Vice President, Contracts Attorney

Vice President, Contracts Attorney

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

What You’ll Be Doing

• Plans, directs, and oversees the comprehensive management of enterprise-wide contracts.
• Leads the negotiation, structuring, interpretation and administration of contractual documents on behalf of Credit Union business units, including contracts, NDAs, RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs.
• Provides proactive, strategic legal guidance to business unit leaders on contract-related matters, including contract risk allocation and structure.
• Reviews and negotiates contracts, non-disclosure agreements, requests for information, and requests for proposals.
• Leads and coordinates strategic engagement with business units, vendors, and vendors’ attorneys to achieve mutually agreeable decisions on all aspects of contracts.
• Collaborates with internal leaders to manage contract workflows and proactively mitigate risk.
• Directs the contract lifecycle from conception through completion of the negotiation process and contract execution.
• Maintains deep expertise of contracts policy, legal risk, liability, and Credit Union contracting standards.
• Oversees contract preparation, internal review, and approval processes, ensuring compliance with Credit Union policies and applicable laws or regulations.
• Interprets contracts and provides proactive, strategic legal guidance to business units on contractual responsibilities.
• Oversees and manages outside legal counsel relationships on select contract reviews.
• Has current experience with technology contracts, including SaaS and other cloud-based solutions, emphasizing data protection, information security, privacy, and emerging artificial intelligence-related risk.
• Understands artificial intelligence risk within the context of technology and vendor contracting and negotiates contract terms, use restrictions, risk allocation, governance, and safeguards necessary to protect the Credit Union and its Members.
• Has a strong understanding of federal and state laws and regulations for topics such as privacy and data protection.

Additional Job Functions

• Develops and coaches managers and teams by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, setting priorities, and progressing team members’ technical skills and knowledge.
• Manages division budget.
• Handles the most sensitive Member issues to ensure a positive Member experience and outcome.
• Contributes to organizational strategies and priorities as a member of the Leadership team.
• Identifies, evaluates, and manages risk within the area and implements risk mitigation strategies and activities as appropriate.
• Supports the Credit Union in overall financial objectives and Member Service goals.
• Establishes and maintains strong working relationships with third‑party vendors and sub‑servicers to ensure the highest level of service is provided to Members.
• Provides insights and recommendations regarding the strength of the Credit Union’s brand and ways of enhancing them.
• Guides the department’s development by soliciting feedback from internal customers and making needed improvements.
• Takes initiative to bring forward and implement ideas that help the Credit Union grow successfully.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with regulatory compliance and assigned training requirements, including but not limited to BSA regulations corresponding to specific job duties.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor's Degree required.
• JD from an accredited law school; licensed to practice law in California or a reciprocal jurisdiction required.
• 15+ years of prior relevant experience required.
• 10+ years of prior management experience required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Contract management and negotiation experience.
• Diplomatic and clear communication skills to build strong partnerships across the organization.
• Proactive self‑starter and willingness to tackle tasks and situations to ensure efficiency in a high‑volume environment.
• Exceptional contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Experience with complex data privacy, information security, and cloud-based agreements.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to work independently.
• Experience in software licenses and SaaS agreement negotiations.
• Technical acumen to effectively use contract management tools, streamline processes, and creatively enhance contract management efficiency.
• Expert working knowledge of MS Word and MS Excel.

EEO Statement

SchoolsFirst FCU is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, genetic information, or status as a protected veteran or person with disabilities. This organization participates in E‑Verify.

Location and Remote Policy

100% on‑site; Some roles may have hybrid or remote options based on position requirements.