PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Junior Contract Manager supports the internal procurement department in providing expert advice and manages the delivery of complex procurement activities and commercial negotiations. The Junior Contract Manager will support strategic purchasing to assess suppliers’ qualification, quality standards, and encourage suppliers to integrate their standards with those of SMA.

PRIMARY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drafts, analyzes, reviews, evaluates, revises, and negotiates contracts including proposals, letters of intent, confidentiality agreements, procurement, and sales agreements, and manages commercial risks in a holistic manner before and during project execution in accordance with SMA’s legal, commercial and compliance policies and contractual requirements.
• Key interfaces and coordinates with direct and indirect procurement, project management, applications engineering, sales, service, finance, and senior management, and other departments as needed both domestically and internationally.
• Proactively gives creative and business-oriented guidance to internal business teams on corporate goals and objectives.
• Develops negotiation strategies and supports negotiation team on complex contracts; negotiate long-term contracts that set out prices, quality standards, cost-reduction targets, delivery timescales, and commercial and legal terms and conditions.
• Assists in identification, development and implementation of new company policies and processes.
• Participates in organizational risk reviews, providing useful and detailed input to inform others of other risks.
• Responsible for analyzing and providing advice to management on the contractual risks of key business decisions that support strategic and tactical management activities.
• Support the development, issuance, review of RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs and responses thereto.
• Review of supplier’s quotes and performance of commercial and technical tabulations.
• Supports team process development and documentation.
• Estimates risks, develop, and apply risk mitigation strategies.
• Monitors the performance of suppliers against contractual agreements.
• Maintains strategic sourcing relationships and developing strong partnerships.
• Understands and keeps current with external customer requirements and to ensure the supplier agreements are consistent with the customer requirements.
• Creates and updates SMA templates agreements.
• Manages claims, supports litigation and other legal proceedings if necessary, including analyzing the merits of litigation, working with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense and approval of settlements of disputes.
• Performs other duties as may be required or assigned.

REQUIRED TRAINING (TYPE / DURATION / FIELD / ADDITIONAL TRAINING)

• Bachelor’s and/or a master’s degree in business, economics, finance, logistics, or another related field.
• Master’s degree in business or specialization in advanced procurement management is a plus.

REQUIRED RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (TYPE / DURATION)

• Proficiency in sourcing software, such as Fraxion Spend Management and Promena e-Sourcing.
• At least two years’ procurement experience in a related industry.
• Knowledgeable in the control and supply chain actions, and supply chain risks to keep the supply chain secure.

OTHER SPECIALIZED SKILLS

• Excellent analytical skills and strategic thinking to assess the performance of suppliers against criteria such as conformance to the terms and conditions including quality, cost, reliability, ability to innovate and financial stability.
• Good Interpersonal, collaboration, and negotiating abilities to build effective working relationships with supply partners, and the internal customer.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with all levels of staff and management, and, as needed with client leadership and personnel.
• Ability to anticipate issues or risks and to proactively devise solutions.
• Excellent drafting and negotiations skills Attention to detail and a high level of accuracy required.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously and to adopt a flexible approach.
• Knowledge of energy and federal procurement regulations is preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Adobe Acrobat in combination with good general computer skills.
• This position may require periodic domestic and international travel.

The salary range for this position is $105,000-110,000 per year.