Senior Contracts & Legal Operations Manager | Ironclad | Hybrid | Reston, VA

Lead the implementation and deployment of Ironclad as the company’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform, serving as a key Legal stakeholder and partnering cross-functionally with IT, Sales, Deal Desk, Order Management and other business teams. Serve as a Legal business owner and subject matter expert for Ironclad following implementation, establishing governance and continuously evaluating and optimizing workflows, configurations and processes as business needs evolve.

About Ellucian:

Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with approximately 3,000 customers across 50 countries, serving more than 21 million students. Ellucian's AI-powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for all students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

About the Opportunity:

Ellucian has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Contract and Legal Operations Manager to join its Legal team in its Reston, VA headquarters.

We are seeking a business-minded and self-motivated professional to provide support for a wide range of contracts. You will be responsible for the preparation and review of complex customer agreements and serve as a subject matter expert offering consistent support to the Sales, Deal Desk and Order Management organizations.

If you’re a strong leader who understands technology and enjoys partnering with different areas of the business to get deals done, this could be a perfect fit!

Where You Will Make an Impact

• Lead the implementation and deployment of Ironclad as the company’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform, serving as a key Legal stakeholder and partnering cross-functionally with IT, Sales, Deal Desk, Order Management and other business teams.
• Own and drive the design and configuration of Ironclad workflows, including contract intake, template generation, review and negotiation, approval routing, signature, contract storage and post-execution processes.
• Translate Legal and business requirements into scalable Ironclad workflows, templates, clause libraries, approval rules and other system configurations that support efficient and consistent contracting practices.
• Partner with business and technical stakeholders on implementation planning, requirements gathering, data and contract migration, system integrations, user acceptance testing, deployment and issue resolution.
• Develop and execute an Ironclad adoption and change-management strategy, including stakeholder communications, user training, documentation and ongoing support for Legal and business users.
• Serve as a Legal business owner and subject matter expert for Ironclad following implementation, establishing governance and continuously evaluating and optimizing workflows, configurations and processes as business needs evolve.
• Leverage Ironclad data, reporting and analytics to measure contract cycle times, identify bottlenecks, monitor adoption and compliance, and recommend process improvements.
• Identify opportunities to expand the use of Ironclad and related legal technology, including automation and AI-enabled capabilities, to improve efficiency, consistency, visibility and the delivery of legal services.
• Contract management and first-level negotiation of SaaS, software and services agreements, including data privacy agreements and related agreements.
• Update contract templates, playbooks, policies and other materials to ensure regional/global consistency.
• Proactively establish relationships with internal stakeholders to support key strategic initiatives and improve how legal services are provided.
• Develop and maintain a strong knowledge of the product portfolio and a working knowledge of existing and emerging systems to get work done.
• Balance legal playbook positions with business imperatives to provide pragmatic and business-based solutions.
• Support the Legal team and cross-functional special projects as needed.

What you will bring

• 8+ years of experience with contract management, SaaS negotiations and Ironclad processes, including negotiating licensing and technology transaction agreements and related professional services contracts.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) and effective collaboration with all levels of employees and management.
• Detail-oriented, organized, efficient and resourceful with strong follow-through skills.
• A practical, business-oriented approach to problem-solving and the ability to effectively counsel with clear, concise advice and creative solutions to meet business needs.
• Strong curiosity, business judgment and desire to innovate using legal operations and AI tooling.
• Prefer experience with paralegal/paraprofessional support for board meetings and related governance and management.

What makes #Ellucianlife:

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision 
• Flexible time off 
• Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account (LSA) that allows you to contribute towards your health, financial or learning interests
• 401k w/ match & BrightPlan - to help you save for the future
• Parental Leave
• 5 charitable days to support the community that supports us
• Telemedicine
• Wellness
  • Headspace Care (mental health)
  • Wellbeats (virtual fitness classes)
• RethinkCare & Wellthy– caregiver support
• Diversity and inclusion programs which provide access to internal employee resource groups 
• Employee referral bonuses to encourage the addition of great new people to the team
• We Foster a learning culture with:
  • Education Assistance Program 
  • Professional development opportunities
  • LinkedIn Learning 

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