We are currently seeking a Senior Contracts Manager with experience in commercial and international government contracts of varying size and complexity. As a Senior Contracts Manager, this position reports directly to the Assistant Director, Contracts, and develops and administers contracts and subcontract agreements working independently with limited guidance. The candidate must have business skills/expertise in analysis of complex government tenders/bids and proposals, proactively identifying risks for internal stakeholders, and the ability to interact with customers and lead contract negotiations. Additionally, the candidate must have experience managing subordinate Contracts Managers and/or Contracts Administrators. The Senior Contracts Manager will be responsible for managing workload levels among direct reports. The candidate will interact regularly with senior managers and therefore must be able to communicate (written and verbal) effectively. This role will be based in the UK, reporting the Assistant Director, Contracts in the United States.
Responsibilities
Working closely with other members of the Contracts Department as well as the Law Department, you will:
• Support our Bids and Proposals team by providing contract analysis and review of solicitations, bids and proposals;
• Review, analyse, summarise and maintain complex commercial and international government contracts;
• Analyse contractual requirements, special provisions, terms and conditions to ensure compliance with appropriate laws, regulations, and Company policies, checklists and procedures, as well as to identify contractual risks for the Company;
• Provide mentoring and guidance to direct reports;
• Prepare sales and service channel agreements, such as distribution agreements, resale agreements, and authorised service provider agreements, in accordance with Company policies and procedures;
• Ensure that all internal processes relating to the preparation and finalisation of proposals and contract agreements are met within required time and outcome expectations; and
• Provide guidance, training, support, and advice to staff in other departments on any contractual issues.
• Interact regularly with senior managers and other representatives of the following key areas of the business: Bids and Proposals, Finance, Sales, Service, Manufacturing, Procurement, Program Management, and Engineering;
• Handle confidential and non-routine information;
• Liaise directly with in-house legal counsel on a variety of legal and contractual matters;
• Support and implement Contracts Department policies, processes and procedures and report violations to the Director, Contracts Management; and
• Successfully influence key stakeholders to buy-in to Contracts Department policies and processes.
Qualifications
• Extensive experience (at least 10 years) drafting and negotiating complex contracts and agreements for an organisation of a similar size and level of complexity (i.e.¸ R&D, manufacturing, sales and service with a global footprint).
• Ability to command the respect of senior sales and business centre managers.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills, with the motivation to achieve high standards and consistently apply Company policies.
• Proven experience supervising staff at the manager level.
• A track record of successful proposal review and negotiation, with an organised and thorough approach, identifying and resolving issues quickly and effectively.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, able to effectively present and communicate ideas and concepts with senior management.
• Proven ability to build and manage strong relationships, make and influence decisions, and act as a team player whilst assertively taking the risks into consideration.
• Process-oriented with the ability to identify and implement change to improve effectiveness.
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage a diverse range of internal stakeholders.
• Possess advanced working knowledge of a variety of computer software applications, including contracts management programs, word processing, spreadsheets, database, presentation software (MSWord, Excel, Adobe, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Foreign languages are not required but would be valuable.
• Flexibility to travel on occasion.
• Law degree.
• Relevant professional education or training or qualifications in commercial and international government agreements and contracts management is also desirable.