Procurement Contract Administrator

University of Denver; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition benefit

Eco pass

Job summary

University of Denver is seeking a Contract & Procurement Specialist within University Financial Services to manage the contracts workflow, coordinate with the General Counsel and risk teams, and negotiate terms with vendors. You will ensure compliance with federal, state, and university policies while supporting education-focused objectives.

The role requires experience in procurement, contract management, and an emphasis on compliance, with a hybrid work arrangement and opportunities to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 2–4 years of procurement, contract management/administration, paralegal experience.
• Experience working in higher education preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily activities of contracts workflow, ensuring priorities and deadlines.
• Serve as liaison with GC, Risk Management, suppliers, vendors, and departments for contract negotiations.
• Develop, monitor, and audit complex contracts, RFPs, pricing, and service standards to ensure compliance with laws and policies.
• Review proposed contracts for risk, insurance, indemnification, data security, and ownership issues.

Skills

Contract management

Procurement

Negotiation

Microsoft 365

Adobe

Legal/compliance

Education

Bachelor's Degree in related field

Paralegal experience

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Position Summary

University Financial Services is comprised of a diverse group of experts in multiple fields. Our passion is working together and collaborating with other departments to reduce the administrative burden on Faculty and Staff so that they can focus on supporting the education of our students. We strive to be a trusted and innovative partner delivering exemplary administrative services in support of the DU community

Essential Functions

• Manages the daily activities of the contracts workflow process by coordinating activities and establishing priorities, meeting customer requirements by ensuring adherence with time limits and standards.
• Serves as primary liaison with the Office of the General Counsel, Risk Management, suppliers and vendors, departments/units, and senior management for contract negotiations and agreements.
• Initiates, negotiates, and develops, monitors and audits the most complex contractual agreements together with Requests for Proposal, pricing agreements and/or service standards, finance options, and supplier performance for university to ensure terms and conditions comply with federal, state, and university regulations and policies regarding liability and risk.
• Reviews proposed, revised and current contracts for risk management, insurance, indemnification, worker classification, intellectual property, data owner, and data security issues to ensure adherence with contract requirements.
• Provides guidance and direction to improve contract legal compliance and risk management mitigation including the development and delivery of training.
• Maintains current knowledge of university initiatives that affect procurement contractual agreements and communicates to stakeholders and implementing change as needed.
• Other Duties as Assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced deadline driven environment.
• Self-motivated
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365 (Excel, Word, etc.) and Adobe
• Strong understanding of legal contract review, procurement principles and practices, and procurement negotiation methods.
• Understanding and knowledge of business processes and systems.
• Understanding and appreciation for automation and the use of technology as an enabler of high-quality services and performance levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of higher education culture, governance, structures and mission.
• Demonstrated focus on customer service and compliance.
• Experience managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced deadline driven environment.

Competencies

• Decision Making/Judgment: Recognizes problems and responds, systematically gathers information, sorts through complex issues, seeks input from others, addresses root cause of issues, makes timely decisions, can make difficult decisions, uses consensus when possible, and communicates decisions to others.
• Inclusiveness: Actively creates and supports an inclusive and equitable workplace by embedding diversity into all aspects of the workplace. This may include policies, procedures, training, mission, values, goals, office climate and culture, interactions with colleagues and co-workers, leadership practices, programming, hiring, marketing, evaluation, promotion, and other workplace dimensions.
• Integrity/Ethics: Follows through on commitments and communicates honestly and encourages others to do so. Demonstrates integrity and ethics and acts in support of the University’s best interest.
• Customer Focus: Builds customer confidence, is committed to increasing customer satisfaction, sets achievable customer expectations, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems, ensures commitments to customers are met, solicits opinions and ideas from customers, responds to internal customers.
• Teamwork/Engagement: Works collaboratively with others to achieve organizational goals. Displays enthusiasm about being part of the team. Treats others with respect. Supports the work of team members and personally contributes an appropriate share of the work to team projects.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Two to four (2-4) years of procurement, contract management/administration, paralegal

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field i.e., business administration, procurement management, paralegal, contract law or related field
• Experience writing and supporting contracts.
• Five to seven (5-7) years of procurement, contract management/administration, paralegal experience
• Experience working in higher education.
• Experience writing, negotiating, and auditing complex contractual agreements ensuring compliance with regulations and policies.

Working Environment

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Hybrid work schedule available, to be discussed with hiring manager.

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) October 16, 2026.

Salary Grade Number: The salary grade for the position is 10.

Salary Rate: The salary rate for this position is $65,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University’s educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker's Rights (POWR) Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non‑Discrimination‑Statement.

All offers of employment are based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history and National Sex Offender Registry background check.

Advertised:

September 29, 2026

Applications close:

October 16, 2026