Counsel I Vendor Contracts & Leasing

Wealth Enhancement Group; Plymouth (MN); Remote; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

401k with match

Paid time off

Job summary

Wealth Enhancement is seeking a Counsel for Vendor Contracts & Leasing to support its vendor contracting, procurement, and real estate legal functions. The role collaborates with Legal, Procurement, Facilities, IT, Privacy, Compliance, and Finance to streamline contracting, risk management, and policy adherence.

The ideal candidate has 2+ years in commercial contracts, with JD, state bar, and familiarity with leases.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. state.
• 2+ years of relevant legal experience in commercial contracts, procurement, corporate law, real estate, or related practice.
• Experience reviewing, drafting, or negotiating commercial agreements.
• Familiarity with office leases, commercial real estate documents, or related matters.
• Ability to communicate legal concepts clearly to attorney and non-attorney stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate vendor and commercial agreements, including MSAs, SOWs, SaaS, and related documents.
• Identify legal and business risks and propose commercially reasonable solutions.
• Support contract lifecycle from intake through renewal, amendment, and termination.
• Maintain and improve templates, playbooks, and standard clauses.
• Coordinate with Information Security, Privacy, Compliance, Risk, Finance, and other stakeholders.
• Track negotiations and document key decisions for contract administration.
• Escalate non-standard or high-risk matters to senior Legal.

Skills

Vendor contracts

Commercial contracts

Legal drafting

Negotiation

Contract lifecycle management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Active U.S. bar membership

Tools

Contract lifecycle management systems

E-signature platforms

Legal tech tools

Job description

About Wealth Enhancement

Wealth Enhancement is an independent wealth management firm with an endless passion for enriching the lives of our clients. We continually seek to perfect our craft of personalized financial planning with our team-based Roundtable and UniFi processes that go far beyond the standard approach. We proudly provide unique financial plans and investment management services to over 90,000 households from our over 175 offices - and growing - nationwide.

Since 1997, Wealth Enhancement has tirelessly raised the standard of wealth management with specialized knowledge and more attentive service that helps every client craft their future. For more information, please visit www.wealthenhancement.com.

Counsel I Vendor Contracts & Leasing

We're growing our Legal team by hiring a Counsel - Vendor Contracts & Leasing to support Wealth Enhancement Group's (WEG's) vendor contracting, procurement, and real estate legal functions reporting to the Deputy General Counsel. This position will assist with the review, drafting, negotiation, and administration of a broad range of commercial agreements and office leases, while helping ensure alignment with company policies, business objectives, and applicable legal requirements.

The ideal candidate will have foundational experience in commercial contracting, vendor management, procurement support, corporate law, and commercial real estate leasing. This role will partner closely with Legal, Procurement, Facilities, IT, Information Security, Privacy, Compliance, Finance, and business stakeholders to support efficient contracting processes and practical risk management. The position will also assist with contract lifecycle management initiatives and the responsible use of legal technology and artificial intelligence tools to improve contract review and administration workflows.

This is a Remote position in the Twin Cities area.

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position is $110,000.00 to $130,000.00, exclusive of bonuses and benefits.

Primary Job Functions

Commercial Contracts & Vendor Management

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of vendor and commercial agreements, including master services agreements, statements of work, SaaS and software agreements, professional services agreements, consulting agreements, marketing agreements, confidentiality agreements, data protection addenda, and related documents.
• Identify legal and business risks and propose practical, commercially reasonable solutions consistent with company policies and contracting standards.
• Support Procurement and business teams throughout the contract lifecycle, from intake and negotiation through execution, renewal, amendment, and termination.
• Assist with maintaining and improving contract templates, negotiation playbooks, standard clauses, intake materials, and internal guidance.
• Coordinate with Information Security, Privacy, Compliance, Risk, Finance, and other subject matter experts when agreements raise specialized issues.
• Track negotiations, document key decisions, and support accurate and timely contract administration.
• Escalate non-standard, high-risk, or strategically significant matters to senior Legal team members.

Real Estate & Lease Support

• Review, draft, and negotiate office leases, lease amendments, renewals, extensions, subleases, assignments, termination agreements, and related occupancy documents, with guidance from senior Legal team members as appropriate.
• Support Facilities and business leaders on office openings, relocations, expansions, consolidations, and closures.
• Review landlord and tenant notices, estoppel certificates, subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements, access agreements, commencement date memoranda, and other lease-related documents.
• Assist with lease compliance matters, including insurance requirements, maintenance and repair obligations, operating expenses, tenant improvement obligations, use restrictions, and notice requirements.
• Coordinate with outside real estate counsel, brokers, landlords, property managers, and internal stakeholders as needed.
• Support maintenance of lease records, abstracts, critical dates, renewal rights, notice deadlines, and other key obligations.

Contract Administration & Legal Operations

• Support administration and continuous improvement of contract lifecycle management systems, matter intake processes, e-signature workflows, and legal workflow tools.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of contract templates, negotiation playbooks, clause libraries, approval matrices, and self-service resources.
• Partner business stakeholders to improve contracting efficiency, consistency, transparency, and recordkeeping.
• Participate in legal technology and artificial intelligence initiatives designed to streamline contract review and administration, subject to company policies and appropriate human oversight.
• Assist with due diligence and integration work relating to vendor contracts, leased facilities, and other assigned commercial matters.

Documentation & Template Management

• Draft, review, maintain, and update vendor contract templates, lease forms, amendments, notices, checklists, and internal guidance materials.
• Help ensure templates and guidance remain current with changes in applicable law, company policy, and business practices.
• Organize and maintain complete, accurate, and accessible legal records relating to vendor agreements and leased facilities.

General Legal Support

• Provide day-to-day legal support on commercial contracting, procurement, facilities, and other assigned business matters.
• Conduct legal research and prepare concise, practical analyses on issues affecting business operations.
• Assist internal clients in understanding contractual obligations, available options, and legal risk considerations.
• Collaborate with other members of the Legal team on cross-functional projects and general corporate matters.
• Prepare and present clear updates, training materials, and guidance for business stakeholders.
• Contribute to a culture of compliance, collaboration, sound judgment, and continuous improvement within the Legal function.

Role Scope & Development

• This position is intended to provide meaningful responsibility and professional development under the guidance of more senior attorneys. The Counsel will independently handle matters within established parameters, partner with senior Legal team members on complex or higher-risk negotiations, and expand their responsibilities as experience and subject matter knowledge grow.

Education/Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. state
• 2+ years of relevant legal experience in commercial contracts, procurement, corporate law, real estate, or a related practice area. Experience in a law firm or in-house legal department will be considered.
• Experience reviewing, drafting, or negotiating commercial agreements.
• Familiarity with office leases, commercial real estate documents, facilities-related matters, privacy or information security terms, or technology agreements.
• Strong legal drafting, issue-spotting, research, and analytical skills.
• Ability to communicate legal concepts clearly and effectively to attorney and non-attorney stakeholders.
• Sound judgment and the ability to recognize when a matter should be escalated.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to reliable follow-through.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects with tight deadlines.
• Comfort using, or willingness to learn, contract lifecycle management systems, e-signature platforms, and legal technology tools.
• Demonstrated curiosity, collaboration, and willingness to develop expertise across a broad range of commercial legal matters.

WEG hires employees and makes decisions about their salary qualifications based on factors such as the role to be performed; educational and professional experience, qualifications, skills and credentials; tenure, cost-of-living and demand for the role in the applicable market. To comply with state, pay transparency laws, we must disclose the entire salary grade. The entire salary grade for those who are classified as this level is $104,800.00 to $157,200.00. However, the base salary range bolded above ($110,000.00 to $130,000.00) is what we expect to pay as a starting range for this position.

Comprehensive Benefits Offerings

Our benefits aim to balance four key elements that make life and work meaningful: health and wellness, financial well-being, professional development, and work/life harmony. You may be eligible to participate in the following benefits & development opportunities:

• Training and professional development
• Medical, dental and vision coverage (Available to full-time employees and their families)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for medical, dependent, and transit expenses
• Life and AD&D insurance – employer paid and voluntary options
• Short-term and long-term disability, workers compensation – employer paid
• 401k with match and profit sharing
• Wellness programs and resources
• Voluntary benefits, including pet insurance
• 18 days of paid time off (PTO), accrued annually (25 PTO days after 4 years of service)
• 12 paid holidays each year (10 pre-determined and 2 floating days)
• Paid parental leave and paid caregiver leave (Caregiver leave available after 6 months of tenure)
• Reimbursement for tuition, licensing, and other credentials (Available after meeting service requirements)

Accommodation & Privacy

Should you need reasonable accommodation when completing the application form or during the selection process, contact the Human Resources Department at 763-417-1700

Information provided on this application will be kept confidential and only be shared with those involved in the selection process.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans. This organization participates in E-Verify.

OSHA Requirements: This position requires the ability to stand or sit for long periods of time, file documents in high or low cabinets, to use the telephone and to use the computer systems.

Wealth Enhancement may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the initial screening of resumes. All AI-supported evaluations are reviewed by our recruitment team to ensure accuracy and fairness. We are committed to equal opportunity in employment and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status. Your personal information is handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws.