Legal - Contracts Specialist

Job Title: Contracts Specialist
Status: Exempt
Reports to: Associate General Counsel
Department: Legal
Job Code: 11584
Pay Range: $ - $ Annually

Golden 1 Credit Union is among the top credit unions in the country. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, Golden 1 is guided by the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” We are committed to empowering our members and uplifting our communities as we create a more equitable and financially inclusive California. We welcome all who embrace our Core Values.

You independently review and analyze third party and vendor contracts of varying complexity to ensure alignment with applicable laws, regulatory requirements, and internal contracting standards, escalating issues as appropriate based on established guidelines and risk thresholds. You are a knowledgeable contracts and risk resource who applies sound judgment to identify contractual risks and collaborates with Legal, Enterprise Risk Management, Information Security, and other stakeholders to support appropriate review, mitigation, and resolution of contract issues.

You partner across the organization to support effective contract management practices by applying standard contract requirements, educating stakeholders on contract processes, and contributing to the ongoing effectiveness of Golden 1’s vendor management and third party risk programs.

• Independently review, analyze, and draft contractual documents of varying complexity, including but not limited to Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Order Forms, and Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). Interpret and assess terms and conditions of routine and non routine agreements, identifying risk exposure, control gaps, and required escalations.
• Serve as the primary contract resource for vendor engagements, partnering closely with Credit Union attorneys, Compliance specialists, Enterprise Risk Management, and subject matter experts to ensure contract terms align with legal, regulatory, policy, and risk tolerance requirements.
• Influence contract structuring and language strategy by assisting in the development, refinement, and standardization of contract clauses and templates—particularly those related to risk, privacy, security, business continuity, and regulatory compliance.
• Administer the end to end contract review process for higher risk and complex matters, acting as the central point of coordination among internal and external parties and ensuring timely, compliant review by all required stakeholders (e.g., Legal, Compliance, Information Security, Enterprise Risk Management).
• Support contract data integrity and governance within contract management systems, ensuring accurate risk classification, audit readiness, and traceability—particularly for contracts subject to enhanced scrutiny or regulatory review.
• Develop and maintain strong, trusted advisory relationships with key stakeholders across business units and corporate functions.
• Maintain working knowledge of applicable state and federal laws and regulations impacting credit unions, vendor contracting, privacy, information security and compliance, as appropriate to higher risk contract matters.
• Monitor and apply emerging trends and best practices in third party risk, vendor contracting, and contract management, translating insights into practical improvements for Golden 1—particularly for complex vendor relationships.
• Champion enterprise awareness of the contract review and vendor management programs, with particular emphasis on educating stakeholders about risk based contract requirements, escalation thresholds, and expectations for higher risk engagements.
• Perform other duties as required to support the Legal Department and…