Senior Contracts Counsel

Trystar; Burnsville (MN); On-site; USD 145,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Trystar is seeking a Senior Contracts Counsel in Burnsville, MN to lead development, review, negotiation, and management of customer contracts and NDAs, with support for sourcing agreements.

This senior role requires independent judgment, strong negotiation, and the ability to partner with Sales, Sourcing, Finance, Operations, and other leaders. You will drive templates, playbooks, risk guidance, and leverage CLM and AI tools to improve speed and accuracy.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 3+ years of experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating commercial contracts, incl. customer-facing agreements and NDAs.
• Demonstrated independent legal and commercial judgment in a business setting.
• Experience with CLM systems and AI-assisted contract review or legal tech solutions.
• Proven ability to partner with senior stakeholders and influence outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication with ability to translate risk into business guidance.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, maintenance, and improvement of standard contract templates for customer agreements, NDAs, and addenda.
• Establish negotiation playbooks, clause libraries, and fallback positions aligned with risk tolerance.
• Ensure contract standards reflect current practices, risk levels, and market conditions.
• Independently review, draft, and negotiate complex customer contracts including master agreements and T&Cs.
• Review and negotiate NDAs with customers, suppliers, and other third parties.
• Support sourcing and supplier agreements in coordination with Sourcing and Operations.
• Identify risks and provide business-focused guidance and solutions.
• Serve as primary legal contact for contract-related questions from Sales and other teams.
• Use CLM systems and AI tools to identify risk, deviations, and efficiency opportunities.

Skills

Negotiation

Legal judgment

Cross-functional

Communication

Independent thinking

Stakeholder influence

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

Tools

Contract lifecycle management (CLM)

AI-assisted contract review tools

Job description

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Senior Contracts Counsel

Executive Full-Time Employee Professional Burnsville, MN, US

Salary Range: $145,000.00 To $185,000.00 Annually

Job Title: Senior Contracts Counsel

Job Description:

Trystar is seeking a Senior Contracts Counsel to support the company’s growing commercial and operational needs by leading the development, review, negotiation, and management of contracts across the organization. This role will have primary responsibility for customer‑facing contracts and non-disclosure agreements, while also supporting the review and negotiation of sourcing and supplier agreements in collaboration with Legal, Sales, Sourcing, and Operations.

This is a senior, judgment‑driven role requiring independent legal and commercial decision‑making, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to partner effectively with business leaders. The Senior Contracts Counsel will play a critical role in enabling revenue, managing risk, improving contracting efficiency, and leveraging contract management technology and AI‑assisted contract review tools to enhance speed, consistency, and risk identification.

In this role you will:

• Lead the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of Trystar’s standard contract templates, including customer agreements, NDAs, and related addenda.
• Establish and maintain negotiation playbooks, clause libraries, and fallback positions aligned with Trystar’s risk tolerance and business objectives.
• Ensure contract standards reflect current business practices, legal requirements, risk level, and evolving market conditions.
• Independently review, draft, and negotiate complex customer contracts, including master agreements, terms and conditions, and related commercial documents.
• Review and negotiate nondisclosure agreements with customers, suppliers, and other third parties.
• Support and advise on the review and negotiation of sourcing and supplier agreements in coordination with Sourcing and Operations.
• Identify legal, commercial, and operational risks and provide clear, business‑oriented guidance and solutions.
• Serve as a primary legal point of contact for contract‑related questions from Sales and other business teams.
• Use contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and AI‑assisted contract review tools to identify risk, deviations from standard terms, and opportunities for efficiency.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Sales, Sourcing, Finance, Operations, and Project Management leadership to facilitate timely and commercially sound contract execution.
• Provide practical training and guidance to internal stakeholders on Trystar’s contracting process, contract terms, negotiation strategy, and risk awareness.
• Escalate significant legal or risk issues to the Chief Legal Officer as appropriate, with clear recommendations.

Process Improvement & Governance

• Drive improvements to contracting processes, governance, and approval workflows to increase speed, consistency, and transparency.
• Oversee contract tracking, key terms, and obligations to support compliance, audits, and business visibility.
• Contribute to the selection, implementation, and optimization of legal technology and AI‑enabled contract review tools.

Additional Responsibilities

• Monitor developments in contract law, commercial practices, and legal technology relevant to Trystar’s business.
• Support special projects and broader legal or commercial initiatives as assigned by the Chief Legal Officer.

Qualifications:

Required

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 3+ years of experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating commercial contracts, with significant experience in customer‑facing agreements and non-disclosure agreements.
• Demonstrated experience exercising independent legal and commercial judgment in a business environment.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and AI‑assisted contract review or legal technology solutions.
• Proven ability to partner with senior business stakeholders and influence outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate legal risk into practical business guidance.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

Preferred

• Experience in manufacturing, engineered products, or industrial environments.
• Familiarity with sourcing, supplier, or procurement‑related agreements.
• Experience leading or mentoring others on contracting standards, playbooks, or negotiation practices.

Skills:

• High integrity and sound legal judgment
• Business‑oriented, pragmatic approach to risk
• Advanced negotiation and problem‑solving skills
• Comfort applying legal judgment alongside AI‑driven insights and technology
• Ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively with leadership and cross‑functional teams
• Strong alignment with Trystar’s values of safety, integrity, customer focus, and teamwork