Senior Counsel, Procurement & Vendor Risk

PJT Partners; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

PJT Partners in New York seeks a Counsel for Procurement and Vendor Risk to lead negotiations of vendor agreements and support the procurement function.

You will own the contract lifecycle for vendor and third-party deals, partner with business teams, and ensure risk, data rights, AI-related terms, and compliance are embedded. JD required; 5+ years in commercial contracting; in-house experience preferred. Base salary $150,000–$185,000, with bonus potential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in commercial contracts, vendor contracting, or a related legal or compliance function.
• JD from an accredited law school required.
• In-house experience preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with data privacy and financial services regulatory frameworks (e.g., GDPR, DORA, US data privacy laws, CCPA, CPRA) and their contractual implications.
• Strong working knowledge of contract risk concepts with exposure to third-party risk management or vendor governance programs.
• Ability to manage a high volume of contracts independently and prioritize across competing demands.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate legal risk into clear options for non-legal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Managing the end-to-end contract lifecycle for vendor and commercial agreements, including drafting, conducting negotiations, and execution.
• Taking primary ownership of legal and risk-specific provisions across a range of agreement types, in close coordination with business stakeholders.
• Ensuring contract language reflects current industry standards and evolving best practices, with particular attention to technology, SaaS, and AI-related engagements, including appropriate provisions governing AI tool use (e.g. data rights, model training restrictions, and output ownership).
• Developing and maintaining standard contract templates, playbooks, and clause libraries to align with industry and internal Legal department best practices.
• Partnering with vendor management on third-party risk reviews and contractual obligations.
• Supporting implementation of contractual protections required under applicable regulatory and information security frameworks.
• Staying current on regulatory developments and emerging contractual standards.
• Working cross-functionally with Compliance, HR, Finance, IT, and business teams to align contracting with operational and risk requirements and audit plans.
• Partnering with vendor owners and relationship managers to resolve contractual disputes or performance issues.
• Translating legal and regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance for non-legal stakeholders.

Skills

5+ years experience

JD required

In-house experience

Data privacy knowledge

Contract risk concepts

High-volume management

Communication skills

Education

JD from an accredited law school

Job description

PJT Partners in New York seeks a Counsel for Procurement and Vendor Risk to lead negotiations of vendor agreements and support the procurement function.

You will own the contract lifecycle for vendor and third-party deals, partner with business teams, and ensure risk, data rights, AI-related terms, and compliance are embedded. JD required; 5+ years in commercial contracting; in-house experience preferred. Base salary $150,000–$185,000, with bonus potential.