Director, Contract Operations

At First Advantage (Nasdaq: FA), people are at the heart of everything we do. From our customers and partners to our greatest advantage — our team members. Operating with empathy and compassion, First Advantage fosters a global inclusive workforce devoted to the diverse voices that make up our talent and products. Our team members empower each other to be their authentic selves and treat all with respect, integrity, and fairness. Say hello to a rewarding career, and come join a leading provider of mission-critical background screening solutions to some of the most recognized Fortune 100 and Global 500 brands. Position Summary Director, Global Contract Operations is responsible for establishing the operational strategy, governance framework, technology roadmap, and performance standards for the Company's global contracting function. This role serves as the senior operational leader within Legal responsible for contract intake governance, workflow administration, process transformation, contract lifecycle management (CLM) optimization, contracting technology enablement and operational support services. The position partners closely with Legal leadership, Sales, Procurement, Compliance, IT, Finance, and regional business leaders to develop scalable contracting capabilities that support business growth, operational efficiency, risk mitigation, and governance objectives. The Director serves as the primary operational liaison between Legal leadership and business stakeholders, translating approved legal policies, playbooks, and contracting standards into sustainable processes, systems, controls, and service delivery models. While this role does not make legal risk determinations or provide legal advice, it is accountable for enterprise-wide contracting operational effectiveness, contracting technology strategy, workflow governance, and continuous improvement initiatives supporting the Legal function. This role is 100% work from home role within the United States. Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Operating Model Ownership Define and execute the global contract operations strategy, roadmap, and operating model. Establish enterprise-wide standards for contract intake, prioritization, assignment, workflow execution, escalation and service delivery. Lead alignment of contracting operations across regions, business units, functions and contract types. Identify operational risks, scalability challenges, and process inefficiencies and develop long-term solutions. Serve as executive owner of contracting operational processes, procedures, governance standards, and service delivery models Advise senior leadership on operational strategy, resource planning, and transformation opportunities. Process Transformation & Continuous Improvement Lead enterprise-wide process improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, standardization, automation, and scalability. Own and continuously improve the global intake, triage, assignment, and workflow management framework. Establish and maintain global SOPs, process maps, RACI models, and operational documentation standards. Sponsor cross-functional initiatives that improve contracting effectiveness and stakeholder experience. Drive implementation of best practices, automation opportunities, and operational controls across the contract lifecycle. Lead remediation efforts for systemic operational bottlenecks and recurring process issues. People Leadership & Organizational Capability Lead and develop contract intake and administrative support resources responsible for contracting workflow coordination, intake management, and operational support. Establish performance expectations, training plans, and workload management practices for operational support personnel Partner with Legal leadership to ensure appropriate resource alignment and operational support for contracting activities. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service. Provide oversight for operational support activities that facilitate efficient contract administration and workflow execution. Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) Strategy & Technology Enablement Serve as business owner for contract operations technology, CLM adoption, workflow optimization and related operational systems. Partner with Legal, IT, Procurement, Sales, and business stakeholders to define CLM priorities, enhancements, integrations, and future-state capabilities. Lead operational readiness activities including UAT, change management, training, adoption, and post-implementation optimization. Provide oversight of CLM administration activities, including system configuration requests, metadata governance, user support, training, and enhancement prioritization. Drive technology-enabled transformation initiatives that improve visibility, efficiency, scalability, and compliance. Ensure CLM capabilities align with contracting strategy, operational objectives, and business requirements. Operational Performance, Metrics & Executive Visibility Define the contract operations reporting strategy and performance management framework. Establish key performance indicators, service level expectations, and operational health metrics. Monitor service levels, turnaround times, workloads, backlog trends, resource utilization, and operational risks. Provide executive leadership with actionable insights, trend analysis, and strategic recommendations. Utilize operational data to drive investment decisions, resource planning, prioritization, and continuous improvement initiatives. Establish executive visibility into contracting performance and operational effectiveness. Governance, Controls & Risk Alignment Lead operational governance associated with approved contracting policies, procedures, workflows, and controls. Partner with Legal and Compliance leadership to ensure operational alignment with enterprise risk management objectives. Establish standards for documentation, approvals, escalations, and process compliance. Ensure operational readiness for audits, regulatory requirements, and governance reviews. Support enterprise initiatives requiring contract operations leadership, governance oversight, or implementation support. Maintain operational frameworks that support risk mitigation, consistency, accountability, and compliance. Qualifications Experience leading global contract operations, legal operations, compliance operations, or business operations functions. Demonstrated success developing and executing operational strategy and transformation initiatives. Proven ability to build scalable operating models, governance frameworks, and performance management programs. Experience leading enterprise process improvement, workflow optimization, automation, and technology adoption initiatives. Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior leaders across multiple functions. Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and change management skills. Strong analytical, organizational, and strategic planning capabilities. Experience leading geographically dispersed teams and cross-functional initiatives. Preferred: Experience supporting legal, contracting, compliance, procurement, or commercial organizations. Experience with CLM platforms (IntelAgree, Icertis, Ironclad, Agiloft, DocuSign CLM, etc.). Experience with Salesforce, CPQ platforms, workflow automation tools, and enterprise technology implementations. Experience leading digital transformation and AI-enabled process initiatives. Project management and organizational change management experience. Experience supporting global operations across multiple regions and business units. Education & Experience Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; Juris Doctor preferred. Experience: 10+ years of experience in one or more of the following: Contract Operations Legal Operations Contract Management Compliance Operations Business Operations Process Management 7+ years of progressive leadership experience, including responsibility for leading globally distributed teams. Demonstrated experience leading enterprise process transformation, technology implementation, governance programs, or operational excellence initiatives. Why First Advantage is Your Next Big Career Move: First Advantage is going through a technology transformation! We are looking for experts who are excited to work with advanced technologies and provide best-in-class user experience, drive the development and deployment of scalable solutions, and smoothly guide our agile teams and clients through meaningful changes as we continue to expand our impact. Additional benefits offered to our eligible people include: Ability to work remotely with occasional business travel. Medical, Vision, Dental, and supplementary benefit plans 401k with an employer match, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) Competitive and flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) and 9 paid company holidays Access to tech and growth opportunities, and leaders who want you to succeed! What Are You Waiting For? Apply Today! You have learned a little about us today – we want to learn about you! If you think this position and our company are a great fit for your areas of interest and expertise, tell us about you by applying now! The salary range for this position is approximately $140,000 - 175,000 annual base. This range reflects our good faith estimate to pay fairly as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on the selected candidate’s experience, industry knowledge, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the interview process We have great people here and are looking for more. Come join us! Follow us: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn X YouTube Equal Employment Opportunities at First Advantage First Advantage is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace and recruitment process that is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Employment decisions at First Advantage are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate in any aspect of employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, creed, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.