Manager Contract Services

This is a management-level position within Contract Services. Under minimal supervision, this role is responsible for the review, drafting, and negotiation of contracts of varying and high complexity to identify and mitigate contractual risk issues for the procurement of goods and services for Children’s Hospital of Chicago Medical Center and its affiliates.  In addition to individual contributor responsibilities, this position provides oversight and management of two Associate, Contract Services team members, ensuring appropriate workload distribution, quality of work product, and adherence to departmental standards.  This role plays a key leadership function in departmental process improvement initiatives and implementation of contracting strategy, while maintaining high standards of accuracy, efficiency, and risk mitigation in a fast-paced environment. The position collaborates closely with Legal Services leadership and key internal stakeholders and serves as a subject matter resource across the organization.

Essential Job Functions:

• Independently reviews, drafts, negotiates, and executes complex and high-risk contracts, ensuring alignment with Medical Center policies and legal standards. Contract types include but are not limited to Purchase Agreements, Consignment Agreements, Software Agreements, Consulting Agreements, Services Agreements, Collaboration Agreements, Event Agreements and Lab Services Agreement.

• Engages with outside parties to negotiate contractual terms in various forms of media, including telephone, video conferences and email. 

• Works collaboratively with all levels within the organization to advise on contractual negotiations, recommendations, and processes, as well as existing contracts’ requirements.

• Ability to cultivate positive relationships with stakeholders and provide exceptional customer service in a clear and concise manner. 

• Manages two Associates, Contract Services, including workflow management, training, and quality assurance. Assists Senior Director of Contract Services with team capacity planning and prioritization of workload.

• Maintains an in-depth knowledge of the functionality of the contract repository system, and partners with Program Manager – Legal Technology to generate reports on a routine and as needed basis for organizational and external regulatory requirements including: (a) Compliance auditing and monitoring, and (b) timely access to current and complete information for all Business Associate Agreements.

• Identifies inefficiencies and drives solutions to improve contract lifecycle management and operational performance.  Supports departmental improvement initiatives, including backlog reduction, contract repository accuracy, and standardization efforts.

• The authority to hire, separate, promote, demote, write and administer performance evaluations.

• Other job functions as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Minimum education of a bachelor’s degree required; Paralegal certification or other similar education preferred.

• Minimum five (5) years of experience directly related to the position, including proficiency in complex contract review, drafting, negotiation and management, preferably in an IT and/or healthcare environment.

• Minimum two (2) years of supervisory or team leadership experience.

• Ability to effectively utilize computer word processing and spreadsheet software, as well as experience with contract management systems and e-signature software.

• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and integrity in all aspects of interactions with internal and external business parties.

• Ability to organize information and resources, effectively prioritize and manage multiple projects and tasks, and the ability to get things performed through, with and by people.

• Ability to read and interpret complex contractual agreements in an extremely fast paced environment, including managing high volumes of projects and negotiations simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy. Must be able to prioritize, organize and assess work in order to meet aggressive deadlines.