Independent Contractor - Contracts Administration Paralegal

IFAW; United States; Remote; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

IFAW is seeking an Experienced Part-time Contracts Administration Paralegal (Remote from East Coast, Independent Contractor) to support our Legal Department by managing the contracting process. You will oversee templates, data entry, and coordinate with attorneys to ensure compliant and timely contract handling.

This role emphasizes meticulous data management, deadline tracking, and effective communication with internal teams while operating under attorney oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 3–5 years of experience in contract administration, contract management, legal operations, or a comparable role.
• Working knowledge of common commercial contracts and contract terminology.
• Demonstrated experience managing contracts through the full administrative lifecycle.
• Experience with contract templates and identifying deviations or inconsistencies requiring escalation.
• Experience with DocuSign or another electronic-signature platform.
• Experience with contract-management databases, trackers, or CLM systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate contracts from initial request through review, approval, signature, filing, and renewal or expiration.
• Prepare contracts using approved templates and ensure correct template, legal entity, address, governing law, and other required information.
• Perform an initial administrative review of contracts for completeness, consistency, and compliance with procedures.
• Route contracts to appropriate attorneys or reviewers when legal or substantive review is required.
• Coordinate contract revisions and maintain accurate versions throughout the review and negotiation process.
• Maintain the organization’s contract management system and contract tracker.
• Enter and maintain accurate contract data, including parties, contract type, dates, renewal provisions, department, and status.
• Monitor contract deadlines, renewals, expirations, deliverables, and other key dates and provide advance notifications.
• Maintain executed agreements and related documentation in accordance with filing and retention requirements.
• Communicate with internal departments regarding contract status, signatures, and next steps.
• Assist with development and maintenance of contract templates, procedures, guidance materials, and contract-management tools.
• Prepare periodic reports concerning contract volume, status, turnaround times, renewals, and outstanding matters.
• Support Legal Department with contract-related administrative projects and other duties.

Skills

Attention to detail

Written communication

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

DocuSign

CLM systems

Job description

Experienced Part-time Contracts Administration Paralegal (Remote from East Coast, Independent Contractor) supports the Legal Department by managing the administrative and operational aspects of the organization’s contracting process. The position requires demonstrated knowledge of contract administration, contract workflows, and common contract documents, as well as strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

The Contracts Administration Paralegal is not expected to provide legal advice or independently make legal determinations. Contracts requiring legal judgment, substantive negotiation, or material deviations from approved templates are referred to an attorney for review.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate contracts from initial request through review, approval, signature, filing, and renewal or expiration.
• Prepare contracts using approved templates and ensure that the correct template, legal entity, address, governing law, and other required information are used.
• Perform an initial administrative review of contracts for completeness, consistency, and compliance with established contracting procedures.
• Route contracts to appropriate attorneys or other reviewers when legal or substantive review is required.
• Coordinate contract revisions and maintain accurate versions throughout the review and negotiation process.
• Maintain the organization’s contract management system and contract tracker.
• Enter and maintain accurate contract data, including parties, contract type, effective and expiration dates, renewal provisions, responsible department, and status.
• Monitor contract deadlines, renewals, expirations, deliverables, and other key dates and provide advance notifications.
• Maintain executed agreements and related documentation in accordance with established filing and record-retention requirements.
• Communicate with internal departments regarding contract status, required information, signatures, and next steps.
• Assist with development and maintenance of contract templates, procedures, guidance materials, and contract-management tools.
• Prepare periodic reports concerning contract volume, status, turnaround times, renewals, and outstanding matters.
• Support Legal Department with contract-related administrative projects and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• At least 3–5 years of experience in contract administration, contract management, legal operations, or a comparable role.
• Working knowledge of common commercial contracts and contract terminology.
• Demonstrated experience managing contracts through the full administrative lifecycle.
• Experience working with contract templates and identifying deviations or inconsistencies requiring escalation.
• Experience with DocuSign or another electronic-signature platform.
• Experience with contract-management databases, trackers, or CLM systems.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of documents and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment while following established procedures and attorney oversight.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with nonprofit or international organizations and familiarity with agreements such as consulting/independent contractor agreements, vendor agreements, grants, NDAs, and other routine organizational contracts.