Contract Specialist

The Contract Specialist acts as a resource to other SPC team members and campus stakeholders by providing insight and guidance on contract related issues and business processes.  The position manages requests submitted through the university’s enterprise contract management system (BCM) and may also perform various tasks related to the support of the contract management system, which may include monitoring request activity, answering support questions from campus partners, and assisting with some contract administration

Major Responsibilities:

Contract Management

• Review, draft, negotiate, approve, and prepare contract agreements as requested and submitted via the Brown Contract Management (BCM) system.  Apply university’s standard terms and conditions prior to routing agreements for execution in accordance with university policy.

• Serve as a liaison between campus partners, departmental stakeholders, supplier contracting representatives, and Brown subject matter experts and perform internal and external review functions in BCM.

• Establish and improve communication channels with campus partners to better provide guidance and advice on basic contract review and best practices to assist them with understanding risks associated with their contracts and be able to make recommendations to mitigate such risks.

• Negotiate agreements with suppliers in accordance with Brown policies and procedures while leveraging subject matter experts as needed.

• Represent Brown’s best interests to outside parties concerning terms and conditions of product and service business agreements/contracts.

• Identify potential problems or risks and provide workable alternative solutions in the structuring of contracts to meet desired objectives and avoid unnecessary costs should a dispute arise in the course of the contractual relationship.

• Maintain relationships with key campus stakeholder groups (e.g. Office of the General Counsel, Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Information Technology, the Office of the Vice President for Research, University Communications, etc.) and identify appropriate stakeholders for specific contract discussions/negotiations.

• Perform research and gather information as needed.

• Work with other SPC team members to understand categories of goods and services for which contracts are needed and to coordinate contract reviews in these areas.

• Work with insurance staff to understand and communicate Brown’s insurance requirements to ensure compliance and appropriate risk allocation.

• Promote compliance with Brown policies and procedures and state and/or federal regulations, and provide advice to campus partners regarding Brown policies and procedures and other information as it relates to their contract activities.

Contract Management System Support

• Perform responsibilities related to the Contract Manager Role within the Jaggaer Contract Lifecycle Management System. 

• Assist in monitoring contract request intake queue and determining appropriate routing/reviewing office.

• Maintain working knowledge of Brown’s contract management system and training documentation.

• Monitor shared Contracts email box to respond to or redirect inquiries to the appropriate resource.

• Examine contract records in the contract management system for accuracy and completeness.

• Endorse, advocate, and educate users on the use of Brown’s DocuSign feature in BCM.

Job Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Paralegal experience preferred. 

• 2 to 4 years of experience in a contract negotiations role with demonstrated understanding of contract terms and conditions.

• Experience in a higher education institution or procurement function strongly preferred.

Job Competencies:

• Contract negotiation experience with strong influencing and persuasive talents.

• Strong analytical skills with close attention to detail.

• Able to work in a fast-paced environment.

• High integrity and strong ethics.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Demonstrated understanding and working knowledge of applicable commercial contracting concepts and legal terms.

• Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills and experience working collaboratively across a diverse organization.

• Experience in handling procurement-specific concerns of users and suppliers related to contract management.

Please include a cover letter when submitting your application.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.