Sr Contract Mgmt Specialist

At Valley Bank, we believe in people's growth potential. We invest in it. We protect it. We focus it. For nearly 100 years, we've been the Bank that clients from every industry turn to for our expertise, strategies, and advice--building the kind of trust that can fuel every goal. We are the leading relationship bank built for growth--with over $60 billion in assets, 3,800 experts, and more than 200 consumer branches and commercial banking offices in communities across the US.

At Valley, we're all driven by an ambition that goes deeper than just having a job. That's why when you work for us, we make it our goal to help you focus on what drives you--working to turn your passions and strengths into assets you can use to propel your ambitions and build the professional legacy you want. Because when we say we're a relationship bank built for growth, that's not just reserved for our clients--that includes all our associates as well.

The Sr Paralegal, Contracts is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end contract lifecycle within the organization. This position serves as a pivotal liaison between the Legal Department and business units, ensuring that all contractual obligations are tracked and met.

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Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

• Manage the complete contract lifecycle including intake, review coordination, negotiation support, approvals, execution and contract storage.
• Review and administer a range of agreements, including vendor contracts, NDAs, service agreements, and amendments. Identify and track key provisions (e.g., indemnification, liability, confidentiality, termination) and escalate non-standard or high-risk terms to Legal.
• Coordinate internal contract approvals in accordance with company policies securing required reviews from business, finance, risk and other stakeholders.
• Maintain and update the centralized contract management system with current contract information, such as key terms, parties, effective dates, renewal dates, and termination dates. Ensure that all executed contracts and related documentation are accurately logged, stored, and easily retrievable.
• Track critical dates and periods for each contract (renewal notice windows, expiration dates, etc.). Proactively notify the Legal team and business owners of upcoming renewals or termination deadlines.
• Assist in preparing renewal agreements or termination notices, and ensure proper documentation of any changes in terms. Serve as a liaison between the Legal Department and internal departments (such as Procurement, Third Party Risk Management, and business units) for contract-related matters.
• Ensure that all contract activities follow the company's internal Contract Management Procedures and any relevant regulatory guidelines. This includes making sure that high-risk or high-value contracts receive necessary legal review and that executed contracts are archived according to policy.
• Maintain and enhance contract templates and clause libraries, ensuring alignment with best practices, legal requirements and corporate policies and identify opportunities to optimize contract processes and CLM system usage.
• Provide guidance and/or training to legal staff and business colleagues on contract lifecycle processes and use of the CLM system. Assist in creating quick reference guides or conducting informal training sessions for stakeholders.
  
  

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Required Skills

• Expertise in Contract Lifecycle Management: In-depth knowledge of all stages of the contract lifecycle, (including drafting, negotiation, execution and post-execution management) with the ability to manage a high volume of contracts while maintaining accuracy, compliance and attention to detail.
• Ability to review complex contract clauses critically. Familiarity with typical contract structures and legal terms; able to identify risks or anomalies in clauses and suggest appropriate revisions or flag for attorney review.
• Proficiency with CLM systems and databases, including logging contracts tracking statuses, and generating reports, ability to serve as a CLM administrator or power-user for the organization (e.g., running searches, pulling metrics, updating configurations). High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and PDF editing tools for document comparison and formatting is also required.
• Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple contracts at varying lifecycle stages, track deadlines, and drive contracts from initiation through execution by coordinating inputs across stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly explain contract requirements and status to non-legal stakeholders and collaborate effectively with attorneys, vendor and internal business teams.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret contract terms and assess business impact, resourceful in resolving contract issues by consulting Legal or proposing solutions amd able to conduct targeted legal or factual research and clearly summarize findings.
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in contract preparation, data entry in contract records, and proofreading of documents. A high degree of professionalism and discretion in handling confidential information and sensitive contract negotiations, with understanding of when to escalate issues to counsel.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities, demonstrates initiative in improving contract workflows, staying current on regulatory changes and CLM enhancements and serving as a knowledgeable resource on contract management and legal operations tools.
  
  

Required Experience

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent with a minimum of 5 years of experience as a contract administrator, including substantial experience in contract lifecycle management and extensive hands-on use of CLM software.
  
  

Preferred Experience

• Bachelors degree. Paralegal certificate. Prior experience in a financial services or corporate legal environment working with vendor or client contracts is highly desirable. Familiarity with banking or regulatory compliance as it relates to third-party contracts is a plus. Project management experience or training is a plus.