Sr Manager, Contracts & Commercial Risk

Walker; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Walker is a full-service Experience Management firm based in Indianapolis offering on-site, hybrid, and remote opportunities across the continental U.S. The Director of Contracts & Commercial Risk will own contract lifecycle, negotiate high-value terms with enterprise clients, and lead risk mitigation across data privacy and security requirements.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years negotiating MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and DPAs, with strong collaboration across sales, delivery, IT, and HR.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Law, Finance, or related field required.
• 8+ years negotiating professional services and technology services contracts with enterprise client teams.
• Experience negotiating MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and DPAs.
• Familiarity with SOC 2, data privacy, and security frameworks preferred.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage outside counsel on complex matters, controlling legal spend and risk.
• Review, redline, and negotiate client and vendor contracts (NDAs, MSAs, DPAs, SOWs).
• Serve as primary contact for contract review and negotiation with sales and delivery.
• Maintain standard contract templates and terms; ensure approved language is used.
• Own post-signature contract obligation tracking for data handling and confidentiality.
• Partner with security/compliance on data privacy and security.

Skills

Contract negotiation

MSA negotiation

SOW negotiation

NDA negotiation

DPA negotiation

Data privacy

SOC 2 familiarity

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Communication

Education

BA/BS in Business or Law

Job description

Walker is a full-service Experience Management (XM) firm—tech-driven, people-powered and built for change. We’re all-around XM experts: a blend of technical and organizational specialists who help businesses thrive.

We help leading brands turn data into direction, align teams around what matters most and make change make sense. From customer loyalty to employee engagement to patient satisfaction, we’re experts at helping organizations act on experience.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, we offer on-site, hybrid and remote opportunities across the continental U.S., in any state where we operate. Walker is intentional about building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and free to be their authentic selves. Because great experiences start from the inside out.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Contracts & Commercial Risk owns Walker's client and vendor contract lifecycle and serves as the company's primary negotiator on its most important agreements. This role sits across the table from client general counsel and enterprise legal teams to reach terms that protect Walker while keeping deals moving.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct and manage outside counsel on complex or non-standard matters, leveraging Walker's established outside counsel relationships to control legal spend and risk, with a structured transition from the long-tenured incumbent.
• Review, redline, and negotiate client and vendor contracts — NDAs, MSAs, DPAs, SOWs, Change Orders, and related professional services agreements.
• Serve as the primary contact for contract review and negotiation, partnering with sales and delivery to ensure terms are clear, achievable, and protect Walker.
• Maintain Walker's standard contract templates and terms, driving consistent use of approved language across all agreements.
• Own post-signature contract obligation tracking, monitoring commitments for data handling, security, and confidentiality.
• Partner with the security and compliance function on data privacy and security.
• Monitor active engagements for commercial and contractual risk, escalating issues where commitments may be at risk.
• Ensure contract terms align with applicable data privacy and regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
• Develop and maintain contract playbooks, templates, and processes supporting consistent, efficient execution.
• Coordinate client security reviews during the sales process in partnership with IT, with ownership transitioning to a dedicated security & compliance hire long-term
• Train internal teams on contract terms, negotiation guardrails, and commercial risk awareness.
• AI-Native Mindset: We are building an AI-native organization where employees are expected to integrate AI tools and AI-driven thinking into their daily work. Successful candidates will leverage technologies such as GPT, Claude, and Gemini to improve efficiency, solve business problems, enhance quality, and contribute to evolving AI best practices.
• Other duties as assigned to meet the business strategy.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Law, Finance, or a related field required.
• 8+ years negotiating professional services and technology services contracts, including direct experience negotiating with enterprise client legal teams and general counsel.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing and negotiating MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and DPAs required.
• Familiarity with SOC 2, data privacy, and security compliance frameworks strongly preferred.
• Experience in the technology services industry, including the ability to read, understand, and work with technology services and sales contracts.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of professional services contract structures, terms, and standard negotiation points.
• Able to review and redline complex agreements independently and communicate risk to non-legal stakeholders.
• Solid understanding of data protection and security requirements and how contractual commitments become operational obligations.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to explain contract terms and commercial risk clearly to internal teams and clients.
• Collaborative and proactive; comfortable working across sales, delivery, IT, and HR.
• Continuous improvement mindset — seeks to standardize, simplify, and strengthen Walker's contracting practices.

Walker is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.