NomadDesk

Head of Procurement Contracting

Working at Atlassian

Atlassians can choose where they work whether in an office, from home, or a combination of the two. That way, Atlassians have more control over supporting their family, personal goals, and other priorities. We can hire people in any country where we have a legal entity.

The Head of Procurement Contracting will lead Atlassian's global procurement contracting function, overseeing a team of 10 professionals (including 5 direct reports) responsible for structuring, negotiating, and executing complex commercial agreements across our supplier base. The team supports a broad range of categories, including SaaS and cloud, enterprise software, infrastructure, professional services, marketing, and other indirect spend.

This leader will combine deep legal and commercial contracting expertise with strong people leadership and stakeholder management. The ideal candidate has a proven track record driving complex, multi‑party negotiations, shaping deal strategy in partnership with business and legal stakeholders, and building scalable contracting frameworks that enable speed while managing risk.

This is a highly visible role that partners closely with Procurement, Legal, Finance, Security, Privacy, and senior business leaders to balance risk, cost, and business agility. Success in this role will hinge on exceptional communication, influencing abilities, and meticulous attention to detail.

Why this role matters
Atlassian is scaling rapidly, increasing our reliance on complex third‑party technology, cloud, and services. This role will shape how Atlassian shows up to the market as a customer, influencing hundreds of millions of dollars in spend and helping our teams move faster, safer. You'll have a direct line of sight to executive decision‑making and the opportunity to modernize how procurement contracting works at scale.

Location requirement: This role must be based in the United States.
Professional requirement: Attorney / legal degree (J.D. or equivalent) required; active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Procurement Contracting function
  
  
  • Own the strategy, operating model, and day‑to‑day execution of the global procurement contracting team (10 team members, 5 direct reports).
  • Set clear goals, metrics, and ways of working that balance speed, risk management, and business value.
• Drive complex commercial negotiations
  
  
  • Lead and/or oversee high‑value, high‑risk, and strategically important supplier negotiations (including SaaS, technology, professional services, marketing, and other indirect spends).
  • Partner closely with Legal, Security, Privacy, Finance, Tax, and business stakeholders to define negotiation strategy, risk positions, and trade‑offs.
  • Ensure contracts appropriately address data protection, security, regulatory, IP, and commercial requirements.
• Engage deeply with stakeholders
  
  
  • Act as a primary point of contact and trusted advisor to senior stakeholders across the business on procurement contracting topics.
  • Proactively understand stakeholder roadmaps and upcoming initiatives to anticipate contracting needs and enable the business.
  • Communicate clearly and persuasively with executives, simplifying complex legal/contracting concepts into practical options and recommendations.
• Standardize and scale contracting
  
  
  • Develop and continuously improve standard templates, fallbacks, playbooks, and guardrails to streamline contracting while maintaining appropriate risk controls.
  • Partner with Legal and Procurement Excellence to simplify and automate contracting workflows, including alignment with CLM and other procurement technologies.
  • Use data and analytics to identify bottlenecks, drive cycle‑time improvements, and inform resourcing and prioritization.
• Team leadership and development
  
  
  • Champion an inclusive, growth‑oriented culture where team members are empowered to own complex negotiations and develop subject‑matter expertise.
  • Act as a culture carrier for Atlassian values in how we negotiate, manage risk, and show up with suppliers.
  • Hire, develop, and retain a high‑performing team of contract managers / attorneys.
  • Provide coaching and guidance on negotiation strategies, risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, and professional development.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer‑centricity within the team.
• Risk management and governance
  
  
  • Establish and enforce clear standards for contract review, approval, and escalation.
  • Partner with Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Security to ensure supplier contracts meet Atlassian's policy and regulatory requirements.
  • Support internal audits, controls, and reporting related to third‑party risk and contractual commitments.

• Attorney / legal degree (J.D. or equivalent) and significant experience in commercial contracting; active bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction strongly preferred.
• Based in the United States.
• 10+ years of experience in commercial / technology contracting, procurement contracting, or a closely related field, with a proven track record of leading complex negotiations and structuring high‑value agreements.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, including managing managers and building high‑performing teams of 8+ people.
• Deep experience partnering with Procurement and Legal on supplier agreements, ideally in a technology or SaaS environment.
• Demonstrated ability to translate legal and risk concepts into pragmatic business guidance and clear negotiation strategies.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging senior executives and cross‑functional partners (e.g., Finance, Security, Privacy, Tax, Compliance).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft and present clear recommendations and influence decisions.

• Experience designing and implementing contracting playbooks, templates, and guardrails that enable scale and consistency.
• Familiarity with CLM tools and integrated procurement systems, and a track record of using technology to streamline contracting.
• Experience operating in a fast‑paced, high‑growth, or "start‑up within an enterprise" environment that values speed and pragmatism over heavy process.
• A strong bias toward collaboration, continuous improvement, and data‑driven decision‑making.
• Highly detail‑oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple concurrent priorities and deadlines.