Legal Services Specialist

We are seeking an experienced Legal Services Specialist to join our Strategic & Commercial Relationships legal team. This non-attorney role combines contract drafting, negotiation support, and contract administration duties to ensure efficient and legally compliant contracting processes.

About the Role

The Legal Services Specialist will handle a high volume of client and vendor contracting work, including drafting initial agreements and amendments, preparing Statements of Work and Non-Disclosure Agreements, and coordinating the end-to-end contract process. This role focuses on ensuring efficient contract lifecycle management while maintaining SEI’s standard positions, in close collaboration with the legal team and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Contract Drafting & Preparation: Independently draft and prepare a variety of client and vendor-facing contracts and legal documents using approved templates and playbooks, including vendor agreements, SOWs, NDAs, and contract amendments. Tailor standard templates to specific deal terms while maintaining consistency with organizational guidelines.
• Contract Review & Editing: Review and edit incoming contracts or redlines from counterparties. Conduct initial issue-spotting on key clauses and incorporate input from SEI’s legal team for non-standard provisions.
• Negotiation Support: Collaborate with internal stakeholders (attorneys, procurement, business managers) and external counterparties to negotiate contract terms within defined parameters. Handle routine negotiations (e.g., resolving minor wording issues, clarifying SOW details, adjusting NDA clauses) to expedite agreement.
• Contract Administration & Workflow Coordination: Manage the contract lifecycle from initiation to execution, including organizing and prioritizing contract requests, coordinating internal approvals, and facilitating electronic signatures.
• Volume Management & Organization: Prioritize a high volume of contracts efficiently using strong organizational systems. Track the status of numerous agreements and meet turnaround targets for draft preparation and reviews.
• Stakeholder Communication: Serve as a liaison between the legal department and business teams for contract matters. Work with teams across the organization to obtain input and approvals, address issues, and ensure alignment between customer obligations and supplier offerings. Communicate clearly with internal and external parties about contract requirements, timelines, and updates.
• Process Improvement: Contribute to ongoing improvement of contract templates and processes. Update standard templates to address negotiation sticking points, develop internal guidelines or checklists, and suggest efficiency improvements in contract workflow.

Requirements

• Experience & Education: Bachelor’s degree required. 5+ years of experience in contract drafting, review, and administration (e.g., as a Contracts Specialist, Contracts Administrator, or similar role), ideally in a corporate or financial services setting. Experience with client and vendor contracts and familiarity with financial or regulatory contexts is strongly preferred.
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional attention to detail in drafting and reviewing contracts, capable of catching errors, inconsistencies, or unfavorable terms. Uses an analytical approach to ensure contracts reflect business terms and manage risk.
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to translate legal or technical language into clear summaries for business stakeholders and explain contract requirements in a user-friendly way. Comfortable liaising between attorneys, business teams, and external representatives.
• Organization & Time Management: Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and a high volume of work efficiently. Uses tools (e.g., spreadsheets, contract management systems) to track contract statuses and deadlines. Self-motivated in moving contracts forward and following up for approvals.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Word for redlining) and CoPilot. Experience with contract management software or document management systems is highly desirable. Comfort with learning new technology tools (e.g., e-signature platforms).
• Professionalism & Team Collaboration: Team-oriented mindset with the ability to work under the guidance of attorneys and according to established legal processes. Ethical integrity and discretion when handling sensitive information. Works independently on day-to-day tasks while collaborating effectively with the broader legal team.

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription, wellness, EAP, FSA)
• Life and disability insurance (premiums paid for base coverage)
• 401(k) match and education assistance
• Commuter benefits
• Up to 11 paid holidays per year
• 21 days PTO per year (pro-rated for new hires, increasing over time)
• Paid parental leave and back-up childcare arrangements
• Paid volunteer days
• Discounted stock purchase plan and investment options
• Access to thriving employee networks