Job Description

The Senior Contract Manager is part of the Supply Chain Contracting and Analytics Team. The Senior Contract Manager serves as the team lead for the contracting department and provides guidance and support to Contract Managers. This position is responsible for leading the development, coordination, negotiation, and management of a broad spectrum of Clinical and Non-Clinical Supply, Physician Preference Item (PPI), and Purchased Services contracts.

To be successful in this role, the incumbent must be a self-sufficient professional who can interpret organizational needs, think strategically, effectively manage the contracting process from beginning to end, translate objectives into actionable plans, execute outcomes, and present contract deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Serves as Team Leader for the Contracting Department.
• Leads negotiations in collaboration with Contract Managers and Purchasing staff.
• Partners with the Director of Contracting to identify, formally propose, evaluate, negotiate, and implement system-wide contracting opportunities for Emory Healthcare.
• Provides guidance, mentorship, and support to Contract Managers regarding contracting processes, negotiations, and best practices.

Contract Portfolio Management

• Manages a portfolio of contracts for supplies, equipment, and services within assigned areas of responsibility, including:
  • Commodities
  • Physician Preference Items (PPI)
  • Clinical Trials
  • Purchased Services
• Oversees contract lifecycle activities to ensure contracts support organizational goals and operational needs.

Contract Negotiations and Strategic Sourcing

• Independently assesses, analyzes, and negotiates contracts for all hospital and professional entities within Emory Healthcare.
• Evaluates and analyzes responses to Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Proposal (RFP), and competitive bid submissions.
• Acts as the lead negotiator on vendor contracts.
• Creates and issues RFIs, RFPs, and competitive bids as needed.
• Develops specifications and scopes of service using input from customers and stakeholders.
• Ensures contract requirements, special provisions, terms and conditions comply with applicable laws, regulations, business unit requirements, and corporate policies and procedures.
• Leads contracting initiatives from opportunity identification through contract execution and implementation.

Contract Database and Systems Management

• Manages information for the loading and maintenance of contracts within Emory Healthcare Supply Chain and Contract Management Systems.
• Maintains the contracts database by entering new agreements and renewals and ensuring complete, fully executed contract documents are associated with each contract record.
• Ensures contracts are maintained electronically and available through secure access.
• Uploads all contract-related documentation including, but not limited to:
  • Fully executed contracts
  • Price files
  • Spend impact analyses
  • Supporting contract documentation
• Supports Contract Managers in auditing and reviewing the contract database to ensure contracting processes are properly maintained.

Legal and Compliance Review

• Reviews contracts for legal and business terms and facilitates legal review as required.
• Ensures adherence to signature authority requirements.
• Works directly with the Compliance Office and Office of General Counsel (OGC) to ensure contract language and requirements comply with Emory University and Emory Healthcare policies, procedures, and applicable federal and state laws.
• Assists in resolving compliance issues related to contractual agreements.
• Develops contract templates, tools, and checklists for Contract Managers to support contract review activities.
• Ensures contract content supports compliance with applicable healthcare regulatory agency requirements.

Contract Expense Management and Analytics

• Supports Supply Chain goals to increase contract versus non-contract spend and maximize savings while maintaining quality outcomes.
• Maintains a current working knowledge of Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) agreements and Emory Healthcare negotiated contracts.
• Identifies opportunities for standardization and cost reduction through analysis of:
  • Purchase history
  • Industry benchmarks
  • Contract compliance data
  • Utilization information
• Collaborates with users, physicians, and stakeholders to identify standardization and cost-saving opportunities.
• Benchmarks practices and utilization against industry standards to identify improvement opportunities.
• Collects and reports Contracting Team savings and expense results through monthly dashboards presented to Contract Team Leadership and Emory Healthcare Administration.

Vendor Management

• Investigates and resolves contract-related issues throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Serves as the lead resource for contract pricing issues that cannot be resolved by Purchasing Staff or Contract Managers.
• Engages vendors to resolve contract pricing discrepancies and disputes.
• Manages relationships with vendors and external consultants.
• Conducts periodic business reviews with key vendors.
• Identifies and implements strategic vendor alliances when advantageous and aligned with Supply Chain Management objectives.
• Resolves vendor representative issues as necessary.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Healthcare Administration, Supply Chain, or a related field, with a strong understanding of contracts and agreements; OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Seven (7) years of combined experience in healthcare, contract analysis, contract negotiation, contract drafting, and/or indirect procurement/sourcing.
• A combination of education and experience that demonstrates the required skills and knowledge may be considered.