Contractual Terms Risk Management - ISG Management - Associate/VP

16 MS & Co., LLC; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Stanley is seeking a Senior Associate/Vice President to join its Contractual Terms Risk Management (CTRM) team within Institutional Securities. CTRM is a first-line risk function responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing risk embedded in the contractual terms of the Firm’s trading agreements with counterparties and the management and maintenance of structured data in Firm systems.

The role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to firmwide data and infrastructure

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in negotiating a cross section of trading agreements.
• Knowledge of financial products traded preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; JD or equivalent legal background preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams.
• Strong written and oral communication and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Assess, interpret, and challenge contractual provisions across a wide range of trading agreements (e.g., ISDA, CSA, Prime Brokerage, Repo, Securities Lending).
• Identify risk implications of negotiated terms and escalate to Risk, Credit, and senior stakeholders as appropriate.
• Provide subject matter expertise on contractual risk exposures, including during counterparty onboarding and lifecycle events.
• Drive the capture, quality, and expansion of structured contractual data across Firm systems.
• Contribute to initiatives aimed at transforming legal agreement data into scalable, consumable datasets for risk, trading, and regulatory use cases.
• Partner with Technology and Strats on initiatives to enhance data models, workflows, and automation.
• Serve as a key point of contact across Risk, Credit, Legal, Sales & Trading, Operations, and Finance.
• Lead preparation and coordination of materials for counterparty risk and credit escalation forums.
• Influence stakeholders by clearly articulating the business and risk impact of contractual terms.

Skills

Risk management

Contract interpretation

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Communication

Project management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

JD or equivalent legal background

Tools

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries. As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence, and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.

Position Description

Morgan Stanley is seeking a Senior Associate/Vice President to join its Contractual Terms Risk Management (CTRM) team within Institutional Securities. CTRM is a first-line risk function responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing risk embedded in the contractual terms of the Firm’s trading agreements with counterparties and the management and maintenance of structured data in Firm systems. The team operates at the intersection of Legal, Risk, Sales & Trading, and Technology, translating complex legal provisions into decision-ready data and actionable risk insights. This is not a document negotiation role—it is a strategic risk management role focused on how contractual terms drive exposure, operational outcomes, and downstream decision-making across the Firm. The role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to firmwide data and infrastructure transformation initiatives, including the expansion of structured contract data and the evolution toward AI-enabled contract analytics.

Primary Responsibilities

• Risk Management & Analysis: Assess, interpret, and challenge contractual provisions across a wide range of trading agreements (e.g., ISDA, CSA, Prime Brokerage, Repo, Securities Lending)
• Identify risk implications of negotiated terms and escalate to Risk, Credit, and senior stakeholders as appropriate
• Provide subject matter expertise on contractual risk exposures, including during counterparty onboarding and lifecycle events
• Data & Strategic Initiatives: Drive the capture, quality, and expansion of structured contractual data across Firm systems
• Contribute to initiatives aimed at transforming legal agreement data into scalable, consumable datasets for risk, trading, and regulatory use cases
• Partner with Technology and Strats on initiatives to enhance data models, workflows, and automation
• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as a key point of contact across Risk, Credit, Legal, Sales & Trading, Operations, and Finance
• Lead preparation and coordination of materials for counterparty risk and credit escalation forums
• Influence stakeholders by clearly articulating the business and risk impact of contractual terms
• Business & Operational Oversight: Provide oversight and escalation support for core CTRM processes, including but not limited to: Trading without documentation, Monitoring of key contractual provisions, Ad hoc reviews of counterparty documentation, Data quality and governance controls, Respond to time-sensitive issues and deliver clear, actionable recommendations under tight deadlines

Qualifications / Critical Success Factors

• Ability to effectively manage various projects and deadlines, including tracking and coordinating responses to internal and external requests with minimal oversight
• Desire to build relationships with senior stakeholders in the Sales and Trading business, Counterparty Risk, Credit, Legal, Compliance, Operations, and Finance, among other support functions
• Highly motivated self-starter with the ability to work under pressure and prioritize competing deadlines
• Ability to work on challenging assignments in a dynamic environment, synthesize information, gather relevant facts and reach logical conclusions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, as well as the ability to present ideas concisely and tailor messaging to various stakeholders
• Fast Learner with the ability to absorb new concepts and knowledge quickly
• Ability to take ideas forward and to challenge others with integrity and maturity
• Exceptional organizational skills and a high degree of attention to detail
• Strong analytical skills with an ability to understand complex workflows
• Strategic thinker with experience coordinating and collaborating with multiple stakeholder groups

Additional Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in negotiating a cross section of trading agreements, including in-depth knowledge of the various provisions contained in these agreements and their negotiability.
• Knowledge of and proficiency around the underlying products traded also preferred.
• Knowledge of financial services sector preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams.
• Bachelor’s degree required; JD or equivalent legal background preferred.

What You Can Expect From Morgan Stanley

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.

Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $100,000 and $150,000 per year at the commencement of employment for Associate and between $140,000 and $250,000 at the commencement of employment for Vice President. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences. For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.

At Morgan Stanley, we advise, originate, trade, manage and distribute capital for people, governments and institutions, always with a standard of excellence and guided by our core values. Morgan Stanley is dedicated to providing first-class service to our clients, in a way that reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable future and fostering stronger communities around the world. In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading-edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.