Assistant Director, Contracts Administration Manager - Worcester State University

About Worcester State University:
WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY is a liberal arts and sciences university with a long tradition of academic excellence dating back to 1874, as well as an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to reflect the diversity of its community. Our workforce is dedicated to academic quality, student-centered programming, engaged citizenship, open exchanges of ideas, diversity and inclusiveness, and civility and integrity. We are looking for job applicants who share these values and commitment to our students.

Worcester State is centrally located in Massachusetts, about an hour's drive from Boston, Springfield, and Providence, Rhode Island. Our 58-acre campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester--the second largest city in New England and home to 37,000 college students at more than a dozen colleges and universities. Over 6,000 of those students attend Worcester State--approximately 5,300 are undergraduates and 1,000 are graduate students. Learn more about us at worcester.edu/about .

Job Description:
OFFICIAL TITLE: Assistant Director, Contracts Administration Manager
SUPERVISION RECEIVED: CPO | ED of Supply Chain & Business Services
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Subordinate classified and professional staff

General Statement of Duties: The Contract Administration Manager supervises the day-to-day operation supporting the University's Contract Lifecycle. Reporting to an Associate Director or other higher-level administrator, the manager collaborates closely with the senior management, stakeholders, and internal departments/business units in the integral phases of the acquisition process: establishing/reviewing state and federal compliance requirements, solicitation, evaluation, award, and post-award activities. The incumbent will lead the contract creation, negotiation, review, and administration of approvals and the ongoing management of renewals and terminations. Confers with internal and external constituents including but not limited to colleagues, faculty, staff, vendors, the Office of the Inspector General, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, the State Comptroller, and the Operational Services Division. The incumbent ensures that all services and products are under contract, whether competitively procured, retrieved from a state contract (OSD), by a purchasing group, or through a cooperative or collective contract as allowed by Massachusetts Procurement Laws. The position supports the CPO initiatives, in setting strategic priorities, helping identify the areas of improvement, and identifying and tracking metrics for success.

Responsibilities:

(E) = Essential

1. (E) Supports the Associate Director, or other higher-level administrator providing operational assistance to the department in overseeing and managing the acquisitions of goods and services made by the organization.
2. (E) Supports and oversees the Contract Compliance efforts at the University.
3. (E) Adheres to a training schedule issued by the Inspector General for obtaining the MCCPO Designation and other public procurement and contract management training and certification as assigned by the CPO.
4. (E) Maintain, review and administer records for all University contracts to ensure renewals, amendments, and terminations are processed according to policies, procedures, and Massachusetts regulations.

Maintains the Master Records file for all university procurement contracts. Categorizes contract's threshold or type in Colleague to ensure visibility for requisitions. Maintains the Lease Registry for all university leases. Identifies contracts that fall within the GASB 87 Lease Standard and GASB 96 Subscription Based IT arrangements. Monitors the expiration and contract renewal options and rate increases. Maintains the Revenue Contract Master Records

5. (E) Assists in the establishment and implementation of an effective contract administration digitalized system/platform designed to ensure contract performance & compliance.
6. (E) Provides technical assistance to the University units regarding the strategic sourcing that results in competitively procured contracts.
7. (E) Coordinates and forecasts schedules working with internal department for upcoming bids and contracts.
8. (E) Independently and or collaboratively with the other department management, as it may be applicable drafts and analyzes, RFI, RFQ, RFP, RFR BID contracts, bid tabulations, business documents, and/or other agreements while ensuring compliance with applicable laws, guidelines, and prime contract terms.
9. (E) Secures final approvals for all contract documents through execution by Authorized Signatory, ensuring compliance with University Contract Authorization Policy and Procedures.
10. (E) Reviews and audits contract billing and utilization to ensure compliance to terms working collaboratively with the Payment Operations Manager.
11. (E) Works collaboratively and liaises with other managers, administrators, and staff in the department.
12. (E) Manage all pre-award and post-award administration and reporting, including bid development guidelines consistent with procurement regulations, and best practices.
13. (E) Implement "best practices" for the day-to-day workload of the unit as developed with management.
14. (E) Ensure all contracts and amendments are processed promptly and all deadlines are met throughout the fiscal year.
15. (E) Interact with the university community and the public (phone calls, emails, meetings) about related procurements and contracts.
16. (E) Assists in the year-end operations of the Department to meet all internal and external deadlines, including the annual "Open and Close" each fiscal year.
17. (E) Assists in developing tools and best practices to enhance service delivery.
18. (E) Support the CPO with key initiatives, written materials, projects, deliverables, and meetings as needed.
19. (E) Create and update forms for internal and online use to facilitate contract development across the university.
20. (E) Creates functional strategies and specific objectives to support functional goals.
21. (E) Evaluates sourcing procedures and presents improvement strategies to senior management for approval.
22. (E) Understands compliance issues around accounts payable processes (payment terms, advance payments, W-9, sales tax, etc.) and other related processes affecting contract management.
23. (E) Demonstrates civility and professional, customer-service-oriented behavior, worthy of emulation by other staff and students.
24. (E) Responsible for contributing to Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action objectives.
25. Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:
Required Qualifications:

Minimum of six years in procurement, purchasing, supply chain, and/or strategic sourcing roles. Proven work experience as a contract specialist, paralegal, or similar role. Minimum of three years drafting and managing contract and post award activities in a public procurement setting. In-depth knowledge of procurement regulations, contract documents and legal specifications. Contract Lifecycle Management experience. Experience drafting and redlining contract agreements is also required. Competent with DocuSign. Strong time management skills with the ability to function well under pressure and deadlines. Strong customer service and client/vendor relationship management skills Strong analytical, troubleshooting, organizational and planning skills Excellent oral and written communication skills Experience with one or more software platforms including but not limited to platforms for virtual interactions (i.e., Teams and/or Zoom), contract repositories, CRMs and ERPs. A self-starter who works well independently and in a team. Ability and willingness to obtain a MCCPO designation. Adaptable to changing situations to meet emergencies, deadlines, or changing department requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or Economics. Experience working with a state agency of Massachusetts, University and the MMARS/COMMBUYS systems. Legal Contract experience/certification Working knowledge of object code classifications in the Commonwealth's Expenditure Classification to understand correlation to university's codes.

Additional Information:
This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, professional APA position. The firm annual salary range for this position is $77,000- $80,000, commensurate with relevant professional experience and education.

Here at Worcester State University, it is strongly recommended that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin employment.

Worcester State University offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

a choice of 8 different pre-taxed, health insurance plan options a choice of pension or 401(a), and supplemental plan retirement options life insurance up to 8x the annual salary long-term disability coverage dental insurance 20 vacation days accrued per year 15 sick days accrued per year 5 personal days per year paid holidays tuition remission for self, spouse, and dependent children and more...

We are an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. M/F/D/V. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions:
Applicants must apply online and may do so by visiting www.worcester.edu/careers, and submitting a cover letter, resume, and the contact information of three professional references.

For assistance with uploading materials, log a ticket via the HelpDesk link, or contact us directly at 508-929-8053.

URL: www.worcester.edu