Contracts Manager: Onsite from Day 1 in Providence, RI

Title: Contracts Manager
Duration: 6 Months (Possibility of Extension)
Location: Providence, RI (Onsite from Day 1)

Position Overview

The Program Manager Senior will take on the responsibilities of a Contract Administrator, ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of all vendor contracts associated with a large integrated eligibility and health insurance exchange program. This role will be instrumental in driving vendor performance through active and ongoing management and proactively addressing issues when performance standards are not achieved.

In addition, this role provides project management support to the Enterprise PMO for related continuous process improvement initiatives and other strategic projects. The role requires strong vendor management skills, knowledge of IT contracts and general procurement practices, familiarity with software development processes, and exceptional leadership and communication skills. Candidates should have versatile project management and strategic procurement skills, with the ability to learn quickly and work with limited oversight and supervision.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provides a detailed understanding of the terms and conditions of all related vendor contracts
• Drives vendor performance by monitoring performance metrics, including key deliverables, SLAs, KPIs, and other key measures, ensuring corrective action plans are established and tracked
• Facilitates ongoing contract amendments and renewals, including assisting with negotiations to support organizational objectives and budget goals
• Obtains legal guidance when required to respond to contract-related questions or interpretations
• Assists with procurement activities required to maintain vendor support, including hardware and software, in accordance with applicable purchasing guidelines
• Reviews and facilitates approvals for vendor invoices and associated contract reporting
• Implements best practices and tools, including dashboards and scorecards, to conduct regular vendor performance reviews
• Builds strategic partnerships with vendors and internal stakeholders to perform contract administration functions
• Analyzes contract requirements, special provisions, terms, and conditions to ensure legal and regulatory compliance
• Leads continuous process improvement initiatives and other strategic projects for the Enterprise PMO
• Provides thought leadership to program leadership, executive stakeholders, and vendor management teams regarding contract management and strategic initiatives
• Performs other duties as assigned

Required Skills

• Bachelor's degree, preferably related to IT Vendor Management
• Master's degree preferred
• Minimum 10+ years of IT project management experience, with preference for experience managing vendors and supporting application implementations and ongoing maintenance (M&O)
• Minimum 8 10+ years of contract management experience, including IT vendor and supplier management with experience in:
  • Statement of Work (SOW) development and scope definition
  • RFP/RFI drafting and evaluation facilitation
  • Contract negotiations, including terms and pricing
  • Ongoing contract management, vendor performance reviews, SLA management, and change order renewals
• Excellent organizational skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level communication
• Ability to drive vendor performance for IT services, hardware, and software through metrics and governance
• Strong conflict resolution skills and ability to lead in a matrix organization
• Experience with application development and software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies
• Experience with ITIL practices, including incident and problem management
• Required knowledge of JIRA, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Familiarity with integrated eligibility systems and interfacing with federal partners is a plus
• PMP certification is a plus