The Contract Specialist Team sits within J.P. Morgan Asset Management's Client Service organization, leading timely, accurate client agreements while partnering across teams to ensure a controlled, client-focused process.
Job Summary
As a Vice President within Asset Management - Client Service - Institutional Contract Specialist, you independently manage complex contracting matters, draft and negotiate agreement language, synthesize client feedback, and develop well-reasoned, decision-ready recommendations for senior stakeholders. You will exercise sound judgment in balancing client, commercial, operational, and risk considerations; provide guidance to more junior team members; and lead projects that strengthen the contracting operating model, enhance controls and consistency, and drive improvements across the agreement lifecycle. The Contract Specialist Team sits within JPMorgan Asset Management’s Client Service organization.
Job responsibilities
- Independently manage a portfolio of complex institutional contracting matters, including new agreements, renewals, amendments, RFP-related contract support, and ad hoc requests—from intake through execution.
- Draft, review, and oversee agreement packages using approved templates (e.g., investment management agreements, schedules/exhibits, disclosures, fee exhibits), ensuring accuracy, completeness, consistency, and adherence to standards.
- Lead negotiations with institutional clients and counsel on commercial and operational terms, resolving issues within established parameters and coordinating material exceptions for stakeholder review and approval.
- Analyze client redlines and comments; identify key issues, themes, and risks; and formulate recommended positions and proposed language based on precedent, business objectives, and stakeholder input.
- Advise and influence internal stakeholders through concise, well-framed recommendations that articulate trade-offs, implications, and proposed next steps, enabling timely and well-informed decisions.
- Maintain accurate, audit-ready records, approvals, and version control in contract/workflow systems; actively manage pipeline priorities, deadlines, escalations, and reporting on progress and cycle times.
- Lead and implement process improvements across templates, playbooks, checklists, and workflows to enhance efficiency, consistency, controls, and the client experience; provide guidance and support to more junior team members.
Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) with 5+ years of relevant experience in contracts, legal/contract support, client onboarding, or institutional client service operations.
- Demonstrated ability to independently interpret and negotiate complex contract terms, manage redlines, resolve issues, and drive matters to execution in partnership with control and business stakeholders.
- Strong analytical writing and executive-level communication skills, including the ability to distill complex issues, articulate a clear point of view, and present recommendations and rationale to senior stakeholders.
- Excellent judgment and risk awareness, with the ability to assess materiality, navigate ambiguity, make decisions within established parameters, and escalate appropriately while proposing pragmatic alternatives.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities, complex matters, and tight deadlines in a high-volume environment while maintaining strong attention to detail and accountability for outcomes.
- Strong leadership, professional communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence across client-facing teams, control functions, and senior stakeholder groups.
Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Financial services experience (strongly preferred).
- Substantial experience supporting institutional asset management clients (e.g., pensions, endowments, sovereigns, insurers) and related documentation.
- Strong familiarity with investment management agreement structures and common negotiation topics (e.g., fees, liability/indemnity, reporting, privacy/confidentiality, termination).
- Experience using Contract Lifecycle Management /workflow tools, improving contracting processes, and operating effectively within a controlled, audit-conscious environment.