Principal, IT Contracts Manager

Position: Principal, IT Contracts Manager
 Location: Miami, FL (Hybrid)
 Duration: Long Term
   
About R Systems: 
R Systems is a leading digital product engineering company that designs and develops chip-to-cloud software products, platforms, and digital experiences that empower its clients to achieve higher revenues and operational efficiency. Our product mindset and engineering capabilities in Cloud, Data, AI, and CX enable us to serve key players in the high-tech industry, including ISVs, SaaS, and Internet companies, as well as product companies in telecom, media, finance, manufacturing, and health verticals. We Are Great Place to Work Certified in 10 countries with a full-time workforce [India, USA, Canada, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand]! We are recognized as one of the Best Tech Brands 2024 by the Times Group and India's Top 500 Value Creators 2023 by Dun & Bradstreet.
   
Job Summary:  
The Principal, IT Contracts Manager serves as a trusted authority on contractual matters for our client IT, overseeing the full contract lifecycle from intake through transition to operations with a focus on our most complex and impactful agreements. This role plays a critical part in protecting the organization s legal, financial, and operational interests by ensuring contracts are well-structured, compliant, commercially sound, and aligned with business strategy. This position partners closely with IT leaders, Legal, Finance, Procurement, and Vendors to enable efficient contract execution while managing risk.
 
 
Key Accountabilities / Job Functions: 
Accountability 1- Contract Drafting & Review (40%)

• Collaborate with IT leaders and vendors to ensure contract language accurately reflects business intent, scope, pricing, timelines, performance obligations, and risk allocation.

• Review, edit, and finalize a broad range of IT contracts, including but not limited to:

• Master Service Agreements (MSAs)

• Statements of Work (SOWs)

• Service Level Agreements (SLA)

• Contract Amendments

• Other vendor and supplier agreements

  
Accountability 2- Negotiation & Risk Management (5%)

• Collaborate with Sourcing and Legal to support contract negotiations with vendors and IT leaders, balancing pricing and legal risk with business objectives.

• Partner with IT leaders, Legal, InfoSec, Privacy, and Risk to ensure contracts include:

• Security control obligations, audit rights, vulnerability remediation timeframes, and breach notification.

• Data handling and regulatory clauses relevant to travel (PII, and PCI where applicable).

• Business continuity/DR obligations (RTO/RPO), resiliency testing, and subcontractor controls.                                                                                                            

Accountability 3 - Compliance & Governance (5%)

• Ensure contracts comply with internal policies, and industry standards.

• Support audits, regulatory reviews, and internal controls related to contractual obligations.

• Ensure proper approvals, signatures, and recordkeeping are completed in accordance with company governance standards.              

 
 Accountability 4 - Contract Lifecycle Management (5%)

• Manage contract lifecycle, including intake, drafting, review, execution, storage, renewal, amendment, and termination.

• Maintain an organized, searchable contract repository using contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools or internal systems.

• Ensure post-execution obligations are clearly communicated to relevant internal teams.

 
 Accountability 5 - Stakeholder Collaboration (25%)

• Ensure governance in place for managed service contracts and provide oversight.

• Partner with Sourcing on pricing, payment terms, and cost controls.

• Ensure vendor and supplier agreements follow IT, Financial, Sourcing and Legal processes.

• Collaborate with IT Leaders to ensure vendor and supplier agreements meet operational needs.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for contract-related inquiries across the organization.

• Advise internal stakeholders on termination rights, and dispute resolution provisions where needed.

• Ensure proper approvals, signatures, and recordkeeping are completed in accordance with company governance standards.

 
 Accountability 6 - Process Improvement & Knowledge Management (10%)

• Develop and maintain standardized contract templates, clause libraries, and negotiation playbooks.

• Recommend and implement improvements to contract processes to increase efficiency, consistency, and turnaround time.

• Provide training and guidance to internal teams on contract basics, best practices, and risk awareness.

• Support implementation or optimization of contract management systems.

 
 Knowledge, Skills & Abilities needed:              
"Scope:  This role owns the endtoend lifecycle of all IT contracts, acting as the organization s internal authority on commercial, legal, and operational contract matters.

It spans drafting, negotiation, governance, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement.
 Key scope elements:

• Oversees  the full contract lifecycle from intake through transition to operations. 

• Manages MSAs, SOWs, SLAs, amendments, and complex managed services agreements.

• Ensures alignment with IT, Legal, Finance, Procurement, InfoSec, Privacy, and Risk.

• Maintains contract repositories and CLM systems.

• Develops templates, clause libraries, and negotiation playbooks.

• This is a highbreadth, highcomplexity role touching nearly every IT initiative and vendor relationship.

  
Problem solving: The role requires sophisticated judgment and analytical capability to resolve complex commercial, legal, and operational challenges. 
  
Core problemsolving responsibilities:

• Translating business intent into precise, enforceable contract language.

• Balancing pricing, legal exposure, operational risk, and business timelines.

• Identifying and mitigating risks related to security, privacy, DR/BCP, and regulatory obligations.

• Customizing terms  based on deal complexity, jurisdiction, and business unit requirements. 

• Advising on termination rights, dispute resolution, and vendor performance issues.

• Improving contract processes to reduce cycle time and increase consistency.

This role solves problems that are crossfunctional, highstakes, and often ambiguous, requiring both legal literacy and operational insight. 
  
Impact: The role has direct influence on financial outcomes, operational stability, and risk posture.
 Key areas of impact:

• Protects  the organization s legal, financial, and operational interests. 

• Ensures contracts support revenue growth, cost control, and longterm stability.

• Reduces risk through strong governance, compliance, and audit readiness.

• Improves vendor performance and accountability through wellstructured SLAs and obligations.

• Enables faster deal execution and smoother operational transitions.

• Enhances organizational maturity through templates, playbooks, and training.

This is a forcemultiplier role: strong contracts improve cost efficiency, reduce disputes, and strengthen operational resilience. 
  
Leadership & Influence: 
While not necessarily a peoplemanager role, it is a highinfluence leadership position that drives alignment across multiple departments.
 Leadership dimensions:

• Acts as a  trusted authority on contractual matters for Client IT

• Serves as the primary point of contact for contractrelated inquiries.

• Leads crossfunctional collaboration with IT, Legal, Finance, Sourcing, InfoSec, Privacy, and Risk.

• Provides guidance, training, and best practices to internal teams.

• Establishes governance for managed service contracts and ensures oversight.

• Drives process improvements and adoption of contract management systems.

This role leads through expertise, influence, and crossfunctional coordination, shaping how the organization manages risk and executes vendor relationships. 
  
Essential/Minimum qualifications: 
Bachelor's degree in Law, Business Admin, Finance or related field or equivalent work experience required; Masters degree a plus  

• Strong understanding of contract law, commercial terms, and negotiation principles.

• Proficiency with contract management systems and document management tools.

• Familiarity with ITIL/service management concepts and SLA measurement practices.

  
Skills & Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of managed services agreements

• Advanced contract drafting and negotiation skills

• Strong risk assessment and analytical capabilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication

• High attention to detail and accuracy

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines

• Sound judgment and decision-making

• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills

• Discretion and ability to handle confidential information

 1+ year experience in the cruise and/or travel industry. (preferred)
 
 Essential experience required:

• 10+ years of experience in IT contract management, legal operations, commercial contracting, or a related role.

• 5+ years in managing complex, high value, managed service contracts.

• 5+ years collaborating with IT Leaders on hardware, software and labor contracts.

  
Why Join R Systems?

• Frequent Internal Hackathons: Engage in dynamic competitions with exciting prizes to keep your skills sharp.

• Cultural Celebrations: Strengthen our familial bonds through shared celebrations, fostering a sense of community.

• Diverse Project Exposure: Work on a variety of projects across sectors like Healthcare, Banking, e-commerce, and Retail, collaborating with leading global brands.

• Centre of Excellence (COE): Benefit from technical guidance and upskilling opportunities provided by our team of technology experts, helping you navigate your career path.

• E-Learning Platform: Gain access to comprehensive e-learning platforms coupled with a robust mentorship program to enhance your skills.

• Open Door Policy: Embrace a culture of mutual support, respect, and open dialogue, promoting a collaborative work environment.

 

If you are passionate and excited about working in a fast-paced, innovative environment, we would love to hear from you!
 
 R Systems is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strive to build a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve, and we actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. Our commitment to equal opportunity extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, and benefits. 
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