Job Description
Our client is looking for a Business Analyst with skills as an IT Contracts Manager to augment our existing contracts employees. The IT Contracts Manager is a non-supervisory position responsible for managing the IT contract life cycle, which includes amendments, changes, modifications, and enforcement of performance clauses, including incentives and remedies. The IT Contracts Manager acts as the key contact and subject-matter expert for contract-related and tender activities where IT services, hardware, software, etc. are involved. This includes statutory analysis and assisting with negotiating contract terms, conditions, modifications, incentives, and remedies, while working with key stakeholders to ensure requirements are met. Additionally, this position manages the contract execution process, resolving problems, mitigating delays, assisting with audits, mediating disputes, and escalating issues. The IT Contracts Manager also coordinates with Procurement and stakeholders to identify and secure the best financial, terms, and conditions from vendors.
Essential Duties / Responsibilities
Contract Process
- Coordinate with team members to identify contracting requirements for inclusion in Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposal (RFPs), etc.
- Establish contract management objectives, procedures, templates, and workflow processes for vendor contracts and deliverable schedules for Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Professional Service Agreements, Statements of Work (SOWs), Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), Amendments, etc.
- Maintain a contract management database with executed contracts / agreements and vendor information, as well as contracts / agreements that are under development but are not yet active. Additionally, track obligations, deliverables, and change notes. Manage and control access to documents, as appropriate.
- Coordinate to develop and insert appropriate legal protections in contracts, as warranted.
- Develop a knowledge base of negotiating strategies, best practices, and negotiation personnel and teams.
- Administer commercial and financial arrangements with vendors to include billing, invoicing, performance incentives, and remedies, where appropriate.
- Collaborate with vendors and key stakeholders to establish clear contract change control processes.
- Coordinate, as needed, with other key stakeholder departments on vendor performance oversight.
- Continually improve processes, procedures, workflow, and organizational structures for contract management.
Pricing and Market Insight
- Understand relevant market trends and vendors. Track, gather, and analyze market and industry data.
- Effectively communicate a clear and concise contract overview (e.g., summary of key contract terms, risks, opportunities, service delivery guidelines, etc.) to stakeholders. Provide clarity on contract elements when required.
- Responsible for ensuring pricing is and remains competitive. Identify cooperative agreements applicable to initiatives.
- Manage contract review meetings to ensure delivery against objectives and contract budgets. Develop regular reports on contract milestones, execution, and risk, and inform internal customers, vendors, and management of activities and progress through regular written and verbal communication.
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree or Above – Area of specialization/major: Business, Information Technology, Paralegal, Pre-Law
Work Experience
- Five or more years of experience – Contract Management or Paralegal Work – Experience with negotiating and managing contract life cycles, with an emphasis on technology or IT service agreements.
- No supervisory / management experience required.
Additional Information
Conceptual Thinking
- Able to determine contractual and financial exposure and negotiate contracts.
- Knowledge of contracting trends, licensing models, and traditional and emerging contract and vendor performance models.
Business Acumen
- Market knowledge of the IT landscape.
- Strong project and process management skills with the ability to manage multiple vendors and multiple contracts, as well as a wide range of tasks.
- Able to understand contract risks and to work with other parts of the organization in crafting tactics and strategies for risk mitigation.
- Knowledge of best practices for IT contract negotiation tactics and strategies.
- Where applicable, understanding of regulations that affect the contracting approach and vendor behavior.
Collaboration
- Strong ability to communicate with IT users, legal, procurement staff, and business leaders to craft contracts that align complex needs with contractual requirements to achieve business outcomes.
- Customer focused approach to delivering contract management services to internal customers.
- Strong relationship and interpersonal skills to be applied in working with vendors across the entire contract life cycle.
Decisiveness
- Able to distinguish what is required versus what is “nice to have.”
- Able to manage conflicting stakeholder needs and wants.
The successful candidate for this role will possess the necessary competencies to:
- Bridge communications between IT and business organizations, with a focus on developing an understanding of how to structure contracts to deliver against business needs and goals.
- Protect the client’s interests, comply with applicable regulations, and mitigate risks, assembling the appropriate set of clauses and schedules, without hampering delivery methodologies and processes.
- Leverage interpersonal relationship strengths to manage disputes and drive change in vendor behaviors, and create a working environment where vendors receive incentives to change behaviors and meet performance goals.
- Adopt an analytical approach to problem solving, with a focus on managing tasks with urgency in a results-oriented team environment.
- Manage multiple, complex contracting initiatives across organizational boundaries.
- Make decisions efficiently that add value and are achieved in tight timelines.
- Communicate with clarity with internal and external stakeholders and with vendors.
- Use technology and tools effectively in managing the contract lifecycle.
- Create a customer-focused, service-based approach to working with stakeholders and vendors that emphasizes the creation and cultivation of cross-organizational relationships.
- Analyze and evaluate change to drive continuous improvement in the process of contract management and incorporate contract management trends.
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