Senior Associate Director, Contract Administration

Department

Booth Accounting: Procurement and Contracts

About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.

Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.

Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.

As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.

For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu.

Job Summary

The Senior Associate Director of Contracts and Procurement establishes high-level contract strategies and drives implementation of strategic contract opportunities with the most significant impact to Chicago Booth. Responsible for managing critical contractual formation and management, obligations of high risk and visibility. Creates value for Chicago Booth through long-range strategic sourcing by developing strategic acquisition approaches to leverage school-wide buying power to achieve cost savings opportunities, process improvement, compliance and appropriate legal and risk mitigation. Negotiate, manage, and administer commercial contracts in accordance with University policies and procedures, federal, state and local laws and regulations and best business practices.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains understanding of current policies, procedures, and regulations, related to procurement and contracting, imposed by the University, city, state and federal governments.
• Reviews supplier and service provider’s contracts and agreements to identify, negotiate and propose appropriate mitigation of legal, financial, and liability risks. Identifies insurance, cost and other business issues contained in the vendor terms and conditions. Identifies ambiguities, inaccurate statements, and omissions of essential terms and conditions. Negotiates final terms and conditions with supplier incorporating input from University Risk Management, Legal Counsel and other University organizations as required. Submits final agreements for execution by senior manager.
• Leverages existing technology and tools to support strategic program goals and performs proactive contract management to include monitoring contractor performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations, contract payments, and determining need for contract changes. Identifies and implements new tools and technologies that will increase data reporting and analysis for identification of strategic opportunities and reduce administrative tasks associated with contract management.
• Interprets contract requirements and conveys understanding to departments.
• Identifies opportunities for long-term sustainable savings from reduced consumption strategies, specification change strategies, and supply-base productivity improvements requirements. Negotiates and executes master agreements that will result in improved risk mitigation and reduced pricing and internal administrative costs. Influences client behavior through strategic relationships, communications and outreach.
• Establishes and maintains a close working relationship with University resources to include Purchasing and Payment Services, Legal Counsel, Risk Management and University Research Administration and external resources to include ISM. Utilizes the resources to identify best business practices, lessons learned and industry trends.
• Reviews item specifications for equipment, materials, capital improvements, and services to determine the applicability of the specifications to the procurement needs of the department; analyzes specifications to determine w