Open to opportunities

Rahul Sharma

@contractingmanagerrahulsharma

Message

I help legal teams scale CLM and GDPR-ready contracting with measurable cycle-time gains.

Germany

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead Legal Ops and Legal Tech that modernizes contract workflows—CLM/CMS automation, GDPR-by-design contracting, and clear governance—while partnering across Legal, IT, Procurement, and Finance to deliver faster cycle times and audit-ready compliance.

I’m a “Fully Qualified Lawyer” with 12+ years’ experience across international contracts, Legal-Tech, and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM). I bridge business, technology, governance, and contracting operations—turning legal requirements into scalable systems that teams actually adopt.

Most recently, as “Head of Contracting / Legal Head,” I led implementation of a DocuSign-based CLM platform, building automated workflows, approval matrices, and templates. I coordinated cross-functional stakeholders and achieved measurable impact, including reducing contract turnaround times by approx. 40%, while conducting 200+ vendor and contract risk reviews and negotiating complex SaaS/cloud technology agreements.

Previously, I served as “Lead Procurement Counsel – Global IT Contracts” and “Assistant Manager – Contracts & Compliance,” managing 400+ supplier and cloud agreements and improving standardized contracting and governance processes. I’ve also authored AI/GDPR operational protocols and clause translations (including Schrems II-style transfer impact work and SCC-aligned breach protocols), and I train teams—10+ staff in CMS usage and GDPR risk evaluation—to ensure compliant, efficient delivery at scale.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Head of Contracting

Sigal SMS GmbH

Jan 2022 - Jan 2024 (2 years)

Led implementation of a DocuSign-based CLM platform and built automated workflows, approval matrices, and templates. Reduced contract turnaround times by ~40%, coordinated Legal/IT/Procurement/Privacy stakeholders, and conducted 200+ vendor and contract risk reviews.

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)Docusign Vendor Risk Assessment Stakeholder Management GDPR Compliance Contract Negotiation

Lead Counsel, IT Procurement

MetLife

Mar 2016 - Nov 2020 (4 years 8 months)

Supported global IT sourcing by revising 400+ supplier and cloud contracts with GDPR Art. 28 clauses and adapting standard terms after Schrems II. Negotiated SaaS and API contracts and assisted with privacy incident reporting and governance structures.

GDPR Privacy Governance Contract Negotiation

Lead Procurement Counsel

MetLife Global Technology & Operations

Jan 2016 - Jan 2020 (4 years)

Supported global IT sourcing and enterprise software contracting, managing 400+ supplier and cloud agreements. Negotiated SaaS, API, and IT services contracts in cross-functional collaboration with Procurement, Finance, Security, and business teams.

Vendor Governance Stakeholder Management Contract Standardization Enterprise Software Cross Functional Collaboration

Assistant Manager - Contracts

Thomson Reuters

Jan 2013 - Jan 2016 (3 years)

Supported contract management and compliance for global businesses, including technology outsourcing and transformation initiatives. Coordinated internal stakeholders and external clients and helped standardize documentation and review workflows.

Contract Management Compliance Support Outsourcing Legal Documentation Contract Review Change Management Client Coordination

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Master of Laws (LL.M.), European and Transnational Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law

2020 - 2022

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in European and Transnational Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law with focus on EU law and the German legal system, IT law, international IP and IT law, legal informatics, and transnational IT projects.