Are you looking for more than just a job? Do you want to have a voice and feel a sense of belonging? At ICW Group, we hire innovative people who consistently adapt, grow and deliver. We believe in hard work, a fun work environment, and embracing creativity that only comes about when talented people collaborate to develop solutions. Our mission is to create the best insurance experience possible.
 

Headquartered in San Diego with regional offices located throughout the United States, ICW Group has been named for seven consecutive years as a Top 50 performing P&C company offering the stability of a large, profitable and growing company combined with a small-company entrepreneurial spirit. Our purpose-driven ethos provides team members with opportunities to contribute, develop, and belong. 

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The purpose of Contract Specialist is to prepare, negotiate, and manage contracts in support of ICW Group’s Procurement department.  This position will manage relationships with team members and vendors to ensure the best value is achieved through the contracting process. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Fosters effective procurement contract negotiations to ensure alignment with company risk tolerances.

• Develops negotiation strategies and leads negotiations of complex contract provisions.

• Drafts, reviews, analyzes and negotiates contract agreements and exhibits, ensuring all critical terms, conditions, and specifications are clearly identified, defined, aligned, accurate and complete.

• Ensures contracts meet organizational objectives, standard terms are aligned to all applicable proposals and meet ICW policies, legal requirements, and industry standards.

• Coordinates with various internal stakeholders including legal, information security, compliance, and third-party risk departments to develop and negotiate complex contracts.

• Develops an understanding of the needs of internal stakeholders to generate creative solutions and persuasive arguments that deliver effective and timely contract results.

• Collaborates with internal stakeholders to gather necessary information to address concerns related to contract terms with corporate strategies and business objectives.

• Identifies potential risks and liabilities within new and existing contract exhibits and proactively recommends modifications or approaches to mitigate risks.

• Evaluates existing contracts and proposes improvements to reduce risk, enhance efficiency and profitability.

• Provides assistance to internal stakeholders throughout contract lifecycle following contract management and administration principles.

• Resolves contractual conflicts between vendors and company.

• Supports the complete contract lifecycle, from drafting and discussion to execution and renewal. Identify and engage with external vendors or service providers to handle specific aspects of the contracting process.

• Responsible for a broad range of standard commercial contracts including complex and/or high dollar engagements for Infrastructure, Cloud, and Networking, Professional Services, Facilities, Real Estate, etc.

Fosters effective procurement contract operations to ensure alignment with company policies and procedures.

• Maintains records to demonstrate that proper protocol was followed in the contracting processes.

• Maintains a database of contracts and related metadata including key terms and obligations.

• Designs, tracks and reports on metrics applicable to contract processing and related activities.

• Continuously provides feedback to the team on potential improvements to templates and processes to increase efficacy and efficiency.

• Serves as the initial point of contact for contract-related inquiries.

• Manages and improves contract management tools and repositories, and ensures accurate documentation, organization, version control, and maintenance of contract files, including tracking milestones and obligations.

• Establishes and fosters strong partnership with Category Management team members, internal stakeholders and vendors, acting as a business partner and liaison to drive innovation and efficiency in contracting operations.

• Train and coach Category Management team & internal stakeholders on contract negotiation, and contract best practices.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This role does not have supervisory responsibilities.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university required in Business, Economics, or related field.

• JD preferred.

• Minimum 5 years of experience negotiating complex commercial contracts.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Paralegal certification preferred. Certifications in contracting preferred, i.e., Certified Contract Manager (CCMA), Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM), Certified International Commercial Contracts Manager (CICCM).

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Experience negotiating complex Cloud, SaaS and Software agreements, business process outsourcing agreements, lease agreements, real estate agreements.

• Experience with Privacy and Compliance regulations.

• Knowledge and application of contracting and supply management principles.

• Understanding of legal principles and regulatory requirements.

• Ability to learn the business and proactively identify and analyze opportunities and risks.

• Collaborative team player with strong interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated training or mentoring skills.

• Excellent negotiation, verbal and written communication skills.

• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret contractual terms and assess potential financial impacts.

• Ability to use data to measure results.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other contract management software.

• Experience negotiating and managing commercial vendor contracts.

• Ability to proactively identify areas for improvement and create new procedures and workflows.

• Demonstrated organizational and time management skills with proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously.

• Ability to prioritize and effectively set and balance expectations.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with high attention to detail.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

Office environment – no specific or unusual physical or environmental demands and employees are regularly required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

This position operates in an office environment and requires the frequent use of a computer, telephone, copier, and other standard office equipment.

The current range for this position is

$74,932.01 - $126,367.76

This range is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses.  If hired at ICW Group, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors unique to each candidate, including experience, education and the location of the role and considers employees performing substantially similar work.

WHY JOIN ICW GROUP?
•    Challenging work and the ability to make a difference
•    You will have a voice and feel a sense of belonging
•    We offer a competitive benefits package, with generous medical, dental, and vision plans as well as 401K retirement plans and company match
•    Bonus potential for all positions
•    Paid Time Off with an accrual rate of 5.23 hours per pay period (equal to 17 days per year)
•    10 paid holidays throughout the calendar year
•    Want to continue learning? We’ll support you 100%

ICW Group is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. ICW Group will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.