Contract Advisor

Functional Area: Finance
Required Experience: 2 years
Required Education: Bachelors DegreeJob Summary
At Worldspan a Contract Advisor is the central point of contact for all contractual purchases within the company. The Contract Advisor’s primary responsibility is to represent Worldspan in dealings with suppliers in order to purchase items at the best terms (e.g., lowest price, best configuration, best warranty) in accordance with company policy. Because Worldspan is a technology company, the majority of our purchases revolve around software, hardware (desktop and mainframe), and high-technology services.Internal end users educate the Contract Advisor as to items or services they wish to purchase and how they relate to their underlying project. The Contract Advisor is then responsible for managing the selection process. This process may be formal or informal and may involve: issuing formal Requests for Proposals, Requests for Quotes, and Requests for Information; evaluating responses; arranging and viewing demonstrations; and checking references. Finally, the Contract Advisor is responsible for leading and facilitating selection meetings in a manner that aids the end users in processing the information to choose a final supplier.Once the selection is made, the Contract Advisor is responsible for engaging in direct contract negotiations with the selected supplier. These negotiations will encompass not only business terms (e.g., price, license terms, maintenance), but also legal issues (e.g., indemnification, confidentiality, venue). Upon completion of negotiations, the Contract
Advisor is responsible for drafting a contract that reflects the agreed-upon terms and conditions and ensuring that the contract is properly approved and executed.Secondary responsibilities include maintenance of contract records, preparation of reports for management, evaluation of suppliers’ performance, and intervention on behalf of end users when suppliers fail to perform adequately.Infrequent travel may be required.Qualifications
Candidate must be able to work with minimal supervision-including management of workload, response to deadlines, and proactive strategic thinking. Candidate must possess strong communication and time management skills.
Candidate must be proficient with MS Word, Excel, and Access. Drafting contract language (actual drafting - not filling in forms)SPECIAL SKILLSThe preferred candidate will have at least one of the following:Purchasing – At least two years of experience purchasing for a medium- to large-size company. High-technology purchasing experience is highly preferred.Legal Experience – Lawyer with at least one year of direct contract negotiation and drafting experience; or paralegal with at least two years of direct contract negotiation and drafting experience.High-Technology Subject Matter – At least three years of managerial level direct in-depth experience negotiating in any of the following industries: software (mainframe, distributed, etc.), hardware (servers, desktop etc.), or high-technology services (consulting, development, etc.). Note: Experience in the industry is important - experience using the products or services is not acceptable.EDUCATION/LICENSES REQUIREDA level of knowledge equivalent to that ordinarily acquired through the completion of a Bachelor's degree in
Business, Finance, Contracts, Law or related field is preferred; or equivalent work or educational experience.
REQUIREMENTS
Please see Job Description