Contracts Manager/Negotiator
As a member of the Worldwide (WW) Contracts team within Apple’s Legal department, you will work closely with various stakeholders, legal counsel, and cross-functional teams to develop, negotiate, and manage complex commercial sales agreements. This role spans across multiple routes-to-market, including consumer, carrier, enterprise, education, government, and health & wellness sectors.
This role will be responsible for planning, leading, and executing a portfolio of high-impact, strategically significant negotiations across multiple sales channels and global initiatives. As a critical member of the WW Contracts team within Apple’s Legal department, you will collaborate closely with legal counsel, business leaders, and cross-functional teams to oversee the development, review, negotiation, and ongoing refinement of commercial sales agreements and standard templates. You will play a central role in establishing a consistent and disciplined approach to contract management, applying standardized language, templates, and processes, and utilizing contract lifecycle automation tools to streamline and optimize workflows. The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience in contract negotiation and management, combined with a sharp strategic mindset. You will need to demonstrate exceptional written, verbal, and analytical communication skills, along with the ability to understand complex business needs and translate them into clear contractual terms that align with organizational goals. Your ability to navigate intricate legal and business scenarios, formulate executive-level recommendations, and safeguard Apple’s legal and commercial interests will be crucial. You must also excel in problem-solving, with a strong ability to influence stakeholders and drive outcomes that balance legal risk, business objectives, and customer satisfaction.
Key to success in this role is your proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks while seizing opportunities for optimization. You will resolve unique contractual challenges as they arise, and collaborate effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure that contract outcomes align with Apple’s business objectives, all while fostering positive, long-term relationships. Your work will directly contribute to maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and ensuring that negotiated agreements create value for both Apple and its partners. Beyond legal expertise, you will be expected to be a strategic, solution-oriented communicator who can break down complex issues into actionable insights for various stakeholders at all levels. The ideal candidate will be discrete, highly organized, and adaptable, with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. You must thrive in an agile and dynamic setting, with the energy and drive to deliver successful contract negotiations and outcomes that contribute directly to the continued success of Apple.
Your success will be defined by your ability to effectively balance business needs, legal protections, and customer experience, and to consistently drive high-quality contractual outcomes in a timely and efficient manner. Your capacity to manage complex projects, communicate with impact, and influence decision-making will be key factors in shaping the broader business strategy and ensuring Apple's ongoing global success.
- 7+ years of experience in drafting and negotiating commercial sales agreements, with a proven track record in managing complex contracts across diverse industries.
- In-depth knowledge of commercial legal principles, including applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards.
- Adept with contract analysis, including process driven compliance to align with internal policies.
- Proven ability to manage multiple, concurrent negotiations, ensuring timely resolution of key issues while maintaining focus on quality.
- Strong drafting skills with the ability to frame, structure, and negotiate complex agreements that balance business needs with legal safeguards.
- Detailed planner with a proven track record for managing multi-year negotiations.
- Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) required; MBA/Paralegal preferred (JD considered).
- Exceptional presentation and communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to articulate complex legal concepts in a clear and concise manner to various stakeholders.
- Cross-functional collaboration experience, successfully driving global contract reviews and facilitating communication across diverse teams.
- High degree of attention to detail and a commitment to meeting deadlines while delivering high-quality work.
- Persuasive negotiation skills, with a focus on fostering positive relationships with both internal and external partners.
- Familiarity with template management, including approval processes and ensuring consistency across contractual documents.
- Project management skills including presenting and delivering on project objectives, timelines, milestones and updates with measurable business benefits to all levels of management.
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