Contract Specialist

General Description:

In this role, the Contracts Specialist manages, maintains, and updates supply chain contract files, data and systems, ensuring maximization of GPO, aggregation group and local contracts for high contract penetration. Identifies targets of opportunity through analysis of data to ensure price accuracy, supplier performance and implements initiatives to achieve savings for OU Health. Partners with category manager to develop contracting strategy and support all aspects of the contract negotiation process. This position requires the ability to work with hospital administrative departments, clinicians and hospital executives to facilitate adoption and standardization of services and products that create efficiencies and cost reduction efforts throughout the organization.

Essential Responsibilities:

Responsibilities listed in this section are core to the position. Inability to perform these responsibilities with or without an accommodation may result in disqualification from the position.

• Responsible for managing the Strategic Sourcing departments supply, service and capital contracts from implementation spend tracking to renewal management.
• Support Category Manager in identifying potential savings opportunities by interpreting data and using other available resources to prioritize and build a pipeline.
• Provide supporting initiative documentation as requested for Value Analysis Committees to drive value for OU Health
• Cultivates positive working relationships with clinical and other administrative staff.
• Develops and maintains client relationships and ensures continuing client satisfaction.
• Responds to correspondence and other communication in a professional and timely manner.
• Support item master, contract management system, and GPO systems to support contract compliance, item information, and pricing accuracy.
• Under independent delegated authority, plan, award, and administer contracts for goods and services covering a wide range of technically complex products and serve as liaison with surgical and integrated clinical services staff to ensure effective overall operation of the procurement, contracting and payables system.
• Support Category Manager in developing and maintaining contract and bid calendars.
• Support Category Manager in gathering data and customer feedback in preparation for supplier scorecards and business reviews.
• Manage Supply Chain owned contracting process for supported service line, including contract redlines and edits, routing for signatures, and storage in contract management system.
• Identify best practices for conducting major contracts in a cost effective and expeditious manner, while managing risk issues and ensuring compliance with external rules and regulations.
• Support Category Manager in the development of long term procurement and contracting strategies and implement procedures and systems which will support the OU Sourcing team's continued growth.
• Coordinating with clients regarding their requirements; drafting of technical specifications; recommending technical assistance and proposing standardization of goods when appropriate.
• Analyzing bids for multi-commodity purchase contracts and/or procurement of products with complex features; recapping vendor responses when required in a clear, easy to understand fashion; auditing responses according to established procedures; selecting and informing appropriate parties of the selection in positive, concise fashion.
• Keeping-up with technological and market development in assigned commodity area(s).
• Prioritize assigned tasks and to complete those tasks in an organized manner and to use available time effectively.
• Readily adapt to changing priorities and changing work environments.
• Work within the procedures and policy guidelines established by Strategic Sourcing.

General Responsibilities:

• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree required. Degree in Technical or Business Related field preferred.

Experience: 2 or more years of professional work experience required. 4 or more years of experience in a contract administration or supporting analyst role preferred.

Or equivalent combination of education and experience.

License(s)/Certification(s)/Registration(s) Required: None required. Certified Materials & Resource Professional (CMRP) through American Hospital Association preferred. Lean/Six Sigma or similar process improvement program is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Contract review and redlining
• Demonstrate accomplishment in identifying and solving purchasing and contract problems
• Convey messages logically, simply, and with confidence
• Familiar with GPO benchmarking and other healthcare supply chain tools
• Experience using metrics to drive decisions and working with external vendors
• Demonstrated working knowledge of Supply Chain functional area

• Strong attention to detail and outstanding analytical skills
• Demonstrated planning and project management skills

• Proven ability to solve complex problems effectively and manage multiple high priority deliverables
• Organization-proactively prioritize needs and effectively manages resources
• Ability to foster vendor relationships that will drive toward a successful partnership
• Proven skills in communicating with customers
• Able to rapidly summarize information and present to others
• Proficiency with the MS-Office suite of products, Outlook, and MMIS