Contracts Specialist: Role, Duties and Professional Qualifications

Contracts specialist provides subject matter expertise on government contracting process and procedures needed to comply with the FAR, FAR supplements and other procurement laws and regulations. Our company is hiring for a contracts specialist, and the following details outline the core expectations for this position.

Contracts Specialist Duties & Responsibilities

To write an effective contracts specialist job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. Sample responsibilities for this position include:

• Partner with other internal departments to support the negotiations of customer contract terms and conditions and ensure sales contracts are consistent with our terms, conditions, policies, and procedures.
• Communicate company and Client Contracts department policies and approval processes for contract changes to in-house clients.
• Conducting proposal preparation, contract negotiation, contract administration, and customer contact activities to provide for proper contract acquisition and fulfillment in accordance with Company policies.
• Handle complex problems through effective and efficient resolutions compliant with Federal, DHS and Coast Guard acquisition regulations and policies.
• Review, draft, and negotiate standard and non-standard sales contracts.
• Prepare and/or participate in the preparation of sales proposals, agreements, and related documents including Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and cross-divisional customer contracts.
• Participate in and support cross-divisional efforts to develop and implement a consistent customer contract framework and standardized terms and conditions.
• Coordinate review and input from appropriate business functions and cross-functional teams as needed to complete contracting documents.
• Manage intake of client and vendor contract reviews while providing status updates to internal clients and reviewing attorney.
• Achieve strong understanding of the firm’s major business lines to effectively identify contract risk and provide relevant advice for risk management and acceptable contract terms.
• Lead and/or participate in process improvement projects for the Contracts Department and continually improve contract management and review workflow and procedures.

Contracts Specialist Qualifications

Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.

Education Requirements

Typically a job would require a certain level of education. Employers hiring for the contracts specialist job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Collage Degree in Business, Education, Law, Management, Accounting, Finance, Business/Administration, Paralegal, Legal, MBA.

Licensing or Certifications

Professional candidates are often required to hold specific licenses or certifications, including:

• NCMA (National Contract Management Association)
• CPPO, C.P.M, CPCM
• DAWIA, FAC-C
• CPRA, CRA, CPIM, CPSM

Desired Skills and Experience

Desired skills and experience for a contracts specialist include expertise in specialized sectors and international business:

• Clinical development process and legal and contracting parameters.
• Existing transport facility contracts and tariffs.
• Experience with Asian business or culture is a plus.
• Ability to understand and apply US and international privacy law and anti-corruption act frameworks for global consulting practice.

Administrative and Compliance Support

Responsibilities also extend to legal department administration support, including document management, filing, corporate record keeping, and internal discovery for subpoenas and litigation. The specialist must maintain and coordinate reviews and revisions of contract templates while disseminating firm policy and practice and identifying noncompliance.