Professional Services Contract Manager at Meridianlink

Job Summary Coordinates and drives end-to-end contracting for Professional Services engagements, leading the drafting and negotiation of complex SOWs and related documents that define scope, deliverables, timelines, acceptance criteria, and commercial terms. Serves as a contracting subject-matter expert and functional leader—partnering with Customers and internal stakeholders (Professional Services, Legal, Procurement, Finance, Sales) to align expectations, mitigate risk, prevent scope creep, and enable timely delivery through influence rather than direct authority. Establishes scalable contracting mechanisms (templates, playbooks, guardrails) to improve consistency, speed, and outcomes across the Professional Services portfolio. Responsibilities - Scope definition and control (complex deals): Lead drafting and negotiation of SOWs/change orders for complex and strategic engagements; define objectives, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, timelines, and acceptance criteria to prevent misunderstandings and scope creep. - Performance and milestone governance: Define measurable success criteria (KPIs, acceptance criteria, milestones) and establish operating rhythms to track progress; surface portfolio trends/risks and drive timely issue resolution with delivery and business stakeholders. - Compliance and risk management: Set and apply contracting guardrails aligned to company standards and policies; identify legal/procurement/financial risks, frame tradeoffs, and escalate with recommended paths forward to enable informed decisions. - Change management: Own the governance model for scope, timeline, and deliverable changes; drive cross-functional alignment, document approvals, and maintain a clear audit trail across the engagement lifecycle. - Contracting strategy and enablement: Develop, standardize, and maintain templates, clause guidance, and negotiation playbooks; partner with stakeholders to improve cycle time, consistency, and risk posture across Professional Services deals. - Stakeholder communication and decision support: Synthesize complex issues into clear options, tradeoffs, and recommendations for senior stakeholders; proactively remove roadblocks, align decision-makers, and drive timely closure. Required Qualifications - 8+ years of experience in contract management, professional services, and/or consulting, with advanced expertise owning complex agreements and delivering measurable business impact (e.g., improved cycle time, reduced delivery/commercial risk, enabled revenue). - Proven ability to drive outcomes through cross-functional influence across Professional Services, Legal (commercial), Procurement, Finance, and Sales in a fast-growing SaaS environment, including navigating ambiguity and competing priorities. - In-depth understanding of software and Professional Services delivery models, including how contracting terms impact delivery risk, revenue recognition, and go-live outcomes. - AI curiosity: Eagerness to leverage AI tools to improve contracting, delivery, and legal workflow efficiency and quality. - Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex customer needs into scalable contracting mechanisms (templates, playbooks, and guardrails) adopted across stakeholders. - Exceptional negotiation, presentation, and decision-making skills; ability to build rapport and influence senior executives, customers, and internal stakeholders to reach timely, durable agreements. - Collaborative, outcomes-focused leader able to align cross-functional stakeholders, drive decisions, and deliver results without formal reporting lines. - Proven ability to work independently, prioritize competing demands, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment. - Demonstrated commitment to fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive collaboration across internal stakeholders and customer partners.