Contracts Manager

USA The Nature Conservancy; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care benefits

401(k) with employer match

Parental leave

Paid time off

Life insurance

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy seeks a Contracts Manager to lead contract management for the Northeast Division, coordinating with Legal, Finance, Grants, Operations, and program staff to align with organizational policies and risk management.

You will oversee complex agreements, improve processes, and mentor staff while ensuring compliant, high-quality service delivery across divisions and projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field and 4 years' related experience or equivalent combination.
• TNC Certified Contract Specialist (CCS) certification or ability to obtain certification within established timeframes.
• Experience managing contracts, agreements, procurement activities, grants, or related business operations.
• Experience coordinating multiple agreements and managing competing priorities simultaneously.
• Experience interpreting and applying organizational policies, procedures, compliance requirements, and approval processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead contract management across the Northeast Division, establishing priorities and coordinating workloads.
• Monitor service delivery, ensure timely, compliant support across Business Units and Division priorities.
• Serve as divisional expert for complex contracting matters and provide guidance on structures and risk.
• Supervise, coach, and develop contracts staff to build capacity and collaboration.
• Develop and implement processes, tools, training, and service standards to improve compliance and operations.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Contract management

Compliance

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Business Administration

CCS certification

Tools

Contract management systems

Document management systems

Financial systems

Job description

What We Can Achieve Together

The Contracts Manager serves as the contracts lead for the Northeast Division, providing leadership, oversight, and coordinated service delivery across the Division. The position also directly manages complex agreements and provides contract management, compliance, and stakeholder support for assigned Business Units and Division priorities. Working closely with Project Managers, Program Managers, Award Managers, Finance, Grants, Operations, Legal, and Division leadership, the Contracts Manager provides expertise on agreement structures, contracting strategies, compliance requirements, and organizational policies. The position promotes consistent practices, coordinates priorities and workloads, develops staff capabilities, and leads process improvements that strengthen compliance, service delivery, and operational effectiveness. The Contracts Manager administers and oversees contract management activities for the Northeast Division, ensuring agreements are developed, reviewed, executed, monitored, and closed in accordance with organizational policies, Delegation of Authority requirements, and risk management practices. The manager serves as an expert resource on contract administration, compliance requirements, and contracting best practices, providing guidance to staff and stakeholders on complex agreements and contractual matters. The role partners with Legal, Finance, Grants, Operations, and program staff to support effective contract management, resolve contract-related issues, strengthen organizational compliance, and advance continuous improvement efforts across the Division.

RESPONSIBI LITIES & SCOPE Leads contract management services across the Northeast Division, establishing priorities, coordinating workloads, monitoring service delivery, and promoting timely, consistent, and compliant support across Business Units and Division priorities. Maintains oversight of the Division's contract portfolio and contract service delivery, identifying emerging workload, compliance, and risk issues and recommending appropriate resource or service-delivery adjustments. Serves as the divisional subject matter expert and escalation point for complex contracting matters, providing guidance on agreement structures, compliance requirements, risk considerations, organizational policies, and contracting best practices. Evaluates contractual, financial, compliance, operational, and reputational risks; recommends mitigation strategies; and escalates significant or unresolved matters to the appropriate organizational leaders and subject matter experts. Partners with Legal, Finance, Grants, Operations, program staff, and other stakeholders to resolve contract-related issues, mitigate risk, and support organizational objectives. Supervises, coaches, and develops contracts staff and provides functional guidance to others with contracting responsibilities, building capacity and fostering collaboration, accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement. Leads the development and implementation of processes, tools, training, service standards, and resources that improve compliance, operational effectiveness, and the stakeholder experience. Exercises significant independent judgment in resolving complex contract issues, prioritizing competing demands, allocating resources, and recommending solutions that balance organizational objectives with legal, financial, operational, and reputational risk.

We’re Looking for You: Are you looking for work you can believe in? At TNC we strive to embody a philosophy of Work that You Can Believe in where you can feel like you are making a difference every day. We’re looking for someone with strong experience in leading a diverse, multi-disciplinary team. The ideal candidate should have exceptional communication and collaboration skills and experience in management of controls and reports of a business unit. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing mission of conservation by directing and shaping the work of our team!

What You’ll Bring: Bachelor\'s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field and 4 years\' related experience or equivalent combination. Experience with government regulations related to grants and contracts. TNC Certified Contract Specialist (CCS) certification or ability to obtain certification within established timeframes. Experience managing contracts, agreements, procurement activities, grants, or related business operations. Experience coordinating multiple agreements and managing competing priorities simultaneously. Experience interpreting and applying organizational policies, procedures, compliance requirements, and approval processes. Experience using contract management systems, document management systems, financial systems, or related technology platforms. Experience supervising, coaching, and developing staff.

Desired Qualifications: Experience managing complex contracts, subawards, procurement agreements, professional services agreements, or other organizational agreements. Experience supporting contracts funded by government, foundation, corporate, or other institutional sources. Knowledge of contract lifecycle management, procurement practices, internal controls, compliance monitoring, and risk management. Experience supervising and developing staff or leading a contracts, procurement, grants, or related service-delivery function. Experience designing or improving contracting processes, tools, templates, training, and service standards. Experience working collaboratively with Legal, Finance, Grants, Operations, and program teams in a complex or decentralized organization. Strong analytical, judgment, problem-solving, project-management, and stakeholder-management skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex requirements clearly to varied audiences. Experience using contract lifecycle management, financial, procurement, or document-management systems. Multi-lingual skills and/or multi-cultural experience appreciated.

Salary Information: The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $77,860 - $103,785. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate\'s location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

Who We Are: The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor. One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We Bring: Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here. We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ. Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub. The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status or other status protected by law. The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process. Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings! TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to [e-mail] with Request for Accommodation in the subject line. The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and over 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 79 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 42 through partners. To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Our vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.