Senior Contract Manager

Position Overview

The Senior Contract Manager will report to the Senior Director of Contract Administration and Business Development and oversee the full contract lifecycle for the sale, licensing, and distribution of digital and print educational products and services. Responsibilities include contract strategy, drafting, negotiation, execution, amendments, renewals, and termination or expiration.

This role partners with cross-functional teams to ensure contracts align with business and financial objectives while mitigating contractual risks and maintaining compliance with company policies and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with sales teams to develop contract strategies that support business objectives and expand adoption of digital and print educational products and services within the U.S. higher education market.

• Provide contract terms, conditions, and responses to proposal managers for inclusion in responses to customer Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

• Identify contractual risks and develop proactive mitigation strategies for agreements with higher education customers and distributors.

• Coordinate internal reviews and gather input from sales, business owners, subject matter experts, finance, and legal teams throughout contract drafting and negotiations.

• Draft and prepare contracts, addenda, amendments, and Statements of Work (SOWs) using company or customer templates for licensing, rental, direct sales, and distribution agreements.

• Lead negotiations with higher education customers and distributors through contract finalization and execution.

• Support business owners with cost-benefit analyses, risk assessments, and recommendations regarding key contractual terms and negotiation strategies.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for contract-related questions, providing guidance on contractual rights, obligations, interpretation, and the prevention or resolution of disputes.

• Support the ongoing development and improvement of revenue contract management processes to accommodate varying transaction volumes, customer types, products, services, fulfillment models, and discount structures.

• Maintain processes for tracking customer-specific products and pricing, price increase provisions, renewal dates, termination terms, and contract deadlines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Law, or a related field. A Juris Doctor (JD) is a plus.

• Minimum of 10 years of contract management experience, including extensive drafting and negotiation of sales and licensing agreements, distribution agreements, rental agreements, confidentiality agreements, Statements of Work, integration agreements, and IT security and data privacy agreements.

• Strong understanding of contract interpretation, licensing, and intellectual property rights.

• Working knowledge of federal and state data privacy regulations.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of an organization.

• Strong negotiation, interpersonal, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Ability to build trusted working relationships through collaboration, transparency, and consensus building.

• Proactive, results-oriented approach with strong attention to detail and the ability to identify and resolve contractual issues.

• Excellent written communication and contract drafting skills.

• Strong organizational, time management, and multitasking abilities.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and Excel.

• Experience with AI and generative AI tools, including the ability to use them effectively and responsibly for contract review, drafting, research, analysis, and process improvement.