Associate Director, Contracting Services

The Associate Director, Procurement Contracting owns a broad portfolio of complex contracts and contracts management responsibilities as a key member of the central Procurement Services function within the Office of Finance & Treasury.  This role is responsible for the University’s most challenging and complex procurement agreements while also leading the efforts to increase efficiency, improve process compliance, and reduce risk for all procurement contracts.  Balancing the needs of campus clients with the responsibility of ensuring the University’s interests and rights are protected, this role requires someone with exceptional talent to understand contract and contracting complexities.  The Associate Director will communicate relevant and practical advice to University decision makers and stakeholders for their contracts while creating the programs and procedures to increase contract review volume, reduce risk, and maximize contract usage for a world class research and education institution.

In this capacity, the Associate Director’s responsibilities are in two primary areas:

• Contracting: Authoring, negotiating, and executing any procurement contract, particularly those which are high value, high complexity, and/or high risk to the University.  This requires collaboration and input from experts from a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders, partnership with campus clients, and clear, practical advice to contract stakeholders throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Contracts Management: Using a strategic approach, establish and deploy contracting principles and guidelines across the University community relative to contract review mandates, the establishment of acceptable risk tolerances, and standardization of contract templates and documents. This requires exceptional skills and knowledge in procurement, contracting, and the use of contracts to drive behaviors across a complex organization. 

This role requires an exceptional individual capable of the strategic responsibilities of managing and enhancing a University-wide program, the flexibility and skill to guide and educate University stakeholders on a wide variety of contracting situations, and the expertise and skill to take ownership for the negotiation and execution of complex and challenging contracts.

The Office of Finance & Treasury actively searches for staff members of exceptional ability and promise who share in Princeton University's commitment to excellence, and who present a wide range of viewpoints and cultures. We offer varied professional opportunities spanning all aspects of financial management, analysis, and processing in support of the teaching and research mission. As part of the University community, we respect the dignity and individuality of each member while trying to foster a sense of shared experience and common purpose. We are unwavering in our commitment to community and embrace the variety of talents, backgrounds, and perspectives of all of our colleagues.

Contracting & Negotiations 

• Negotiate and execute agreements of high complexity and risk for all types of purchases.
• Be a trusted advisor to campus stakeholders by providing practical guidance on both the contracting process and department-initiated agreements.
• Exercise the appropriate judgement to engage with the Office of the General Counsel to ensure successful contractual and operational outcomes.
• Establish and deploy a risk-based approach to contract review processes.
• Develop and deploy standardized contract summaries to simplify stakeholder engagement and create process efficiencies now and in conjunction with contract lifecycle management systems.
• Support departmental strategic sourcing initiatives to streamline time to contract and optimize the level of contract support across a wide variety of categories and contracting needs.

Program Management & Contracts Management Governance 

• Lead collaborative projects involving a variety of University stakeholders from the Offices of General Counsel, Information Technology, Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Management, Audit & Compliance, Research Project Administration, and many others to streamline contracting processes and enhance the effectiveness of contractual controls.
• Partner with OGC and other department leaders to ensure standard contract terms and conditions are up to date with changes in state and federal regulations, University policies, and best practices.
• Partner with colleagues in Procurement Services to refine and enhance work processes and systems necessary to streamline contract life cycle management efforts within the Source-to-Pay process in support of a vast population of campus users.
• Establish a risk-based approach to contract reviews to increase throughput while minimizing risk to the University and contract stakeholder departments.
• In partnership with category managers, develop and execute a roadmap of contract templates, tools, and training to simplify work processes and build contracting capabilities within Procurement Services and across campus.
• Develop and manage dashboards and reports to encourage excellence in the contracting process and use of preferred and diverse suppliers within the campus community.
• Collaborate with internal and external parties to ensure trends, emerging issues, and regulatory changes are positively reflected in systems, processes, and policies.

Essential Qualifications:

• JD degree
• 7+ years’ experience in a contract management or similar role
• Sophisticated knowledge and experience drafting and negotiating legal agreements and applicable commercial and legal principles
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Exceptional judgement to apply contracting principals to a variety of goods and services
• Exceptional collaboration and time management skills to work across many departments managing multiple priorities
• Experience leveraging contracts and contracting to optimize user adoption of preferred agreements
• Experience with Contract Lifecycle Management solutions and methodologies including authoring, version control, abstracting, and monitoring

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFAR) and/or the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS)
• Experience with federally funded purchases subject to Uniform Guidance
• Experience with contract lifecycle management tools
• Working knowledge of Uniform Commercial Code
• Familiarity with eProcurement systems and processes
• Experience in a Higher Education environment

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.