Contracts Counsel

Listing expiry: 21 October 2026

About the role

Role Overview

The Contracts Counsel – India will support the Office of General Counsel as the primary point of contact for contract drafting, review, negotiation and contract-related legal support across multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, El Salvador, India and Chile. The role provides practical, business-aligned legal advice on a broad range of commercial, corporate, employment-related, real estate, vendor, services and other contractual arrangements, while managing legal and commercial risk, improving contracting processes and ensuring consistency with applicable laws, firm policies, approval requirements and global contracting standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, redline and negotiate contracts for RSM US LLP and its affiliates across jurisdictions, ensuring clear documentation of rights, obligations, risk allocation and business intent.
• Handle general corporate agreements, services agreements, vendor and procurement contracts, NDAs, statements of work, amendments, addenda, order forms and other commercial documentation.
• Support employment-related contracts, independent contractor arrangements, extended workforce contracts and staffing/vendor documentation in coordination with Talent, Strategic Sourcing and relevant legal stakeholders.
• Review and negotiate real estate leases, leave and license arrangements, facilities-related contracts and location services documentation, coordinating with business teams and external counsel as needed.
• Advise on indemnities, limitation of liability, confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property, insurance, termination, dispute resolution, governing law, audit rights and compliance obligations.
• Negotiate directly with counterparties or their counsel where appropriate and provide practical fallback positions to support efficient deal closure.
• Serve as the sole or primary Office of General Counsel contact for assigned contract matters, ensuring timely triage, review, escalation and resolution.
• Provide business-oriented legal advice on contractual risks, deviations from templates, approval requirements and mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate with U.S. and international legal stakeholders on multi-jurisdictional matters, cross-border contractual obligations and non-standard risk positions.
• Identify issues relating to privacy, information security, intellectual property, employment classification, tax, regulatory compliance, procurement, auditor independence and professional standards, routing matters to appropriate subject matter experts where needed.
• Support contract-related disputes, claims, termination discussions, renewal issues and interpretation questions by reviewing obligations and advising on available contractual remedies.
• Ensure contracting positions are consistent with firm policies, delegated authority, risk appetite and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
• Develop, maintain and improve standard contract templates, clause libraries, playbooks, fallback positions and contracting guidance in coordination with the Office of General Counsel and relevant business teams.
• Promote consistency in contracting standards, approval processes, records management and use of approved forms across contract types and jurisdictions.
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing, Talent, Finance, IT, Real Estate/Location Services, Risk Management and other internal teams to streamline contract intake, review, negotiation, execution and renewal workflows.
• Support the adoption and effective use of contract lifecycle management systems, AI contracting tools, tracking tools and reporting mechanisms.
• Prepare practical guidance, training and communications for stakeholders on contract review requirements, common risk issues and escalation protocols.
• Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders and act as a responsive, practical and solutions-oriented legal partner.
• Collaborate with attorneys and business teams in the United States, India and other supported jurisdictions to align contracting outcomes with business priorities and legal standards.
• Manage competing contract priorities, communicate status clearly and escalate high-risk or time-sensitive issues appropriately.
• Support reporting to the Office of General Counsel on contract volumes, risk themes, bottlenecks, improvement opportunities and stakeholder service levels.
• Monitor legal, regulatory and market developments relevant to contracting, cross-border services, privacy, employment classification, real estate and vendor risk management.
• Conduct legal research and prepare concise summaries or recommendations on contract-related legal issues.
• Support other Office of General Counsel initiatives, special projects and contract-related governance activities as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Law from a recognized Indian university (required).
• Current Bar Council enrolment or eligibility to practice law in India (required).
• Additional certification or demonstrated training in contract drafting, commercial law, privacy, technology contracting or negotiation (preferred).
• 10 years of post-qualification legal experience, preferably in an in-house legal department, multinational organization, professional services firm or reputed law firm with a strong commercial contracts practice (required).
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, vendor contracts, services agreements, NDAs, statements of work, employment-related agreements and independent contractor arrangements (required).
• Experience advising stakeholders directly on contractual risks, fallback positions, approval requirements and practical negotiation strategy (required).
• Experience supporting cross-border contracting matters or working with international or matrixed legal teams (strongly preferred).
• Experience coordinating with procurement, sourcing, HR/Talent, finance, IT, real estate/location services, risk management and external counsel teams (preferred).
• Exposure to data privacy, information security, auditor independence, professional services, technology, outsourcing or extended workforce contracting issues (preferred).
• Ability to act as a senior individual contributor and trusted legal advisor for contract matters with limited supervision (required).
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to build credibility with legal, business and functional leaders across jurisdictions (required).
• Proven ability to prioritize competing requests, manage urgent deadlines and communicate status and risk clearly (required).
• Business-minded, pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach with a strong sense of ownership and accountability (required).
• High degree of integrity, confidentiality, professionalism and sound judgment (required).
• Strong knowledge of contract law principles and experience with commercial contracting across multiple agreement types and jurisdictions (required).
• Excellent drafting, redlining, negotiation and legal analytical skills, with the ability to identify legal and commercial risks and propose practical solutions (required).
• Working knowledge of key contractual concepts, including liability allocation, indemnity, termination, confidentiality, data protection and privacy, intellectual property, service levels, audit rights, insurance, governing law and dispute resolution (required).
• Ability to support contracting matters involving procurement, employment, independent contractors, extended workforce, real estate leases, technology, professional services and general corporate arrangements (most or all areas required).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain legal concepts and contract risks in concise, business-friendly terms (required).
• High attention to detail, sound judgment, strong ownership and ability to manage multiple matters independently in a deadline-driven environment (required).
• Experience effectively leveraging AI tools in connection with contract drafting, redlining, analysis and negotiation (strongly preferred).
• Experience with contract lifecycle management tools, template management, matter tracking and Microsoft Office applications (preferred).

Additional Details

• The position supports contracting and legal matters across multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, El Salvador, India and Chile.
• The role collaborates with the Office of General Counsel and stakeholders across Strategic Sourcing, Talent, Finance, Risk Management, Real Estate/Location Services, IT and business teams.
• RSM offers a competitive benefits and compensation package and flexibility in scheduling to help employees balance personal and professional demands.
• RSM states that it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on protected characteristics under applicable employment legislation.
• Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request during the recruitment process.
• Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation may contact careers@rsmus.com.