Senior Commercial Counsel - Vendor Contracts Leader

Ares Management LLC; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical/dental/vision

401(k) with company match

Wellness and professional development

Job summary

Ares Management Corporation, a leading alternative investment manager, seeks an experienced Senior Commercial Counsel to lead the vendor contracting function. You will oversee a high-volume review program, draft and negotiate diverse commercial agreements, and drive future-state operating models with technology-enabled solutions.

You will supervise a team, collaborate with cross-functional partners, and shape templates, playbooks, and efficient workflows to scale legal services while controlling

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Admission and good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 8-10+ years of legal experience in vendor and commercial contracts.
• Experience leading a large-scale contract review program (5,000 contracts annually).
• Demonstrated experience negotiating technology, software, SaaS and professional services agreements.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft and negotiate master services agreements, statements of work, software and SaaS agreements, NDAs and other commercial arrangements.
• Senior escalation point for complex or high-risk vendor contracts with practical risk guidance.
• Ensure contracts reflect Ares' standards, policies and risk tolerances.
• Partner with Procurement, Technology, Information Security, Privacy and Finance on contracting matters.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks and escalation guidelines.
• Lead and supervise the contract review team for timely, high-quality support.

Skills

Vendor contracts leadership

Contract review program management

Technology/SaaS contracting

People management

Process design & CLM tech

Stakeholder management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bachelor’s degree

Bar admission (US state)

Tools

CLM systems

AI-enabled contract review

Job description

Ares Management Corporation, a leading alternative investment manager, seeks an experienced Senior Commercial Counsel to lead the vendor contracting function. You will oversee a high-volume review program, draft and negotiate diverse commercial agreements, and drive future-state operating models with technology-enabled solutions.

You will supervise a team, collaborate with cross-functional partners, and shape templates, playbooks, and efficient workflows to scale legal services while controlling