Senior Contracts Manager

The shape of it

In the posting’s own words

Datadog is seeking a Senior Contracts Manager based in our New York City office to review and negotiate vendor agreements, including those with non-standard terms and moderate complexity. This role will primarily support vendor transactions across the Americas while collaborating with global Procurement, Legal, and business teams on cross-regional matters. You will advise Procurement and internal stakeholders on contractual, commercial, operational, and compliance risks. You will also help improve contracting processes and support other members of the contracts team.

What it asks for · 8

• At least 8 years of experience negotiating and advising on a broad range of commercial agreements, or 6 years with a master's degree in a relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating SaaS, cloud, AI, privacy, security, and professional-services agreements, with working knowledge of data privacy and security issues in technology, benefits, marketing, and other vendor agreements. Experience with real estate contracting and vendor dispute resolution is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage moderately complex commercial matters independently, support high-complexity matters alongside attorneys or management, exercise sound judgment within established risk frameworks (including when to involve an attorney or manager), and develop practical solutions to non-standard issues.
• A problem solver who identifies efficiency and scalability opportunities and leads their implementation.
• Organized and process-driven, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple matters at once and reprioritize quickly when business needs change.
• Curious and adaptable, with an aptitude for technology and legal operations tools.
• A strong written and verbal communicator who collaborates effectively across functions.
• A collaborative teammate who shares knowledge openly and pitches in when colleagues are stretched. Comfortable moving between big-picture strategy and hands-on drafting.

What the job covers

• Serve as a primary point of contact for Procurement and business leaders on supplier and service provider engagements across the Americas. Manage matters across the contract lifecycle, from intake through renewal or termination, and support global or cross-regional transactions as needed.
• Review and negotiate vendor agreements, with an emphasis on SaaS and technology-related vendor transactions. Handle moderately complex agreements independently and take on high-complexity agreements and novel issues with attorney or management support. Typical intake includes agreements for software, cloud services, AI tools, privacy, professional services and consulting, marketing and advertising, equipment purchase and rental (including maintenance), office operations and facilities, and benefits.
• Partner with Product, Privacy, Security, and Procurement to assess risk and recommend practical positions. Advise stakeholders on gaps between proposed contract terms and the business’s technical and compliance requirements, balancing legal protection with operational and commercial goals. Use negotiation and influencing skills with senior stakeholders to resolve complex contract issues.
• Interpret existing agreements and advise stakeholders on rights, obligations, renewals, amendments, termination, and risk exposure. Support resolution of vendor disputes by developing recommended positions and coordinating with Legal and business stakeholders.
• Manage contract templates and negotiation playbooks, along with the policies and procedures behind them. Build self-service resources and workflow improvements that scale. Track and report key metrics for contracting process improvements and risk mitigation, and act on what they show.
• Partner with the Legal Operations team to improve contracting technology, reporting, intake, and automation, including contract systems and AI-assisted contract review tools.
• Mentor other contracts professionals and support their negotiations on non-standard terms. Train business stakeholders on contracting processes and policy compliance.

Degree language

• At least 8 years of experience negotiating and advising on a broad range of commercial agreements, or 6 years with a master's degree in a relevant field.

Tools and skills named

Words the posting leans on

• agreements9×
• contract9×
• support7×
• vendor7×
• business6×
• stakeholders6×
• contracting5×
• legal5×
• matters5×
• risk5×
• benefits4×
• commercial4×
• experience4×
• issues4×
• manage4×
• privacy4×

Counted from the posting after the mission statement and the legal notices are set aside. The ones near the top are the ones a screener is looking for.

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