IT Contracts Specialist - Senior

Virtual Company; Framingham (MA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fountain Group is seeking a Senior Contracts Specialist who will draft and proofread Statements of Work (SOWs) for Managed Services, Custom, Fixed Fee and Staff Augmentation engagements. The role requires facilitating stakeholder meetings, negotiating terms, and ensuring contract governance and SLAs are embedded.

You will interact with Legal and Procurement, manage amendments, and guide Service Delivery teams through contract processes.

Qualifications

• Draft, review and edit Statements of Work (SOWs) for managed services, custom or fixed-fee engagements, and staff augmentation.
• Negotiate contracts and amendments; ensure content, approvals and contract requirements are met.
• Provide training to Service Delivery teams on contracts processes.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate stakeholder meetings to clarify requirements and document SOW/Amendment details.
• Prepare, negotiate, and manage IT Professional/Consulting Services contracts.
• Review redlines and escalate issues as needed.
• Ensure SLAs, KPIs, service levels and governance are embedded in agreements.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

SOW management

Vendor liaison

Contract governance

Time management

Education

Bachelor's Degree/Law Degree

Tools

ServiceNow

Jira

Word

Excel

Job description

Pay: $43.75-53.79/hr
Duration:1 yr with potential to extend
Location: Fully remote; Local talent only; expected to go into the office 1-2 times a month; Framingham, MA OR Marlborough, MA

Job Summary: The Senior Contracts Specialist will be required to work in a team environment and independently, to draft or proofread and edit Statements of Work (SOWs) documents for both content and format within an established timeframe, and finalize SOWs in the area of Managed Services, Custom or Fixed Fee (milestones and/or deliverables to be completed in a set timeframe) and Staff Augmentation (T&M) type of engagements, as well as, amendments to SOWs between Client IT business units and Client's Preferred Providers for external contract labor.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

• Facilitate stakeholder meetings (internal and external) to develop and/or clarify all business requirements/specifications, niche terms, etc. are captured, tracked and documented throughout the SOW/Amendment development process
• Prepare, negotiate, and manage IT Professional/Consulting Services contracts
• Provide training to relevant Service Delivery teams on contracts processes to ensure content, approvals and contract requirements are met
• Work effectively and efficiently with all levels of the organization from the time a request is received, sent for execution, fully executed copy received, and Purchase Order issued (as/when required)
• Review redlines, identify business and/or issues and elevate appropriately, if necessary
• Compare amendment to original SOW content and other supporting material
• Assist as/when required to provide input to and/or update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), process improvements training material, contract forms, etc.
• Validate resource plan aligns with existing rate card (roles, rates and locations)
• Support contracting process for engagements exceeding $100M in value.

Ensure Value Delivery

• Ensure service levels, metrics and reporting requirements are included within SOWs
• Identify, assist and support issue resolution impacting completion of contracts, facilitate and administer the Vendor Management Exception process
• Incorporate lessons learned into operating procedures and contract form updates

Improve Contract Management

• Perform administrative functions such as; set-up/attend meetings, database/tracking entry, typing, redlining/format contracts, etc.
• Monitor, manage and prioritize incoming request for SOW reviews
• Manage and control document versions (internally and externally)
• Provide status updates and/or concerns via daily tracking sheet and team meetings
• Work within a shared file management structure
• Develop formal service level targets for labor related engagements at both a Client IT origination level and contract level. Ensure service levels reviews are incorporated into vendor governance programs
• Work with Legal and Procurement to ensure high profile commercial agreements are prioritized as needed
• Provide oversight, validation and negotiation of change order requests
• Provide SME related to industry relevant labor contracting best practices
• Work with Legal and Procurement on continuous improvement efforts within the contracting processes
• Assists with special projects, as needed

This individual will need to work with multiple internal stakeholder parties to influence the appropriate level of detail, risk and governance that will be required for each contract within scope. Judgement will be required when push back is needed either with internal stakeholders or vendors to gain desired outcome. Ability to understand the business objectives and independently resolve challenges to the business objectives.

Escalation would be required when alignment cannot be obtained on a material matter within the contracting process.

Minimum job skills needed to perform this job:

• Self-motivated individual who has the capacity to build trust amongst colleagues and work as part of a team
• Ability to work independently and thrive in a fast-paced environment, excellent time management and prioritization skills, detail oriented, handle multiple contracts and projects simultaneously under tight deadlines
• High level of responsiveness and exceptional interpersonal and communication skills; excellent customer service
• Positive outlook, willingness to learn and contribute, commit to personal growth and a team-oriented attitude; the ability to adapt to new/evolving processes
• Excellent written communication skills, with clear and concise drafting skills
• Excellent oral communication and effective negotiation skills
• Excellent judgement as to business and legal matters, including appropriate escalation of issues
• Solid understanding of legal terms and contract principles
• Ability to transfer and apply prior business and/or legal expertise
• Experience with developing service levels and incorporating them into both agreement and governance processes.
• Proficiency in making sound, reasonably judgements
• Ability to understand business details of internal clients' objectives, and willing to research applicable legal best practices and apply as appropriate to the contract process
• Ability to understand business objectives and independently resolve challenges to the business objectives
• Ability to conduct legal and other research
• Advanced proficient computer skills, including Word (i.e., redlining, tracking changes and formatting contracts) and preferable, Excel and ability to perform online research (required)
• ServiceNow and Jira experience (preferred)
• Agile Kanban experience (preferred)

Minimum experience required to perform this job:

• 8+ years' experience in IT corporate contracts
• Minimum of 4-6 years of experience drafting, negotiating, and executing IT Professional Services contracts
• Hands on experience independently drafting, negotiating, and managing various contract types (T&M, Fixed Fee & Managed Services)
• Extensive experience negotiating complex agreements that incorporate risk mitigation measures (SLAs, KPIs) and contract governance procedures to ensure value capture
• Experience working directly with attorneys and/or other third parties in both advisory and negotiation capacities
• Bachelor's Degree/Law Degree OR Paralegal experience (required)

If you are interested in hearing more about the position, please respond to this posting with your resume attached.

Please forward this posting to any friends or colleagues as we do offer a Referral Bonus for any candidate hired.

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