Contract Specialist 1

About the role

The University of Connecticut seeks to hire a Contract Specialist to support the Procurement Contracting & Compliance team with a variety of contracts in support of the needs of the campus community. Under the general direction of the University Director of Procurement Contracting & Compliance and/or the Senior Contract Specialist, this role will utilize existing policies, procedures, and statutes to draft and negotiate terms and conditions for a variety of university contracts.

Responsibilities

• Drafts and negotiates contract language for various contracts under assigned commodities.
• Responsible for the administration of all contractual activities for University Procurement Contracting & Compliance, as they relate to the needs of the University community.
• Collaborate with internal customer departments and colleagues within Procurement, as needed, to draft clear contracts that accurately capture the negotiated business terms.
• Represents the department with authority to act on behalf of the University Director, when expressly authorized.
• Ensures proper controls over contracting procedures for sound fiscal and administrative management and compliance with state ethics codes.
• Responsible for preparation and legal review of contracts and agreements submitted to the Office of the General Counsel and Office of the Attorney General.
• Monitors and tracks contracts and related documents for compliance with State and Federal statutes, Board of Trustees policies, Office of the General Counsel/Attorney General guidelines, internal procedures formulated by the University, and contract terms and conditions.
• Prepares and manages reports; maintains knowledge of, and interprets, applicable State and Federal statutes and regulations, Board of Trustees policies, Office of the General Counsel/Attorney General Guidelines, and the State's Code of Ethics; provides information, instruction and/or training, as needed or requested, in relation to university compliance with contractual matters.
• Inform customers and/or vendors on new and/or current procurement procedures and guidelines.
• Analyzes technical data, i.e., scope of work and pricing information, vendor performance, and compliance with finalizing contracts.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, or a related field and four years of related professional experience in a comparable environment OR an Associate's degree in business, or a related field and six years of related professional experience in a comparable environment OR eight years of professional contracting experience in a comparable environment.
• General working knowledge of accepted procurement practices and the ability to negotiate contract language to address the risks related to each type of arrangement which may be used in a wide range of varying and unique commodity groups and/or services.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills with strong technical skills to work with multiple software programs including Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision under tight deadlines while managing multiple projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in related discipline.
• Knowledge of contract theory, principles, laws, regulations and applicable federal and state procurement statutes, and policies.
• Experience developing and executing complex contracting strategies that maximize workflow efficiencies, process improvements, and operational performance.
• Experience with contracting in the State of Connecticut.
• Ability to assess organizational needs, communicate those needs to the vendor community, negotiate as needed, and evaluate contracts to determine technical compliance and resolve discrepancies.
• Knowledge of contract management systems automated procurement systems (e.g., Jaggaer).

Appointment Terms

• Full-time position at the Storrs campus working Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Starting salary range: $75,000-$83,727 (final salary determined based on experience and training).
• Hybrid work schedule: two (2) days per week on the Storrs campus and three (3) days per week remote (subject to change based on authorization and University policy).
• Competitive salary and outstanding benefits, including employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn.
• Other rights, terms, and conditions are contained in the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA).