Senior Contracts Manager

Sr. Contracts Manager

The Sr. Contracts Manager will work within the function and with internal and external customers, vendors, and other third parties.  This role also plays an essential role in the successful execution of the core legal protections needed by NCS Pearson and its Pearson VUE business including the authority to negotiate contracts of significant impact with Pearson VUE’s Certiport business, e-commerce business, and professional clients.

The Sr, Contracts Manager is responsible for fulfilling various tasks within the legal team from contract negotiation with regulatory and professional clients, contract review; issue identification; contract proofreading, legal research, and additional legal projects; and monitoring of business practices for legal and contract compliance. This role is also responsible for organizing and maintaining signed agreements, associated forms and legal documents, and existing agreements with sponsors, service providers, and consultants.

Core Competencies 

1. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
2. Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
3. Aptitude for problem-solving while remaining within company guidelines.
4. Must be a strong multi-tasker and have experience in coordination across departments.
5. Must have the ability to work independently and to prioritize work tasks. 

Scope and Impact of Job

Provide contract services, review, and advice at the direction of other members of the legal department. Working closely with other legal and functional professionals in School Assessments both internal and external customers, vendors, and other third parties.  Experience with contracts law, state, and local procurement law, and experience in areas of technology, contract review, and negotiation are a plus. Experience in legal practice areas is helpful.

Primary Responsibilities 

1. 65% Contract Administration, Negotiation and Compliance
   • Provides drafting and negotiation of agreements, compliance review, and advice to the business.
   • Negotiate, draft, and review customer, technology, vendor, software, and other transaction agreements on behalf of global business.
   • Stay current on relevant legal and regulatory changes as assigned and monitor business practices to ensure that contract activities are in full compliance with the contract and applicable law.
   • Experience analyzing and advising on legal risk and issues in highly complex or ambiguous situations including consideration of the impact and long-term effect of various possible decisions/solutions.
   • Drafting and formatting statements of work, amendments, agreements, and notices of termination.
   • Coordinate the gathering of information from various departments in the preparation of contracts and other legal documents.
   • Maintaining knowledge of relevant legal and regulatory changes.
   • Monitoring business practices.
2. 20% Communications
   • Communicating with senior members of the legal team and functional professionals in School Assessments, internal and external customers, vendors, and other third parties.
   • Managing relationships with internal customers and outside counsel.
   • Negotiating statements of work, amendments, agreements, notices.
3. 15% Other duties as assigned.
   • Included but not limited to legal research projects and obtaining expertise in growing areas of the law.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

• Negotiating and drafting customer and vendor contracts (including reviewing, issue-spotting, and reviewing statements of work, amendments, agreements, notices, and other legal documents).
• Knowledgeable of the contract/legal process (scope of agreements; implications, use, and interaction of various forms and templates; principles of risk and legal compliance).
• Solid understanding of basic principles of contracting and legal compliance.
• Extensive knowledge of legal issues associated with technology-related agreements and licensing.
• Experience analyzing and advising on legal risk and issues in highly complex or ambiguous situations, including consideration of the impact and long-term effect of various possible decisions/solutions.
• Familiar with diverse, highly complex legal problems and adept at devising reasonable solutions and ample workaround.
• Assist others in identifying potential problems and avoiding them.
• Excellent writing, communication, and proofreading skills.
• Excellent writing and proofreading skills.
• Great attention to detail.
• Critical thinking skills required.
• Practical knowledge of services and the