Vendor Contract Manager

ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP is looking for a Vendor Contract Manager to join our Legal team. The position is preferred to be onsite at our Corporate Office in Newburgh, Indiana.

The Vendor Contract Manager is responsible for establishing, managing, and overseeing the company's contractual relationships with its vendors. This role will support a large cross-functional group of development, delivery, legal, procurement, management, and operational resources within the organization. The individual in this role will be responsible for developing and deploying practices, programs, and standards that establish a consistent and efficient business process in service of productive and fair vendor contract relationships. The Vendor Contract Manager likewise ensures subcontracts and change orders are negotiated with the company's customers and contractual standards in mind. The position is given latitude to evaluate and deploy creative solutions and technologies impacting contractual negotiation processes and substantive contract terms, including using artificial intelligence. The person in this role is responsible for coordinating and collaborating routinely with members of internal legal and procurement teams in service of key business stakeholders and outside suppliers. The position is similarly and routinely involved with communication with company leaders and suppliers.

This position is administratively intensive, requires a high degree of business and contractual acumen, mandates creativity, wit, responsiveness, and efficiency. The ideal individual in this position consistently stands ready to respond quickly, balancing precision, accuracy, and efficiency under pressure to meet the demands of the role with tact and professionalism.

The essential functions of the position include:

• Negotiate, draft, and manage vendor contracts and subcontracts, including amendments and change orders, aligning with company standards and customer requirements
• Identify legal risks and contractual gaps between subcontracts and customer agreements, ensuring business leaders are aware of risks and, where appropriate, have affirmatively approved proceeding with contractual relationships in a risk-adjusted manner
• Act as a crucial liaison between internal stakeholders and external vendors regarding contract terms, obligations, and performance issues
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized vendor contract management practices to build consistency, efficiency, and fairness into the company's vendor relationships
• Collaborate closely with legal, procurement, and operational teams to support compliant and strategic contract management, negotiation, and execution
• Evaluate and deploy tools and technologies (including AI) to enhance contract negotiation, review, and management processes
• Participate in crafting and similarly ensure compliance with internal governance policies associated with vendor contract engagements
• Monitor and report on vendor contract performance, risks, and compliance, recommending corrective actions where necessary
• Support cross-functional initiatives and projects that establish contractual guidance and vendor engagement strategies across a platform of operating entities
• Communicate effectively with executive leadership, customers, and vendor representatives on contract-related matters, providing strategic insight and recommendations
• Respond quickly and tactfully to urgent contract matters, balancing risk, accuracy, and business need under pressure

Your background includes:

• Bachelor's degree or paralegal certification from an accredited program

• Seven or more years' related experience as a contract manager or corporate paralegal
• Prior managerial and/or supervisory experience, preferred

A bonus to have:

• Experience within a large, multi-entity corporate environment characterized by multiple business units and a high volume of transactional activity
• Experience developing, overseeing, or managing complex internal contracting frameworks, including multi-tiered approval structures and responsibilities.
• Experience with energy contracting, construction, and/or design professional contracts
• Experience managing multi-entity, multi-jurisdictional and Federal compliance requirements
• Experience managing others in a high-paced, collaborative business environment

What we bring to you:

• Professional growth and development programs including tuition reimbursement
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision insurance plans and wellness plans for employee and your family
• Life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and supplemental benefits
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Nine Paid Holidays
• Paid Vacation and Personal/Sick Leave
• Paid Parental Leave for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child/children
• Highly competitive salaries and incentive structure

We want you to know:

ESG is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We value talent and understand that our colleagues allow us the opportunity to deliver an exceptional customer experience. We achieve our goals through teamwork and conduct our business with integrity. Join our world-class team to provide mission-critical infrastructure solutions for K-12 schools and universities to local, state and federal government agencies and more.

Join our world-class team to provide safe, reliable innovative energy efficiency and infrastructure solutions for K-12 schools and universities to local, state and federal government agencies and more.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR * 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a), and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.

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