Contracts Lead, Department of Procurement Services

The Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia is seeking a Contracts Lead to support the University’s contract management process in the Department of Procurement Services. The role manages a defined portfolio, drafts and negotiates terms, and supervises junior staff while partnering with leadership on complex matters.

Your responsibilities include monitoring lifecycle management (Workday), renewals, stakeholder collaboration, and driving cost optimization and compliance across contracts

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or contract management.
• Supervisory experience is required.
• Strong working knowledge of contract-related legal and regulatory requirements and risk mitigation.
• Proficiency with contracting technologies, data analytics, and contract management tools.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, and execute contracts and supporting documentation arising from sourcing activities.
• Oversee maintenance of the Workday Contract Life Cycle Management platform.
• Track contract renewals and extensions with the Sourcing team.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand contracting needs.
• Provide day-to-day supervision of junior staff, including workload assignment.
• Review staff work product for accuracy and compliance prior to execution.
• Support onboarding, training, and professional development of team members.
• Escalate complex contracting decisions to the Contracts Manager or Director.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance team environment.
• Support cost-saving initiatives, rebates, incentives, and discounts through contracting.
• Ensure contracts comply with standards, laws, regulations, and university policies.
• Coordinate responses to FOIA requests and maintain data protection protocols.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field

Tools

Workday

Contract management tools

Job description

The Contracts Lead in the Department of Procurement Services plays a key role in supporting the University of Virginia's contract management process. This position manages a defined portfolio of contracting activity for academic division goods and services, drafts and negotiates contract terms, and provides day-to-day supervision of junior contracting staff. The Contract Lead partners closely with the Contracts Manager and Contracts Director on complex matters and helps ensure the team's work is accurate, compliant, and delivered on time.

Why Join Us?

At UVAFinance, we are committed to excellence, innovation, and collaboration. As an integral part of our team, you'll engage in meaningful work that directly impacts the University's financial operations. If you enjoy mentoring others, managing multiple priorities, and building strong contracting fundamentals in a growing team, we'd love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Lifecycle Management

• Supporting the drafting, negotiation, and execution of contracts and supporting documentation resulting from sourcing activities, including RFPs, cooperative contract adoption, and department-submitted requisitions.
• Oversee maintenance of the Workday Contract Life Cycle Management platform.
• Track contract renewals and extensions in collaboration with the Sourcing team.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including research units, faculty, and administration, to understand contracting needs.

Team Supervision

• Provide direct, day-to-day supervision of a team of junior staff, including workload assignment and prioritization.
• Review staff work product for accuracy and compliance prior to execution and provide hands-on coaching and feedback.
• Support onboarding, training, and professional development of team members.
• Escalate complex contracting decisions and issues to the Contracts Manager or Contract Director as needed.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance team environment consistent with department standards.

Value Optimization

• Support cost-saving and revenue-generating initiatives such as rebates, incentives, and discounts through contracting activity.
• Monitor rebates, incentives, and volume-based discounts, working with Accounts Payable to ensure terms adherence.

Compliance Management

• Partner with the Contracts Director and contracts manager to ensure contracts comply with relevant standards, laws, regulations, and university policies.
• Support contract-related audits and coordinate with Financial Compliance on responses to Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
• Help maintain contracting quality control processes to mitigate risk and ensure adherence to legal and industry standards.

Data Protection

• Collaborate with the Information Security Office and UVAFinance Compliance team to maintain data protection protocols within contracting processes.

Continuous Improvement

• Stay informed on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in contract management.
• Promote streamlined contracting practices that minimize risk and maximize value, including use of the UVA contract template.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or contract management, preferably in a higher education or research institution setting.
• Supervisory experience is required - demonstrated ability to directly manage, coach, and develop staff.
• Strong working knowledge of contract-related legal and regulatory requirements and risk mitigation.
• Proficiency with contracting technologies, data analytics, and contract management tools.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

Core Competencies

• Leadership & Mentorship: Ability to guide and develop junior staff while maintaining accountability for team output.
• Analytical Excellence: Ability to analyze data to generate actionable insights and drive continuous improvement.
• Collaboration & Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Thrive in a dynamic environment, embracing technology and innovative approaches to improve processes.
• Customer-Centric Mindset: Commitment to delivering exceptional service and support to all University stakeholders.

This position is considered hybrid. The incumbent will be expected to be in Charlottesville at least two days a week.

The anticipated hiring range is $70,000-$95,000 annually, commensurate with experience and subject to internal equity, market review, job profile alignment, and applicable approvals.

This position will remain open until filled. This is an exempt level, benefited position.

The University will perform background checks on all hires (if required) prior to employment. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. For this role, the University will not sponsor or consider candidates requiring sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future. This is a 2-year term limited restricted position.

For finalists, references will be completed via UVA's standardized process using SkillSurvey. A total of up to five references will be requested via SkillSurvey for top candidates during the final phase of the interview process. A total of three references is required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor's degree

Experience: Five years of job related experience. Four additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of degree.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.