Job Description:

We are looking for an experienced Head of Contracts & Negotiations to lead the organization's contract management and commercial negotiations function. The role will be responsible for drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and executing complex enterprise and commercial agreements while ensuring the company's legal, commercial, and business interests are protected.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience handling high-value commercial contracts, enterprise agreements, strategic negotiations, risk management, and legal advisory, with the ability to independently manage complex negotiations involving multiple stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the contracts and commercial negotiations function, providing strategic legal support to business and leadership teams.

- Draft, review, negotiate, and finalize complex enterprise, commercial, technology, vendor, customer, and strategic agreements.

- Lead high-value and high-stakes negotiations with customers, vendors, partners, service providers, and other external stakeholders.

- Review contractual terms to identify and mitigate legal, commercial, financial, regulatory, and operational risks.

- Develop negotiation strategies and provide recommendations to senior management on key contractual and commercial issues.

- Ensure contracts are aligned with the organization's business objectives, risk appetite, policies, and applicable laws.

- Establish and maintain standardized contract templates, playbooks, clauses, approval frameworks, and negotiation guidelines.

- Lead negotiations involving pricing, payment terms, liability, indemnification, warranties, intellectual property, confidentiality, termination, service levels, data protection, and dispute resolution.

- Partner closely with Sales, Business Development, Procurement, Finance, Operations, Technology, Compliance, and other functions to support commercial transactions.

- Manage the complete contract lifecycle from drafting and negotiation through execution, renewal, amendment, and termination.

- Establish processes and controls to ensure timely contract reviews, approvals, execution, and compliance.

- Support RFPs, RFIs, tenders, strategic bids, and other commercial opportunities from a contractual and risk perspective.

- Advise stakeholders on contractual obligations, rights, remedies, and potential areas of exposure.

- Manage contractual disputes, escalations, claims, and negotiations in coordination with internal teams and external counsel.

- Engage and manage external legal counsel where specialized legal support is required.

- Maintain a strong understanding of evolving commercial laws, regulatory requirements, and industry practices affecting contracts.

- Lead, mentor, and develop the contracts and legal team.

Required Skills & Experience:

- 10-20 years of relevant legal experience, with significant experience in contracts and commercial negotiations.

- Proven experience handling complex enterprise and commercial agreements.

- Strong expertise in drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and executing high-value contracts.

- Experience managing high-stakes and multi-party commercial negotiations.

- Strong understanding of commercial and corporate law, contractual risk, and legal compliance.

- Expertise in negotiating key contractual provisions including:

1. Liability and indemnification

2. Intellectual Property

3. Confidentiality

4. Data Protection & Privacy

5. Warranties & Representations

6. Payment & Commercial Terms

7. Service Levels / SLAs

8. Termination

9. Dispute Resolution

- Strong ability to identify contractual risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.

- Excellent negotiation, communication, drafting, and stakeholder management skills.

- Ability to work effectively with CXOs, senior business leaders, customers, vendors, and external legal counsel.

- Strong commercial acumen and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.