Contract Specialist

Moody's Investors Service; Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Contract Specialist to join their dynamic Operations & Strategy team. This role is pivotal in managing the end-to-end contracting process, ensuring compliance while supporting a dedicated sales team. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. You will be responsible for drafting contracts, analyzing licensing parameters, and collaborating with various internal stakeholders. If you are motivated, detail-oriented, and eager to contribute to business development objectives, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• 3+ years contract-related experience in procurement, finance, or sales support.
• Strong teamwork and customer service orientation with excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end contract process for renewals and new business.
• Draft and tailor contracts, ensuring compliance with internal policies.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, and Sales to align on complex contracts.

Skills

Contract Management

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Detail-oriented

Customer Service Orientation

Problem Solving

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Finance

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Salesforce CRM

Apttus

Job description

Location(s):

• 55 Princess Street, Floor 3, Manchester, M2 4EW, GB

Line Of Business: SALES(SALES)

Job Category:

• Sales & Marketing

Experience Level: Experienced Hire

At Moody's, we unite the brightest minds to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they are-with the freedom to exchange ideas, think innovatively, and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways.

If you are excited about this opportunity but do not meet every single requirement, please apply! You still may be a great fit for this role or other open roles. We are seeking candidates who model our values: invest in every relationship, lead with curiosity, champion diverse perspectives, turn inputs into actions, and uphold trust through integrity.

The Role / Responsibilities:

As part of the global Operations & Strategy team, Contract Specialists (CS) work with a dedicated sales team and contribute to business development objectives by managing the contracting process from start to finish. The CS is responsible for drafting & tailoring each contract, ensuring that the terms and license parameters meet the needs of the client and sales team while also complying with organizational standards and protocol. This role works closely with many internal stakeholders including Sales, Legal, Finance, and Administration. Successful CSs are detail-oriented and self-motivated, have excellent communication skills, and demonstrate exceptional multitasking ability under tight deadlines. Candidates must have strong organizational skills and be both process- and results-oriented.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the end-to-end contract process for renewals and new business, supporting a dedicated team of sales representatives and acting as the primary point of contact for contract strategy, drafting, and execution processes.
• Participate in regular pipeline review sessions with sales team to advise on optimal commercial approach, set expectations, and proactively address potential contractual risks and challenges that might delay or complicate signature.
• Analyze account information, license parameters, and contract terms with extreme attention to detail in order to support the sales team with proposals for pricing, cross-selling, and/or renewals.
• Independently draft all Tier 1 (<$500K or $250K for software) sales contracts in accordance with internal policies and best practices while crafting win/win solutions that meet the needs of both the business and the client. Exercise judgment throughout the contract drafting & negotiation process to resolve issues and ensure compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley controls.
• Maintain accurate client data throughout CRM and different systems, ensure pricing and allocations are correct, and document pertinent transaction details. Ensure consistency and accuracy for all stages of the sales cycle.
• Complete primary review of and validate all executed contracts, confirming compliance with internal policies and best practices. Ensure all information required for order submission is documented and accurate.
• Facilitate any subsequent changes or adjustments requested by Sales or Client and use discretion in determining course of action.
• Lead collaboration with Finance, Legal, Billing plus other stakeholders to review and align on complex contracts as needed.
• Ensure internal and external client queries are fully resolved in a timely fashion with a high level of satisfaction.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate/first-level degree (e.g., Bachelor’s degree) in finance, business administration, information systems, management, or other relevant area.
• Minimum 3 years contract-related experience, preferably in an procurement, finance, legal or sales support role
• Highly organized, with the ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Extremely detail-oriented and meticulous
• Strong teamwork and customer service orientation. Highly responsive and proactive in issue identification, communication, and managing expectations.
• Highly motivated and results-driven.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills; ability to build relationships.
• Demonstrates good judgment in problem-solving and issue escalation.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience working with Salesforce CRM and/or Apttus is strongly desired.
• Fluency in English (spoken & written) is essential. For EMEA-based positions, other European languages would be advantageous.

Moody’s is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.

Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody’s Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.