Contracts Specialist

About the role

The Contracts Specialist is responsible for reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and managing a broad range of contracts that support the organization's business operations. This role facilitates the contract lifecycle from intake through execution while ensuring timely reviews, accurate documentation, and adherence to established legal processes.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, red-line, finalize and manage various commercial contracts from across the organization, including without limitation master services agreements, non-disclosure agreements, licenses, cooperation agreements.
• Handle contract review process from initial request through contract execution.
• Must have knowledge of key components found in commercial contracts, including, among other things, indemnity, insurance, limitations of liability, consequential damages, warranty, risk of loss, delivery and acceptance, force majeure, and payment provisions.
• Work in close collaboration with business teams to ensure timely review and execution of contracts.
• Provide guidance to PMI employees regarding contract workflows, standard language and clauses to include in contracts, and support around timing for review of contracts to ensure business needs are met.
• Participate on inter-departmental project teams as the Legal Department representative and contracts subject matter expert, to ensure that relevant contractual issues are considered and resolved, and that new initiatives are supported by appropriate contractual commitments.
• Resolve internal contract-related issues that may impact the organization’s ability to meet commitments to external stakeholders.
• Engage and obtain the approval of Director of Legal Services or General Counsel in cases where some compromise is required.
• Perform contract administration activities necessary to support the efficient operation of the contracting function, including document preparation, workflow coordination, and maintenance of contract records.
• Identify opportunities to improve contract processes and user experience and collaborate with Legal Operations on implementation of approved improvements.
• Ensure accurate and timely updating of records of documents and agreements related to contracts and ongoing contract activities.

Requirements

• Demonstrated knowledge and skill in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts;
• Experience in not-for-profit sector a plus;
• Solid experience and skills using Microsoft Office applications. Advanced Microsoft Word skills required;
• Experience using a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platform to support commercial contracting workflows required. Experience with Icertis and Jira strongly preferred;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability. Ability to identify potential contract language-related issues, to develop solutions, and communicate rationale for language changes effectively;
• Sound understanding of contract law;
• Ability to interpret and apply policy and established standards consistently;
• Self-starter with the ability to independently conduct assigned work with minimal supervision; willingness to work without administrative support;
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communications skills. Excellent command of the English language;
• Adequate organizational skills and attention to detail in terms of the ability to ensure that all required items and/or data are complete or discrepancies identified for further follow-up.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Communications or other relevant area of study.
• Paralegal certification and experience desirable.
• Law firm or in-house legal department experience required.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in contract review and development work.
• Five plus years of contract review and contracts management experience desirable.
• Demonstrated successful experience with high quality, high volume contract processing.