Contract / Temporary Contracting Specialist (20-40 Hours / Week)

American Society of Anesthesiologists®; Schaumburg (IL); Remote; USD 69,000 - 96,000; Part time

Job summary

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) seeks a Contracting Specialist to provide independent contracting support to the Legal Department. You will evaluate current contracting practices, draft and revise agreements, coordinate negotiations, and maintain contract records, ensuring efficient workflows and attorney time optimization.

As a non-attorney contractor, you will apply professional judgment within ASA parameters, work with internal stakeholders, and manage contracts through the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, legal studies, paralegal studies, contract management, or related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 3 years of substantive experience in contract administration, contract specialist, paralegal, legal operations, procurement contracting, or comparable experience.
• Experience developing or improving contract templates, playbooks, intake processes, approval workflows, contract repositories, reporting tools, or other legal operations resources preferred.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating contracts and supporting resolution of contract disputes within established parameters.
• Excellent organizational and project-management skills, with ability to manage high volume of matters and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 Office and contract-management tools is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manages contracts throughout the contracting lifecycle, including intake, drafting, review, negotiation, approval, signature, filing, renewal, amendment, termination, and closeout.
• Evaluates contracting processes and technologies and recommends practical improvements to streamline workflows and reduce administrative work.
• Drafts and revises contracts, amendments, statements of work, licenses, NDAs, and other documents using ASA-approved templates.
• Reviews and negotiates standard terms with vendors and escalates issues to ASA legal staff as needed.
• Coordinates with business owners and other stakeholders to gather requirements and move agreements through review and execution.
• Maintains a central repository and inventory of contracts, including amendments and related documents.
• Tracks key terms and deadlines and provides reminders to attorneys and business owners.
• Prepares contract summaries, issue lists, risk escalations, and status reports to support attorney review.
• Coordinates contract execution to ASA’s signature authority requirements and ensures complete approvals.
• Develops contracting procedures, templates, and checklists in collaboration with ASA attorneys.
• Uses contract-management technology to improve workflow visibility and turnaround time.
• Handles confidential information with discretion and follows legal department practices.
• Provides project-management and administrative support for assigned contracting matters.

Skills

Contract management

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Project management

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft 365 Office

CoPilot

Contract lifecycle management tools

Electronic signature tools

CRM systems

Job description

Feel good about your work— and your workplace.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) team provides education, resources, and advocacy to help our members improve the experience and safety of patients in their care. You can be a part of this important work—join more than 160 change-makers, collaborators, and advocates as we continually work towards excellence.

We live our core values of collaboration, dedication, commitment, and improvement every day. And we know that diversity in the way we look, think, learn, and live makes everything ASA does better. Our policies, culture, and people strengthen this commitment every day. As a result, ASA has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in Chicago and the Nation for the past ten years.

This is a part-time to full-time (20-40 hours per week) contract / temporary position for approximately 6 months starting as soon as possible. The position can be based in Schaumburg, IL or remote.

Position Summary:

The Contracting Specialist is an independent contractor engaged to provide specialized contracting support to the Legal Department for the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and its related organizations. In addition to managing assigned contracting matters, the contractor is expected to bring substantial contracting experience and a process‑improvement mindset to the engagement, evaluating ASA’s existing contracting practices and recommending practical opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, workflows, and use of attorney time.

The contractor applies prior contracting experience and independent professional judgment to assess existing workflows and practices, identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement, and recommend practical solutions. Areas of focus may include contract intake and triage, templates and playbooks, negotiation parameters, approval workflows, contract tracking and repositories, reporting, technology, and allocation of work between attorneys and non‑attorney resources. The contractor also drafts and revises agreements, facilitates contract negotiations within established parameters, coordinates contracting matters with internal stakeholders and counterparties, maintains contract records, and identifies issues requiring attorney or subject‑matter‑expert review.

This is a non‑attorney independent contractor engagement. The contractor does not provide legal advice or independently make legal determinations on behalf of ASA. The contractor is expected to apply independent professional judgment and expertise in determining how to perform the services and develop recommendations, subject to agreed priorities, deliverables, deadlines, and applicable ASA requirements.

Primary Position Responsibilities:

• Manages assigned contracts throughout the contracting lifecycle, including intake, drafting, review, negotiation, approval, signature, filing, renewal, amendment, termination, and closeout.
• Evaluates ASA’s existing contracting processes and technologies and recommends practical improvements to streamline contract intake, drafting, negotiation, approvals, execution, tracking, and recordkeeping; reduce unnecessary administrative work and attorney touchpoints; and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the contracting function. Develops prioritized recommendations and assists with implementing approved improvements, including workflows, intake and triage processes, templates, playbooks, negotiation parameters, approval processes, checklists, contract repositories, reporting, and appropriate technology solutions.
• Drafts and revises contracts, amendments, statements of work, licenses, nondisclosure agreements, and other documents using ASA-approved templates, playbooks, and attorney direction.
• Reviews and negotiates standard business and contractual terms with vendors, customers, partners, and other counterparties within established parameters and promptly escalates legal, financial, operational, or non‑standard issues to ASA legal staff.
• Coordinates with business owners, Finance, Information Technology, Privacy and Security, and other stakeholders to gather requirements, identify dependencies, obtain approvals, and move agreements efficiently through review and execution.
• Serves as a knowledgeable point of contact for internal clients regarding contracting status, process requirements, documentation, approvals, and next steps, without providing legal advice.
• Maintains a complete and accurate central repository and inventory of ASA and related‑organization contracts, including amendments, statements of work, exhibits, certificates, approvals, correspondence, and related documentation.
• Tracks key terms and deadlines, including renewal and termination dates, notice periods, deliverables, pricing changes, insurance requirements, and other contractual obligations, and provides timely reminders to attorneys and business owners.
• Prepares contract summaries, comparison charts, issue lists, risk escalations, status reports, and other work products to support attorney review and organizational decision‑making.
• Coordinates contract execution in accordance with ASA’s signature authority requirements and confirms that required approvals and supporting documents are complete before signature.
• Develops, documents, and maintains contracting procedures, intake tools, templates, clause libraries, checklists, and service standards in collaboration with ASA attorneys.
• Uses contract‑management and other technology to improve workflow visibility, record accuracy, reporting, productivity, and turnaround time.
• Conducts factual and procedural research and organizes information requested by ASA attorneys, including contract histories, prior language, approvals, correspondence, and supporting records. Handles confidential and privileged information with discretion and follows Legal Department practices for document management, retention, and communications.
• Provides project‑management and administrative support related to assigned contracting matters and projects, including document preparation, proofreading, signature coordination, deadline tracking, and related follow‑up.
• Builds effective working relationships with internal clients, counterparties, vendors, and outside counsel and communicates professionally regarding contract requirements, open issues, and required actions.
• At the direction of ASA attorney, assists with addressing contract disputes, performance concerns, alleged breaches, payment issues, termination matters, and other contract‑related disagreements by organizing facts and documents, preparing correspondence and draft resolutions, tracking commitments, and coordinating follow‑up.
• Performs services in a manner consistent with ASA core values: Dedication, Collaboration, Commitment to Excellence, and Continuous Improvement.
• Other contracting or legal operations projects may be assigned by mutual agreement within the scope of the engagement.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, legal studies, paralegal studies, contract management, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum 3 years of substantive experience in contract administration, contract specialist, paralegal, legal operations, procurement contracting, or comparable experience required.
• Demonstrated ability to identify inefficiencies in contracting processes and recommend and implement practical improvements to workflows, templates, playbooks, tracking, technology, and allocation of work, with the goal of reducing administrative burden and making more effective use of attorney time.
• Experience developing or improving contract templates, playbooks, intake processes, approval workflows, contract repositories, reporting tools, or other legal operations resources preferred.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating contracts and supporting the resolution of contract disputes or performance issues within established contracting parameters, with appropriate escalation of matters requiring legal advice or attorney judgment.
• Experience supporting in‑house attorneys or a corporate, nonprofit, healthcare, association, law‑firm, or government legal team strongly preferred.
• Excellent organizational and project‑management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of matters, competing priorities, detailed records, and time‑sensitive deadlines with limited oversight.
• Strong contract drafting, proofreading, written communication, and negotiation skills, with exceptional attention to accuracy, consistency, and detail.
• Ability to recognize legal, financial, privacy, security, intellectual property, insurance, and operational issues that require escalation to an attorney or other subject‑matter expert.
• Sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and demonstrated ability to handle confidential and privileged information appropriately.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 Office and CoPilot, and experience using contract‑lifecycle‑management, document‑management, electronic‑signature, customer‑relationship‑management, or comparable workflow systems preferred.
• Ability to develop positive working relationships, communicate diplomatically with internal and external stakeholders, and provide responsive, service‑oriented support to attorneys and business teams.

Position Compensation and Benefits:

The target hiring pay range for this position is: $50-$70 per hour depending on level of experience. This is a contract / temporary position and is benefits ineligible.

EEOC:

ASA is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Individuals with Disabilities, and Veterans that values the strength diversity brings to our workplace. Decisions affecting employment are considered without regard to disability, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status or any other protected characteristic.

Environment:

The services are primarily computer and telephone/video based. The contractor may perform services remotely or in a mutually agreed work setting and is expected to maintain an appropriate environment for handling confidential and privileged information. Any on‑site work at ASA’s Schaumburg office will be coordinated as needed and mutually agreed. OSHA Category III: position whose tasks/duties will not put them at risk for exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials, therefore, universal/standard precautions are not required.

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.