Description:
The Contracting team is responsible for driving the successful completion of contract negotiations in support of the US open-end mutual fund, Retail Alternatives and Liquidity products lines. We manage the end-to end- contract lifecycle including facilitation of initial due diligence approvals, contract negotiations, contract execution and storage. Our scope includes new contractual arrangements and amendments to existing arrangements in the US Wealth Advisory, Cash Management and Retirement Group business channels. We work closely with our business partners and internal teams to negotiate contracts resulting in the best possible commercial outcomes for our clients while ensuring compliance with BlackRock’s regulatory and fiduciary obligations.
Role Responsibilities
- Experienced contracting lawyer responsible for supporting the mutual fund and ETF products sets, including:
- Contract negotiation based on BlackRock’s template or client forms of agreement
- Assessment of legal, business and operational risks for escalation to impacted stakeholders
- Work closely with the Legal Department, Compliance and business on new product launches that require distribution contracts
- Assist in migration of new product coverage to the Contracting team
- Ensure that contractual documentation is executed and filed in compliance with internal procedural and regulatory/recordkeeping requirements
- Effectively manage client and Relationship Manager expectations and communication throughout the negotiation process
- Identify and implement opportunities for process and client experience improvements
Experience/Qualifications
- 5+ years of cumulative work experience in legal contract negotiation in the financial services industry
- Proven ability to draft, analyze and negotiate legal contracts across the complexity spectrum (e.g., from template -based contracts to bespoke drafting)
- Strong written and oral communication skills that can be modified based on one’s audience (e.g., Relationship Manager, Legal Department, Client)
- Motivated by steep learning curves and highly detail-oriented
- J.D. is required
- Deep knowledge of mutual funds, ETFs and the asset management industry
- Change management experience would be helpful