Director, Contract Negotiation

As a professional technology contract negotiator, becoming stagnant is no longer an option. You will be learning something new every day while surrounded by crazy smart people who will support you in excelling to your full potential.

It’s time to start a new “life chapter” by joining our A-team Contracts solutions group.  

• Your passion for providing exceptional client service and attention to detail rivals no other
• Your contributions enable a world-class high level of client satisfaction
• You are feeling underutilized in your current role
• You thrive in a work-hard work-fast work-smart environment
• You are the kind of person that people go to when they have a critical ‘must get done’ issue
• You help solve problems your clients can’t solve on their own as a lead contract negotiator on large, complex, technical banking contracts (core, digital, payments, etc)
• You provide leadership, data-driven proprietary knowledge, and be an active participant at the negotiation table
• You make a difference by achieving outcomes using professional negotiation tactics and strategies for each of your clients

This will be your new day job!

Cornerstone negotiators are artisans of their craft. In the right negotiator’s hands, the influence of a deal is a thing that can be taken apart, rebuilt, and redirected in ways designed to deliver just the right outcome. You understand empathy, preparation, and emotion are critical tools of your trade. You deliver compassion when compassion is needed, friendship when your client needs a friend, and show mettle when mettle is needed. Good negotiators think multiple steps ahead and can think on their feet to steer a negotiation to the outcome their clients need.

Cornerstone Values

• Stronger together. We leverage our collective talents to be better and do better. Our team complements, supports, and connects so that our output is always greater than the sum of our parts.
• Do the right thing. Always. We choose to be the force of good and the model of integrity in everything we do. 
• Grit. We are lifelong learners who dig deep, seek truth, and share insights so that our teams and clients are left with real-world solutions and tangible benefits.
• Own it. Accountability and an expectation that “if it is to be, it’s up to me” permeates the firm and enables a “get it done” culture. 100% ownership / 0% excuses.
• Lead with Humility. We treat our team, our clients and our partners with the highest level of respect recognizing our way may not be the only way.
• Pay it forward. Generous sharing of time, effort, and support is part of our united belief that helping our clients, our communities and each other is its own reward.

Who are Cornerstone Advisors?

Cornerstone Advisors is a niche national management and technology consulting firm offering a wide range of consulting services to meet the needs of the banking and credit union industries.

          Over . . .

• 1500 technology contracts negotiated
• 17 areas of niche specialization within the banking industry
  • 1000 Technology Selections
  • 750 Strategic Planning engagements
  • 550 Product/Tech Strategy engagements
  • 150 Conversions
  • And more
• 70+% returning clients
• 92 NPS score
• ~20% growth for many years
• … we know banking

This is your chance to be a part of a fast-growing and exciting company! Thousands of banking institutions trust Cornerstone to professionally negotiate their technology contracts.

Cornerstone brings a performance-based compensation model, full benefits package, individual performance bonusing, flexible scheduling, limited travel, remote work opportunity, and many more cultural benefits. We pride ourselves on being an entrepreneurial, knowledge-based company, life-long learners, and “gonzo” (About Us - Gonzobanker).

According to your potential new colleague, “Cornerstone is where you come if you want to work hard, learn alongside insanely smart people, be valued, and compensated for high performance.”

What you will be doing:

• Negotiate contracts on behalf of our clients with third-party technology providers addressing pricing, business terms, and service levels, leveraging Cornerstone templates and proprietary pricing knowledge within our Contract Vault and business terms knowledge
• Advise client engagement teams and the relevant line of business leaders of the key pricing elements and business terms of the proposed contract and produce outcomes
• Work with peer consultants to collaborate and advise engagement teams, the relevant client leaders, and other stakeholders of the pricing elements and business terms of the proposed project and contract
• Coordinate with the cross-functional line of business teams (both internal at Cornerstone as well as client teams) and legal to provide a comprehensive contract negotiation experience for clients
• Protect Cornerstone’s intellectual property to prevent loss/infringement
• Provide negotiation strategy advice based on client business interests on a real-time basis
• Use of independent judgment and thinking applied to the resolution of your deals
• Work independently on multiple nonrecurring projects, with limited direction, and draw upon extensive knowledge, and experience to deliver remarkable consultative contract negotiation services

What you must bring with you:

• Alignment to Cornerstone Values (above)
• Hustle; you will be on a team of hard-working A-player industry-leading consultants… people like you
• Excellent service delivery skills: demonstrated ability to create, plan and successfully execute projects; the ability to meet multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to interface and communicate effectively with clients, peers, and negotiation counterparts
• Proven Experience in negotiating pricing and business terms within the industry
• Attention to detail; evaluate, model, and manipulate complex technology pricing proposals with excel
• 10 or more years of relevant work experience in a related role, financial industry experience highly preferred
• If working from home, dedicated video call ready professional home office within the lower 48 states

Preferred:

• Contract negotiation for technology experience (e.g., banks, credit unions, management consulting firms, financial technology providers, etc.)
• Office out of our HQ in Scottsdale, AZ. Open to relocation
• Master’s degree in related field
• Relationships with multiple banks and credit union executives that would consider engaging you as their contract consultant
• Communicates clearly and succinctly without excessive use of jargon
• Contributions are positive and aid successful project delivery
• Actively seeks to help others
• Highly developed "emotional intelligence" and related personal characteristics
• Often asked to serve as "face of Cornerstone" to the client
• Client service leader; responsive to needs; escalates issues to project leaders (as needed)
• Key contributor in Cornerstone's recruiting (i.e., interns, entry level, MBA) activities
• Able to lead multiple projects and oversee other PMs managing projects simultaneously

Our firm provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, our firm complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.