Corporate Counsel, Procurement

Core Specialty; Cincinnati, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Core Specialty in Cincinnati seeks a Senior Corporate Counsel to provide strategic legal guidance across the organization, focusing on procurement and commercial agreements. You will draft, review, and negotiate vendor and SaaS contracts, collaborate with Procurement, Finance, IT, and Compliance, and balance risk with business objectives.

The role also supports M&A matters as needed. Qualified candidates have a law degree, bar admission, and at least 2 years in-house or as outside counsel

Qualifications

• Juris doctor from ABA-accredited law school.
• State bar admission with ability to obtain in-house admission.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in-house or as outside counsel supporting contracts and procurement.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and advising procurement agreements.
• Experience in highly regulated industries preferred.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate, and interpret procurement agreements.
• Advise procurement team as a key legal advisor.
• Provide risk-based guidance on procurement transactions and vendor relationships.
• Develop, implement, and maintain contract templates, playbooks, policies, and standard contracting procedures.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and corporate policies.
• Advise on privacy, cybersecurity, anti-bribery, sanctions, record retention, and other requirements.
• Manage external counsel when specialized expertise is required.
• Support acquisition, divestiture, and strategic transaction opportunities as needed.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

Legal advisory

Communication skills

Education

ABA-accredited law degree

Job description

- Core Specialty is seeking a Senior Corporate Counsel who will provide strategic legal advice and support across the organization with a primary focus on procurement. This role is responsible for drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and advising on a wide variety of procurement, technology, professional services, consulting, outsourcing, and other commercial agreements. The successful candidate will partner closely with Procurement, Finance, IT, Information Security, Compliance, Human Resources, and business leaders to manage legal risk while enabling business objectives. The Senior Corporate Counsel will also assist with M&A-related matters as needed.

Key Accountabilities/Deliverables

• Draft, review, negotiate, and interpret a broad range of procurement agreements, including vendor and supplier agreements, technology and SaaS agreements, professional services agreements, master services agreements and statements of work, outsourcing and strategic sourcing contracts, etc.
• Serve as a key legal advisor to Procurement team.
• Provide practical, risk-based legal guidance on procurement transactions and vendor relationships.
• Evaluate and advise on contractual, operational, financial, privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory risks associated with third‑party vendors.
• Develop, implement, and maintain contract templates, playbooks, policies, and standard contracting procedures.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and corporate policies.
• Advise on privacy, cybersecurity, anti‑bribery, sanctions, record retention, and other legal requirements impacting vendor relationships.
• Manage external counsel when specialized expertise is required.
• Provide legal support in the evaluation of acquisition, divestiture, and strategic transaction opportunities as needs arise.
• Other duties as assigned.

Technical Knowledge and Understanding

Exceptional contract/agreement drafting and negotiation skills.

Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.

Strong business judgment and problem‑solving capabilities.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

Experience working collaboratively with executive leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.

Experience

Law degree from an ABA accredited law school required.

State bar admission, with ability to obtain limited in‑house admission as necessary to fulfil applicable state registration requirements.

Minimum of 2 years’ experience either in‑house or as outside counsel supporting contracts, agreements and procurement matters.

Experience drafting, reviewing, and advising procurement agreements.

Experience in a highly regulated industry such as insurance, financial services, healthcare, technology, or public company environments preferred.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over work authorization sponsorship now or in the future for this position.

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Benefits

• Competitive salary and opportunities for professional development and advancement.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurances.
• Short and long‑term disability.
• A Company‑match of 100% of a 6% contribution 401(k) plan.
• An Employee Assistance Plan.
• Health Savings Account.
• Flexible Spending Account.
• Health Reimbursement Account.
• A wellness program.

About Core Specialty

Core Specialty offers a diversified range of property and casualty insurance products for small to mid‑sized businesses. From underwriting offices spanning the U.S., the Company focuses on niche markets, local distribution, and superior underwriting knowledge, offering traditional as well as innovative insurance solutions to meet the needs of its customers and brokers.

For further information about Core Specialty, please visit www.corespecialtyinsurance.com. In compliance with the Transparency in Coverage rule, issued in 2020 by US Departments of Health, Human Services, Labor and Treasury our health plan’s machine‑readable files (MRFs) can be accessed via www.Cigna.com.