practice and the Firm’s Legal Department with respect to contracting and contracting-related issues. This role will support Global Consulting Solutions (“GCS”), Value360, and Government and Public Sector (“GPS”) and will develop a deep understanding of their existing and emerging services, client offerings, delivery models, technology relationships, commercial priorities, and risk considerations.

The primary objective of the position is to reduce the time between an engagement win and contract execution, enabling Advisory teams to begin work and recognize revenue sooner while maintaining appropriate business and legal risk controls. Working within Legal-approved templates, playbooks, contracting standards, and escalation guidelines, this individual will conduct the initial business and commercial review of routine NDAs, master services agreements (“MSAs”), statements of work (“SOWs”), engagement letters, amendments, change orders, vendor agreements, and related contracting documents.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a business-facing contracting partner between Advisory professionals and the Legal Department.
• Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of GCS, Value360, and GPS services, delivery models, commercial priorities, client requirements, contract structures, and the inherent performance and delivery risks associated with each practice and service offering.
• Learn and assess new Advisory service offerings as they are developed or introduced, including how the offerings will be sold, staffed, delivered, supported, and governed, and the business, performance, technology, data, and legal risk assessment associated with their delivery.
• Understand new technology partner, vendor, subcontractor, and alliance arrangements that support Advisory offerings, including the parties’ respective responsibilities, dependencies, data use, intellectual property, service levels, and other delivery considerations.
• Work directly with Advisory stakeholders to resolve routine business, scope, pricing, staffing, delivery, and factual issues before agreements are submitted to Legal.
• Identify missing information, deviations from standard terms, unusual client requirements, operational concerns, and business or legal risks requiring attorney review.
• Prepare complete contract review packages and concise summaries of the transaction, material business considerations, requested exceptions, unresolved issues, and recommended next steps for Legal review.
• Conduct initial business and commercial reviews of routine NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, engagement letters, change orders, amendments, vendor agreements, and related documents using Legal approved templates, playbooks, standard positions, and escalation guidelines.
• Evaluate whether new or changing service offerings, delivery models, technology relationships, or vendor terms require revisions to existing Legal-approved templates or the addition or update of riders, schedules, exhibits, or other provisions to standard MSAs and SOWs, and clearly flag those needs for Legal review and approval.
• Coordinate with Legal, Risk, Finance, Independence, Information Security, and other stakeholders to move agreements efficiently toward execution, while escalating complex, nonstandard, or legal matters to the appropriate attorney, including identify and implement appropriate workflow automation, templates, reporting and technology enabled solutions to improve efficiency.
• Lead recurring contract pipeline meetings with Legal and Advisory stakeholders to prioritize matters, resolve outstanding issues, clarify escalation needs, and advance time sensitive agreements.
• Track contract status, aging, deadlines, ownership, and next steps, and provide clear visibility to Advisory and Legal stakeholders.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve contract intake, review, approval, and tracking processes to increase consistency, reduce unnecessary back and forth, and shorten contracting cycle time.

YOUR EXPERIENCE.

The successful candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD, business, accounting, finance, legal studies, or a related background preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in commercial contracting, contract management, legal operations, commercial paralegal work, professional services risk management, or a related role.
• Experience reviewing NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, engagement letters, amendments, change orders, vendor agreements, or similar commercial agreements strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in accounting, consulting, advisory, technology, or another professional services environment preferred, including exposure to new service development, technology enabled delivery, vendor agreements, or alliance arrangements.
• Strong ability to understand commercial agreements and evolving delivery models, identify business, technology, data, performance, and operational risks, recognize deviations from standard terms, and elevate legal issues or template changes appropriately; this role is not expected to provide legal advice.
• Experience using contract templates, clause libraries, playbooks, approval matrices, contract lifecycle management systems, workflow tools, or process automation preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to summarize agreements, business context, open issues, and recommended next steps clearly and concisely for Legal and business stakeholders.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organization, follow through, and ability to manage multiple time sensitive agreements simultaneously.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and comfort working with confidential and sensitive information.
• Collaborative working style and ability to build trusted relationships across Legal, Risk, and Advisory teams.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Business acumen: Ability to understand how existing and new Advisory services are developed, sold, scoped, delivered, staffed, supported, and documented, and how contracting decisions affect delivery, risk, and revenue timing.
• Service offering and technology risk: Ability to understand new offerings, technology partners, vendors, delivery dependencies, and related risks, and identify when standard MSAs, SOWs, riders, schedules, or exhibits may require Legal review or modification.
• Commercial contract review: Ability to understand key business terms, apply approved contracting standards, and recognize deviations requiring escalation.
• Issue spotting and risk judgment: Ability to identify missing facts, unusual terms, recurring client risk behaviors, escalation patterns, and practice specific performance or delivery risks requiring Legal or Risk review.
• Process improvement and automation: Ability to simplify workflows, eliminate avoidable handoffs, and use technology and automation to improve contracting efficiency and transparency.
• Communication and training: Ability to translate business context and contract issues into clear, actionable guidance and effectively train lateral partners and Advisory leaders on templates, processes, escalation protocols, and risk handling.
• Relationship management: Ability to work effectively with attorneys, partners, principals, managing directors, and cross functional risk stakeholders.
• Confidentiality and judgment: Ability to handle sensitive matters with professionalism, discretion, and appropriate escalation.

Studies have shown that we are less likely to apply to jobs unless we meet every single qualification. At CohnReznick, we are dedicated to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our other roles.

"CohnReznick" is the brand name under which CohnReznick LLP and CohnReznick Advisory LLC and their respective subsidiaries provide professional services. CohnReznick LLP and CohnReznick Advisory LLC (and their respective subsidiaries) practice in an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable law, regulations, and professional standards. CohnReznick LLP is a licensed CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. CohnReznick Advisory LLC provides tax and business consulting services to its clients. CohnReznick Advisory LLC and its subsidiaries are not licensed CPA firms.

CohnReznick is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive team to drive business results and create a better future every day for our team members, clients, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. For more information, please see Equal Employment Opportunity Posters

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail] Please note: This email address is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and are not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses.

CohnReznick does not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are currently engaged by CohnReznick Talent Acquisition Team by way of a written agreement to provide candidates for a specified opening. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that CohnReznick will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.