Senior Counsel, Procurement & Vendor Risk (AI/Tech)

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

Job summary

PJT Partners is seeking a Counsel for Procurement and Vendor Risk to lead the legal review and management of vendor and third-party contracts, including technology, AI-related engagements, and data protections. You will partner with business teams to negotiate terms and implement risk controls across the contract lifecycle.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in commercial contracting with a JD from an accredited law school; in-house experience is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in commercial contracts, vendor contracting, or a related legal or compliance function.
• JD from an accredited law school.
• In-house experience preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with data privacy and financial services regulatory frameworks (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

• Contract Lifecycle Management for vendor and commercial agreements.
• 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.
• Third-party risk support 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.
• Stakeholder engagement 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

Contract negotiation

Vendor risk management

Regulatory compliance

Legal drafting

Communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

PJT Partners is seeking a Counsel for Procurement and Vendor Risk to lead the legal review and management of vendor and third-party contracts, including technology, AI-related engagements, and data protections. You will partner with business teams to negotiate terms and implement risk controls across the contract lifecycle.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in commercial contracting with a JD from an accredited law school; in-house experience is preferred.