Sr Contracts Manager

Company Overview:Lightspeed is the leading provider of cloud-based software for dealerships, serving the Powersport, Marine, RV, Trailer, and Golf Car industries adding hundreds of dealerships to the Lightspeed community each year.Lightspeed’s Dealer Management Solution (DMS) enables dealerships to optimize their end-to-end business operations, including Sales, Parts, Service, Rentals, Payments, Accounting, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). When implemented into their daily operations, Lightspeed helps dealers increase their profitability by selling more units, service, and parts, all while creating a more streamlined experience for customers.Lightspeed is the most complete and integrated DMS in the industry with over 500 integrations with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), aftermarket parts and accessory distributors and dozens of other software tools that a dealership may use to run their business. Uniquely designed by dealers for dealers, and refined over the past 4 decades, Lightspeed empowers over 4,500+ dealers across North America with the tools and technology they need to manage their dealerships.We’re looking for a paralegal or legal operations professional ready to take the next step in their career by building and leading Lightspeed’s customer agreement support and procurement function from the ground up. If you’ve spent years reviewing both customer and vendor contracts, managing vendor relationships, and navigating complex commercial agreements, this role lets you apply that expertise in a strategic, high-impact capacity.As Senior Manager of Contracts, you’ll design scalable processes, negotiate complex SaaS and IT contracts, and partner across the organization to balance legal risk with business velocity. Working closely with the Director of Financial Operations and Executive Leadership Team, you’ll establish a procurement operation that supports our growth while protecting the company’s interests and provide customer contract guidance and support.This is an opportunity to own something from day one, defining how we engage vendors, establishing governance frameworks, and building the foundation for enterprise-scale procurement.What You'll Do:Contract Review & AnalysisWhen necessary with Sales, review, redline, and assist in negotiation of customer-facing contracts including MSAs, SaaS subscription agreements, SOWs, and addendaIdentify legal and commercial risks, escalating non-standard terms to Legal and Finance stakeholdersEnsure contract terms align with approved pricing, product capabilities, and company policiesMaintain a consistent review turnaround SLA to support deal velocityContract Improvement & StandardizationIdentify patterns in contract exceptions and propose updates to standard templates to reduce frictionBuild and maintain a contract playbook with pre-approved fallback positions for common redlinesPartner with Sales and Rev. Ops (and potentially outsourced legal) to update template language as products, pricing, and regulations evolveTrack and report on contract cycle time, exception rates, and approval bottlenecksRevenue Operations PartnershipWork closely with Rev Ops to ensure CRM data (Salesforce/HubSpot) reflects accurate contract terms, start dates, ARR, and renewal schedulesSupport contract-to-close process improvements within the deal desk workflowProvide data and insights for revenue recognition alignment and ARR bookings accuracyAssist in building and maintaining contract repositories and document management systems (e.g., DocuSign CLM, Ironclad)Sales Partnership & EnablementServe as the first point of contact for the Sales team on contract questions, redlines, and approval requestsTrain Sales reps on standard contract terms, negotiation guardrails, and escalation pathsParticipate in deal review meetings to provide contract guidance on complex or strategic accountsProvide timely feedback on customer-submitted paper (customer-preferred contract forms)Build the Procurement FunctionDesign and implement our procurement function from scratch in partnership with the Director of Financial Operations and Executive Leadership TeamCreate end-to-end processes, governance frameworks, and standard operating procedures for SaaS and IT procurementDevelop approval workflows and escalation paths that enable speed without compromising risk managementEstablish contract templates, clause libraries, and negotiation playbooks tailored to our business needsLead Contract Negotiation & ReviewOwn review and negotiation of all SaaS, IT, and technology vendor agreements, leveraging your contract drafting and redlining expertiseIdentify and mitigate legal, security, and compliance risks in vendor contracts, including data privacy, liability, indemnification, and service levelsNegotiate favorable commercial terms while maintaining productive, long-term vendor relationshipsManage contract redlines, track positions, and drive agreements through to executionManage Vendor Risk & ComplianceLead third-party risk management including due diligence, compliance reviews, and security assessmentsCoordinate security questionnaires, SOC 2 reviews, and compliance documentation with Director of SecurityBuild vendor scorecards to track performance, compliance, and business valueEnsure all contractual and compliance requirements are satisfied prior to vendor onboardingEnsure compliance with SOX requirements and company policies across procurement activitiesPartner Across the BusinessServe as the go to resource for procurement and contract questions across all departmentsPartner cross-functionally with Accounting, HR, IT, and Sales on vendor setup, payment terms, technology selection, and customer-requested compliance materialsCommunicate clearly and proactively, keeping stakeholders informed on timelines, blockers, and next stepsDrive Cost Optimization & ReportingIdentify cost savings through strategic sourcing, vendor consolidation, and contract renegotiationImplement systems and tools to improve contract visibility, tracking, and reportingDeliver insights to leadership on procurement performance, spend trends, and risk exposureDevelop operational dashboards and KPIs to measure procurement performanceWhat You'll Have:QualificationsParalegal certificate or degree, or equivalent legal operations experience; bachelor’s degree8+ years of experience in a paralegal, legal operations, contract management, or procurement role with deep commercial contracting expertiseExtensive background reviewing, drafting, and negotiating SaaS, IT, and technology vendor contractsDemonstrated track record of building or transforming procurement or contract management functions including implementation experienceExperience working with technology vendors and understanding of technical and security requirementsProven success partnering across Finance, Accounting, HR, IT, and Sales teamsExperience implementing a vendor management and contract management systemAdvanced Excel proficiency and strong financial analysis skillsStrategic thinker with strong decision-making, critical thinking, and delegation skillsExcellent written and verbal communication with proven ability to build high-trust relationships across all levels and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environmentPreferred QualificationsExperience with NetSuite, Salesforce, and Ramp for vendor management, procurement workflows, and spend controlsProficiency with Slack and Microsoft Office Suite for collaboration and reportingExperience in high-growth or fast-paced SaaS / technology companiesCertified Paralegal (CP) or Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) designationExperience implementing contract lifecycle management (CLM) systemsProject management certification (PMP, CAPM) or equivalent experienceBackground collaborating with in-house legal teams or outside counselWhat Sets You Apart:Process-Driven Mindset: You design efficient, scalable systems and thrive on bringing structure to ambiguity. Prioritization, proactive problem-solving, and a bias for action are second nature.Business Partnership: You’re collaborative, trustworthy, and skilled at building strong relationships with operational leaders across an organization.Strategic Influence: You translate contractual and financial insights into strategic recommendations that align stakeholders and drive decisions.Exceptional Communication You simplify complex legal and contractual concepts into clear, accessible language that anyone can understand.Inclusion and Diversity at Lightspeed:At Lightspeed, we celebrate the uniqueness of every individual and encourage diverse perspectives. We believe that inclusion drives innovation and fosters meaningful connections. We are committed to building an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to make an impact.Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:Lightspeed is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected category.Important Note:Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.Ready to apply?Take the next step in your career—apply today and join a team where your skills will make an impact!