Overview:

The Counsel role will be responsible for all legal matters related to procurement and technology transactions, leading a team in a rapidly growing company, reporting to the  Managing Counsel, Insights and Empowerment and Enterprise IT.    The Counsel will be a business partner to the procurement and IT teams, directly supporting the Head of Procurement. This position will advise the procurement team regarding a multitude of issues arising in the vendor contract negotiation process and post contract, including negotiation with both US and India Vendors.  

The successful candidate must be extremely organized and proactive, be able to lead a team of attorneys and other legal professionals, with a desire to learn and grow.  Conducting work with integrity and responsibility, Counsel will be keenly customer-focused, collaborate well with team members and cross-functional business partners, and have positive working relationships with outside counsel.  If you are a self-directing, strategically thinking, and detail-oriented individual with a get-it-done attitude, come work with Zelis!

Responsibilities:

Act as primary legal partner for procurement. Strong cross-team global collaboration and coordination with business clients and legal colleagues are paramount.

Lead a team that handles (both US and India based) on all legal and contract negotiations for Zelis’ procurement and IT activities and operations, including a focus on process optimization, playbooks and automation as well as data and metrics tracking and insights.

Provide rapid, practical, and business-oriented legal advice to business unit teams to facilitate smooth negotiations and decision-making.

Develop, implement, and maintain policies and procedures related to vendor management. Design and maintain a vendor governance structure, including regular meetings with vendor representatives to evaluate and enhance service quality and relationships.

Work closely with Zelis’ procurement team to create a trusted relationship and to ensure Zelis scales its team, processes and systems as the needs of its business and customers grow.

Work closely with the Legal, Finance, Privacy, and Data Security teams, as well as other internal stakeholders, to facilitate effective contract management and ensure alignment with the company's objectives.

Support and advise senior management and divisions on key areas affecting the procurement organization, including direct and indirect procurement, supplier issues, and compliance with trade laws and other regulations.

Partner with procurement and commercial teams, support and advise senior management and divisions on key areas related to IT, including software procurement and licensing.

Supervise the negotiation and drafting of a variety of vendor contracts, including those related to technology, such as cloud services, IT infrastructure, intellectual property, and licensing agreements.

Develop and ensure optimized process for legal review of vendor and IT contracts, including development of playbooks to develop standardized process for reviewing agreements.

Provide legal advice on legal issues associated with data protection, data rights, cyber security, AI and data privacy, including HIPAA and state privacy laws.

Experience negotiating Business Associate Agreements and related security/privacy addendums.

Assist with negotiation of agreements related to data privacy and advise on the regulatory implications of Zelis’ services.

Participate in the development, implementation, and ongoing compliance monitoring framework for vendors, including for vendor compliance with privacy and data security-related policies and legal requirements.

Additional Requirements:

Apply effective risk management techniques and offer proactive advice on possible legal issues.

Superior legal drafting skills and experience drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts and corporate documents.

Support litigation and investigations as needed within assigned business area.

Experience leading a team, including a team that is offshore.

Partner with outside counsel as required.

Keep current on industry-wide legal trends and developments to proactively counsel business units and manage legal exposure.

Maintain and promote a positive can-do attitude and professional demeanor.

Experience managing a team of attorneys and legal professionals.

Qualifications & Skills:

J.D. degree from an accredited law school, admitted to practice.

7+ years of legal experience including vendor contracting and technology transactions in-house and management experience, preferably supporting a healthcare technology company, required. 

Strong experience overseeing and managing the review, drafting and negotiating of vendor contracts, including those related to technology such as cloud services, IT infrastructure, intellectual property, and licensing agreements.

Experience in a growing organization, including the establishment of systems and processes that enable the legal function to scale and develop efficiencies.

Strong commercial sensibilities, and ability to work closely with business people on their terms, and to negotiate complex commercial terms as well as legal terms. 

Experience supporting the IT and procurement functions of a technology company.

Deep understanding of HIPAA.

Growth mindset, strong attention to detail, excellent critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Able to work and act decisively in a fast-paced, high activity environment; comfortable in managing and responding to messages quickly and balancing multiple deals at one time.

Team attitude that no job is too big or too small. 

Strategic and pragmatic thinking. 

Demonstrated accountability and keen ability to meet aggressive time frames.

Excellent knowledge and understanding of business law.

Exceptional analytical and communication skills.

High degree of professional ethics and integrity.

Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies.

Sound judgment and ability to analyze situations and information.

Location and Workplace Flexibility:

We have offices in Atlanta GA, Boston MA, Morristown NJ, Plano TX, St. Louis MO, St. Petersburg FL, and Hyderabad, India. We foster a hybrid and remote friendly culture and all of our employee's work locations are based on the needs of the position and determined by the Leadership team. In-office work and activities, if applicable, vary based on the work and team objectives in accordance with Company policies.

Zelis is modernizing the healthcare financial experience by providing a connected platform that bridges the gaps and aligns interests across payers, providers, and healthcare consumers. This platform serves more than 750 payers, including the top 5 national health plans, BCBS insurers, regional health plans, TPAs and self-insured employers, and millions of healthcare providers and consumers. Zelis sees across the system to identify, optimize, and solve problems holistically with technology built by healthcare experts – driving real, measurable results for clients.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging 
At Zelis, we champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all aspects of our operations. We embrace the power of diversity and create an environment where people can bring their authentic and best selves to work. We know that a sense of belonging is key not only to your success at Zelis, but also to your ability to bring your best each day.

Equal Employment Opportunity  
Zelis is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, even if you do not believe you 100% fit the qualifications of the position, including women, LGBTQIA people, people of color, and people with disabilities.  

Accessibility Support 

We are dedicated to ensuring our application process is accessible to all candidates. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require a reasonable accommodation with any part of the application and/or interview process, please email TalentAcquisition@zelis.com.  

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