Contract Specialist

About the role

This role is titled Contract Specialist I, II, III, or Senior, based on education and qualifications. It involves developing, leading, and negotiating complex business contracting strategies, recognizing and integrating relevant market conditions. Key interfaces include internal business customers and external suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Safety/Human Performance: Promote strong safety behaviors, utilize tools and programs to ensure standards and behaviors, monitor and influence suppliers for safety concerns.
• Incident Response: Perform storm role duties through SAMS and ERO.
• Work Processes: Develop and lead RFx bid processes, create negotiation strategies, establish KPIs, and manage contract warranties; conduct market and financial analyses; coordinate with Credit Risk; identify and evaluate new and current sources of supply; work with Legal, Tax, and Risk Management.
• Value Creation: Deliver and document savings to Entergy through competitive bidding, direct negotiations, cost avoidance, etc.
• Partnership/Relationships: Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders, analyze and develop company positions on claims and disputes; establish and maintain relationships with suppliers/partners.
• Process and Reporting Compliance: Ensure compliance with all requirements for savings, diversity, document retention, bidding, contractor safety, and other areas of compliance.
• Communications: Maintain open communications between stakeholders and within SC to ensure prompt, thorough, accurate, pertinent, and complete information is provided.

Requirements

• Education/Experience:
  • Contract Specialist I: Bachelor’s degree or 4+ years of experience.
  • Contract Specialist II: Bachelor’s degree or 6+ years of experience.
  • Contract Specialist III: Bachelor’s degree or 9+ years of experience.
  • Contracts Specialist Sr.: Bachelor’s degree or 13+ years of experience.
• Preferred Education/Experience: Prior contracting experience in support of the energy industry; SC certification from an industry accreditation organization.

Skills and Abilities

• Advanced understanding of customer business drivers, objectives, budgets, needs, and plans; key interfaces inside and outside SC.
• Commercial management processes (plan, strategy, source and perform); supplier diversity, safety metrics and tools.
• Market intelligence to assess supply market status and evolution.
• Developing contract strategies, incorporating relevant market conditions, based on customer objectives; multi-contracting strategies with contractual responsibilities and liabilities allocated between each contract.
• Building negotiation strategies and leading negotiations for moderate to complex commercial contracts with minimal support.
• Building draft and final agreements with a range of compensation vehicles.
• Understanding the criteria required to create a contract at the local, regional or enterprise level; one-off applications or master agreement.
• Advanced knowledge of business and SC operations within Entergy; how Entergy buys and pays (HEBAP); supply chain systems and processes.
• Engaging with suppliers and facilitating other relevant parties to resolve obligation gaps and identify and make recommendations on legal issues.
• Supplier performance management.
• Project management principles to ensure systematic, thorough completion of each assignment, identifying critical pathways and risks to delivery.
• Commercial skills and financial acumen, understanding the key business drivers and impact to Entergy on outcomes.
• Data analysis methods/techniques to provide detailed reports and insights; propose conclusions, use data trends and present in meaningful ways.
• Coaching other supply chain personnel in technical tools and techniques.
• Internal and external stakeholder communications; operates independently with stakeholders; apply influencing skills to develop best outcomes for Entergy.
• Building relationships and networks with all stakeholders; including with suppliers.
• Managing the costs of the business; strong communication skills in presenting concise/relevant information to stakeholders.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

Not specified.

Schedule

Up to 25% travel.