Contract Manager

SOLVE; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SOLVE is seeking a detailed, commercially minded Contract Manager to own and scale our contract management function across the full lifecycle from deal support through renewal. You will draft, negotiate, and operationalize customer contracts while reducing legal bottlenecks through a structured playbook and clear escalation paths.

This role requires cross-functional partnerships with Sales, Finance, Legal, and Operations to drive speed, consistency, and risk alignment.

Qualifications

• 4–6+ years of experience in contract management, paralegal, legal operations, or commercial contracting.
• Experience supporting SaaS or software-based contracts.
• Strong understanding of contract negotiation dynamics and risk tradeoffs.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple contracts simultaneously.
• Ability to exercise business judgment, not just legal analysis.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, and manage the end-to-end contract lifecycle (drafting, redlining, negotiation, execution, amendments, renewals).
• Serve as primary contract partner to account managers during renewals and upsells.
• Provide guidance on negotiable terms and historical precedents to internal teams.

Skills

Contract management

SaaS contracts

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Tools

LinkSquares

Job description

SOLVE is seeking a detail-oriented, commercially minded Contract Manager to own and scale our contract management function. This role will serve as the central point of accountability for drafting, negotiating, managing, and operationalizing customer contracts across their full lifecycle from initial deal support through renewal.

This position is designed to reduce legal bottlenecks, increase consistency in negotiations, and free senior sales leadership from routine contract questions by introducing a structured playbook, clear escalation paths, and institutional memory around past decisions as well as ownership around contract management tools.

The ideal candidate combines contract expertise, operational rigor, and strong business judgment, and is comfortable speaking with clients as well as working cross-functionally with Sales, Account Management, Legal, Finance, and Operations.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Drafting, Negotiation & Lifecycle Management

• Manage the end-to-end contract lifecycle, including drafting, redlining, negotiation, execution, amendments, and renewals
• Draft and negotiate customer-facing agreements such as:
• Master Services Agreements (MSAs)
• Product-specific exhibits and addenda
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Amendments and renewals
• Serve as the first-level review and response point for contract questions, escalating only true legal or high-risk issues to counsel, consistent with internal guidelines
• Ensure contracts accurately reflect:
• Correct products and services
• Approved fallback positions
• Previously agreed commercial terms

Contract Playbooks, Templates & Institutional Knowledge

• Create, maintain, and continuously improve a contract negotiation playbook, documenting:
• Standard positions
• Approved fallback language
• Acceptable ranges and past precedents for key clauses (e.g., SLAs, indemnities, liability)
• Clear escalation paths by topic (business vs. legal)
• Maintain a centralized knowledge base of:
• Past redlines
• Previously accepted deviations
• Decision context to avoid repeated analysis or inconsistent outcomes
• Own and update contract templates and clause libraries to drive speed, consistency, and risk alignment

Cross-Functional Support & Internal Enablement

• Act as the primary contract partner to:
• Account Managers during renewals and upsells
• Operations and Finance on contract interpretation and obligations
• Provide guidance to Sales and AM teams on:
• What is negotiable
• What has been agreed to historically
• When escalation is required
• Reduce time spent by Account Managers and senior leadership answering routine contract questions by centralizing ownership
• Deliver internal training and documentation on contract processes and best practices as needed

Renewals, Data & Operational Projects

• Contract interpretation for existing customers
• Confirming terms, products, and obligations ahead of renewals
• Assisting with renewal-related amendments or updates
• Partner with Operations and Data teams on projects such as:
• Contracted users vs. active usage analysis
• Updating legacy agreements to current language over time
• Serve as a future owner or key administrator for contract tools or CLM systems as they evolve (e.g., LinkSquares, internal agents, or other solutions)

Required Qualifications

• 4–6+ years of experience in contract management, paralegal, legal operations, or commercial contracting
• Experience supporting SaaS or software-based contracts
• Strong understanding of contract negotiation dynamics and risk tradeoffs
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple contracts simultaneously
• Ability to exercise business judgment, not just legal analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in fintech, financial services, or regulated environments
• Prior exposure to:
• Contract playbook development
• Clause libraries and fallback positions
• CLM or contract repository tools
• Comfort operating as a client-facing negotiator when appropriate