Sales Contract Manager - Publishing

Who we are: The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.

About the role

The Sales Contract Manager (Publishing) will oversee the contract lifecycle for institutional sales and ensure licensing compliance per APS policy and industry standards. They manage legal negotiations, renewals, third-party agreements, and compliance, often bridging the gap between the Sales team, Sales Operations Team, Finance team, and Legal. They will use Customer Relations Management (CRM) systems or Artificial Intelligence (AI) resource tools to keep deals moving from initial proposal to final signature. APS has a “remote first” concept that promotes equal treatment and equal access within the United States, independent of physical work location, with a majority of staff working primarily from remote work locations. APS values diversity and welcomes candidates from a variety of backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Oversee contract lifecycle for institutional subscription and special deals. Use manual and technical AI tools to review and revise contracts, additional amendments, and provisions to ensure licensing terms meet APS and industry standards.
• Collaborate with the Sales Support Manager and Support team annually on reviewing and collecting licenses for single-site licenses.
• Handle any inquiries related to contract terms per APS policy and standards.
• Ensure accurate contract data in CRM (Salesforce). Monitor licensing workflow in CRM and ensure accuracy in data collection.
• Serve as the key expert on handling the Licensing AI tool, IVO, and ensure APS is updated on new releases and licensing SOPs are updated.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to review and resolve licensing terms for special sales deals (Consortia, Open Access, etc.).
• Act as the primary point of contact for legal, finance, and sales teams seeking to retrieve agreements or analyze specific contract data.
• Ensure all single-site user licenses are collected frequently (annually or bi-annually).
• Draft complex license agreements for the Sales team. Licensing reviews will include review of Supplier and Purchase Order terms.
• Review and ensure license modification inquiries, amendments, and additional provisions meet APS requirements and industry standards.
• Track special licensing procurement process for consortia, corporate, and government sales.
• Manage contract records and logistics in CRM database (institutional portal).
• Utilize standardized legal playbooks and pre-approved clauses to draft licensing agreements.
• Maintain an updated "clause library" that features pre-approved, legally compliant templates and alternative language for standard negotiations on IVO (third-party AI licensing tool).
• Track expiration dates and maintain automated alerts for renewals.
• Perform standard administrative tasks (meetings, filing, scanning).
• Other license-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Associate degree required (Associate in business administration, finance, marketing, pre-law, LIS preferred). Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Paralegal certification preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in contract management, paralegal work, or related roles (publishing, contract, or library administration).
• Experience at a publishing firm or association is preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of scholarly publishing contracts, licensing, and negotiation.
• Proficient knowledge of Open Access and publishing trends.
• Advanced data analysis and software proficiency (CRM, Salesforce, MS Office Suite, Google Suite).
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Exceptional ability to problem-solve, be detail-oriented, independent, and collaborative.
• Adaptable to quickly changing schedules and the publishing landscape (licensing terms and deal types).
• Leverage CLM resources (AI-Assisted Review) to speed up legal reviews and highlight non-standard deviations.

Travel

This position requires up to 10% travel to attend events and meetings, including travel to APS offices in Long Island, NY; Washington DC; and College Park, MD, as well as other off-site locations for periodic meetings and training sessions. Additional travel may be required as assigned by the supervisor.

Pay

The salary range for this position takes into account various factors influencing compensation decisions, such as skill sets, experience, training, and other business and organizational requirements. The salary listed within the specified ranges considers relevant experience. The hiring range is $80,800/year - $110,090/year (USD), with a target starting range of $80,800/year - $89,890/year (USD).

Benefits

• Flexible schedules and ability to work remotely
• 8% employer-paid retirement contribution
• Investment advisement services: 100% employer paid
• Medical benefits: PPO or HDHP option
• Employer contribution to FSA or HSA account, eligibility based on medical plan enrollment
• Lifestyle Spending benefit up to $1,500.00 (USD) - 100% employer paid
• Vision benefits: individual and dependent coverage 100% employer paid
• Basic Life & Accident insurance: employee coverage 100% employer paid
• Supplemental Life & Accident insurance, including spouse & dependent child(ren) coverage
• Disability insurance: employee coverage 100% employer paid
• Voluntary Accident & Critical Illness insurance
• Healthcare, Commuter & Dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Vacation: 15 days annually
• Generous holiday leave: 17 paid office closures; includes one week closure at the end of December
• Personal leave: 4 days annually
• Volunteer leave: 1 day annually
• Sick leave: 10 days annually
• Bereavement & Compassion leave: 2 -15 days based on loss
• 12 weeks employer-paid family leave
• College tuition reimbursement plan
• Job-related seminar & continuing education 100% employer paid
• Professional Certification/Recertification 100% employer paid
• Training and professional development; access to LinkedIn Learning on-demand courses
• Employee Assistance Program
• Mindfulness Meditation: live and on-demand classes

Work Environment

APS offers a “Remote First” workplace. Although our offices are located on Long Island, NY; Washington DC; and College Park, MD, you can work from other places in the United States. We are flexible about work hours but expect responsiveness during the core of the workday, Eastern Time.

Core Values

• Scientific Method
• Trust, Integrity, and Ethical Conduct
• Equity, Diversity, and Respect
• Collaboration
• Education and Learning
• Speaking Out