Commercial Contracts Manager

About the Team:

Relativity Space’s Legal team is nimble and entrepreneurial, filled with collaborative team players with deep domain expertise dedicated to each other’s and the company’s success. The team sits at the epicenter of business activities and decision-making and is responsible for identifying and managing risks across the organization to ensure Relativity is adequately protected through its rapid growth. Team members manage the full suite of legal and regulatory issues, including intellectual property, employment, licensing, procurement, government contracting, vendor and customer contracts, trade compliance, corporate transactions, and governance, among other business-enabling responsibilities. Unique to Relativity’s fast-paced, high-growth environment, the team works across many departments to support Relativity's ambitious goals. Additionally, the company is in a formative phase, with enough structure to build from and still plenty of room for you to define what’s next. If you want to be on the front lines of a rapidly evolving commercial space industry, Relativity is the place for you.

About the Role:

• Review, prepare, negotiate, and coordinate the execution of operational contracts from beginning to end, including drafting, redlining, negotiating terms and conditions, collaborating with various teams and obtaining internal approvals, tracking and reporting, and electronic document storage.
• Manage various contract types for vendor procurement, such as services agreements, purchase agreements, manufacturing contracts, consultant agreements, engagement letters, statements of work, amendments, and order forms.
• Review vendor forms/edits and determine whether proposed terms are acceptable, or if changes need to be made (on a case-by-case basis) in consultation with legal counsel.
• Continue to refine and improve process for Legal team review of buy-side commercial contracts, including triggers for review, requirements and considerations for review, steps for review and negotiation internally and externally, and approval process.
• Develop, implement, and improve playbooks, contract templates, knowledge libraries, and processes to improve efficiency in Relativity’s contracting function, in collaboration with various stakeholders both within and outside the legal team.
• Work collaboratively with the legal team and business stakeholders to identify vendor and/or contractual risks, and develop strategies to monitor and mitigate such risks.
• Respond to inquiries regarding terms in existing contracts and assist stakeholders in understanding contract provisions and managing vendor contract lifecycles.
• Partner and collaborate with internal stakeholders throughout the organization regarding contractual matters, ensuring compliance by such stakeholders with the contract process.
• Analyze or coordinate analysis of price proposals, financial reports, and other data in proposals.
• Serve as primary point of contact on internal partners on key strategic projects related to buy-side transactions, such as tariffs, supply chain risk management, and significant purchase order transactions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors, clients, and internal business partners
• In collaboration with legal counsel and supply chain, assist with the develop of a commercial contract training program for Legal and Supply Chain.
• Be an expert user of Relativity’s contract management system and partner with legal operations to manage workflows, build reporting and metrics, and maintain accurate contract records.

About You:

• Undergraduate college degree from an accredited university
• Minimum 7 years of experience in contract management, commercial negotiations, or a related field
• Deep understanding of commercial negotiations and deal points across a wide array of vendor transactions, including construction and facilities services, equipment purchasing, software licensing and SaaS, and general services.

Nice to haves but not required:

• Outstanding project management, people management, organizational development skills
• Strong contract negotiation skills
• Ability to tailor approach and communication style for diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, with diplomacy and professionalism
• Systems thinker
• Leads with strong emotional intelligence, a client-service orientation, and a drive towards continuous improvements with a problem-solving mentality and “can-do” attitude
• Close attention to detail and accuracy at all times
• Experience managing multiple competing priorities efficiently
• Comfort with ambiguity and change management, and adaptable to new systems and technology, especially those that assist with end-to-end contract lifecycle management
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team at all levels and throughout the organization
• Familiarity with contract law, accounting principles, and finance
• Experience in leading cross-functional projects