Senior Legal Assistant (Contracts Specialist)

Position Summary
The Contract Specialist will be a key member of the Legal Operations Department, reporting to the Senior Director of Legal Operations in Phoenix, AZ. This role is responsible for reviewing, drafting, and administering a broad range of commercial agreements, including sales and procurement contracts, non-disclosure agreements ("NDAs"), joint development agreements, intellectual property licenses, and other commercial documents. The Contract Specialist will support transactional matters by providing drafting, project management, and process expertise, and will work closely with Legal Department attorneys while engaging directly with internal business stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

Contract Management & Administration

• Serve as contract management system administrator, responsible for workflow optimization, configuration, and technical support.


• Generate and maintain reports from the contract management system for Legal leadership and internal partners.


• Track personnel changes (new hires and departures) and update access, permissions, and relevant records in the contract management system.

Process, Policy & Documentation Support

• Update and manage content on the Legal Department’s SharePoint and Intranet pages.


• Assist with internal audits of contracts and contract‑related processes.


• Identify training needs and assist in onboarding new employees on Legal processes and contracting tools.


• Ensure familiarity with Legal Department policies, corporate policies, and operational procedures.

Operational & Cross‑Functional Support

• Submit Legal Department invoices for timely processing and payment.


• Collaborate effectively with attorneys, paralegals, and cross‑functional stakeholders throughout the organization.


• Manage multiple projects and priorities, ensuring deadlines are met with high‑quality work product.


• Proactively identify and escalate issues, propose solutions, and take ownership of assigned projects and tasks.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong organizational, analytical, and project management capabilities.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.


• Ability to understand and work with substantive legal concepts, transactional documentation, and contract terminology.


• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making skills with a proactive, detail‑oriented approach.


• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships at all levels of the organization.


• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail, including proofreading for grammar, spelling, and formatting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or a paralegal certificate with 5-10 years of experience as a contracts or transactional paralegal.


• Experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts (e.g., sales, procurement, NDAs, JDAs, IP licenses).
  Experience with technology-related agreements is a plus.


• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Outlook.


• Experience using contract management software.


• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment with professionalism and sound judgment.