Senior Contract Manager
ABOUT SLATE
At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
As a Senior Contract Manager, you will play a critical role reporting to Slate’s Associate General Counsel, Commercial, by managing end-to-end pre-signature contracting process across a diverse portfolio of commercial agreements. This role supports both buy-side and sell-side contracting in a fast-paced automotive startup environment.
The Contract Manager operates at the intersection of Legal, Sales, Procurement, Engineering, Supply Chain, Service, and Accessories team, helping stakeholders navigate contracting requirements, apply approved templates and playbooks, and move agreements efficiently through contract workflows.
The role emphasizes process discipline, risk consistency, and excellent decision-making judgment. You will identify and mitigate business and legal risks, escalate issues for legal review when necessary, and deliver solutions-oriented support that represents Slate’s interests professionally to internal teams and external partners.
WHAT YOU GET TO DO
Contract Intake, Workflow & Stakeholder Enablement
Manage pre-signature workflow from intake originating across multiple organizational functions
Participate in evaluation, implementation, change management, and use of CLM tools, ensuring clear visibility into status, approvals, and next actions
Coordinate effectively with Legal counsel and business stakeholders, balancing responsiveness with legal risk standards
Maintain organized contract records, version control, and audit-ready documentation throughout the review and negotiation process
Contract Review & Negotiation Support (pre-signature)
Draft, review, and redline contracts using approved templates, clause libraries, and standard fallback positions
Coordinate negotiation input across Legal, Finance, Tax, Compliance, IT, Engineering, and Service stakeholders
Identify deviations from standard terms and escalate per defined playbooks and approval matrices
Templates, Playbooks & Knowledge Management
Maintain and continuously improve contract templates and clause libraries to support consistent risk management
Develop, update, and operationalize contracting and negotiation playbooks reflecting standard positions and escalation rules
Ensure playbooks are written for practical use by non-lawyers in Slate, Procurement, and Service teams
Maintain the Legal contracting SharePoint site or knowledge hub as a self-service resource for templates, guidance, FAQs, and intake instructions
Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
Identify, design, and implement process improvements across contracting workflows, including intake, triage, review, negotiation, execution, and repository management
Drive standardization of intake, review, and execution process
Support change management initiative to improve adoption of contracting processes, templates, and tools across Legal and business teams
Partner cross-functionally to eliminate contracting inefficiencies
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Legal Studies, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
3-6 years of contract management, contract administration, legal operations, or commercial contracting
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple complex agreements concurrently
Clear written and verbal communication and relationship-building skills
Familiarity with automotive or manufacturing industry a plus
Adept proficiency in MS365 suite, SmartSheets, and CLM tools
Core Competencies
Contract process discipline and attention to detail
Practical understanding of commercial and operation risk in an automotive startup
Data literacy and ability to translate contracting metrics into actionable operational insights
Comfort working with legal technology and workflow systems
Ability to guide non-lawyers through structured contracting processes
Continuous improvement mindset
WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE?
At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles.
Safety First
Delight Customers
One Team
Relentless Improvement
Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy
Respectful Collaboration
Positive Legacy
WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.
Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.
Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at
slate-talent_acquisition@slate.auto.