Head of Contracts

Job Title: Head – Sports Contracting We are looking for a senior Contracting leader to own and strengthen contract governance, standards, and risk management for high-value and critical contracts across multiple business units.This role will be responsible for standardization of contract clauses, templates, playbooks, and risk frameworks, ensuring that commercial objectives are achieved within a defined risk appetite. The position will also oversee contract lifecycle governance through structured handovers, performance reviews, and compliance monitoring for critical contracts.Key ResponsibilitiesContract Governance & StandardsOwn and manage business-wide contracting standards and governance for high-value and critical contractsBuild, maintain, and continuously improve a centralized clause library, including fallback positions and approvalsConvert negotiation learnings and past issues into improved clauses, templates, and playbooksTemplate, Playbook & Clause StandardizationDevelop and maintain standard contract templates, drafting guidelines, and negotiation playbooks across contract typesDrive adoption of standardized documents across business units and control non-standard deviations for critical contractsEnsure robust version control, auditability, and traceability through CLM systemsRisk Assessment & MitigationDefine criteria to identify critical contracts and associated risk thresholdsReview and approve risk mitigation plans for high-risk contractsMaintain pre-contract risk registers and align risks to clauses, templates, and approval frameworksNegotiation Support (Critical Contracts)Act as a senior advisor during negotiation bottlenecks, providing structured risk positions and fallback optionsSupport alignment between business, legal, finance, and risk stakeholders (without owning frontline negotiations)Regulatory & Policy ComplianceEmbed applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies into templates, clauses, and workflowsCoordinate periodic reviews with Legal, Tax, Compliance, HR, and other stakeholders to reflect regulatory changesOwn and update internal contracting policies and standardsContract Lifecycle & Performance GovernanceEnsure seamless handover of executed contracts with clear obligation ownership, milestones, and KPIsEnsure all executed contracts and key metadata (SLAs, LDs, price revisions, securities, insurance, extensions) are accurately captured in CLM systems and integrated with enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, billing, project controls)Drive periodic post-award contract performance reviews with cross-functional teamsMonitor compliance with contractual obligations and escalate risks or non-complianceOversee management of variations, claims, extensions, disputes, and contractual reliefs in coordination with Legal and Business teamsTranslate post-award learnings into stronger pre-contract standards and governanceTraining & Change ManagementDesign and deliver training programs on contracting standards, clause libraries, templates, and risk frameworksTrack adoption metrics and drive behavioral change across functionsCommunicate updates clearly to all relevant stakeholdersStakeholder EngagementWork closely with internal stakeholders including Business, Legal, Procurement, Finance, Risk, Projects, Operations, and Compliance teamsParticipate in discussions with external parties (vendors, clients, authorities) as required, along with internal teamsEducation & ExperienceLaw graduate (LLB) from a reputed institution; LLM, PG Diploma in Business Law, or Contract Management certification is a plus12–15 years of experience in contracts, legal, or commercial roles.Experience in sports contracts is a must haveHands-on experience with CLM systems and digital contracting toolsKey CompetenciesStrategic thinking and problem solvingContract risk assessment and decision makingStakeholder management and influenceGovernance and process designChange management and capability buildingStrong execution orientation and attention to detail