Contracts Analyst

LOCATION: Remote, employee must have a suitable home office with a good internet connection, in a state/location approved by Xerces Society, strongly prefer Oregon-based employee). Portland-based office space available on drop-in basis.

COMPENSATION: $5,434/month, $65,208 year

JOB START DATE: March/April 2024

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 29,2024

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at: http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs

We are committed to creating a more diverse workforce that is welcoming to all employees and the communities we serve. As part of the application process, please be prepared to answer a brief essay question (1,000 characters or less) in which you describe some ways you might help Xerces collaborate with diverse audiences or historically excluded communities in this role.

Xerces provides accommodations for the job application process if needed. If you need an accommodation to complete the job application process, please email reasonable.accomodation@xerces.org with your specific request.

JOIN US!

Come join a growing team of conservation professionals at the Xerces Society who are dedicated to protecting some of the world’s most important animals. We are seeking a skilled and collaborative Contracts Analyst experienced in contract management to help us grow our programs and accomplish our conservation mission

At Xerces, we harness the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of the public to implement conservation programs. We take action by helping farms and public agencies develop conservation plans for pollinators and beneficial insects, producing ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, training thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat for beneficial insects, protecting endangered species and their habitat, and engaging the public to raise awareness about invertebrates found on farms, forests, prairies, deserts, streams, wetlands, towns and cities. Our methods focus on habitat conservation planning, education, scientific analysis, advocacy, and applied research to conserve invertebrates, such as bees, butterflies, mollusks, and fireflies.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

The Contracts Analyst supports Xerces’ contract, procurement, and award compliance activities. This includes developing, negotiating and reviewing contract terms for grants, service agreements and vendor agreements, advising staff on contract compliance issues and working with others including outside council to interpret laws. The Analyst works closely with our Finance, Development, and Program staff, as well as with outside counsel and other external parties at all stages of the contract and subcontract lifecycle. The Analyst is supervised by the Compliance and Contracts Manager, and also coordinates their activity with both the Accounting Manager and the Financial Planning and Analysis Manager to ensure contract activities are closely coordinated with finance, accounting, procurement and audit activities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Pre-award Grant or Contract Development:

• Assist the Finance team and Development teams in pre-award activities with internal and external parties including review of proposed agreement terms to identify contract or budget issues.
• Review pre-award/contract terms for completeness, consistency with submitted proposals, and existing policies, practices and approved templates. Identify invoicing, grant restrictions, progress reporting, intellectual property, insurance requirements, unrelated business income, liability, and risk issues.
• Identify deviations from Xerces’ policies and practices, requesting guidance from Finance, Development and Program staff to resolve. Implement proscribed solutions in final agreements and/or obtain approval for non-conforming/non-negotiable terms from Xerces management.
• Negotiate terms where possible and obtain internal approval of provisions if negotiation is not possible
• Be responsible for document creation, correspondence, approval routing and final document execution.

Post-award Grant or Contract Administration:

• Manage distribution and document retention of fully-executed contracts and supporting documents.
• Coordinate completion and submission of post-award documents required by funder or contractor.
• Schedule and facilitate contract kick-off meetings with Program, Finance and Development staff for each grant award or service agreement to highlight critical contract dates and terms; help staff identify potential implementation issues, and create and share a final list of action items.
• Track agreement and funding end dates. Coordinate requests for extension, budget adjustments or other modifications; submitting requests in a timely manner and following up on any related documentation, including amendments.
• Identify and research, new grant and federal contract compliance requirements of funding agencies. Communicate those new requirements to Compliance and Contracts Manager and assist with the development of any necessary policy revisions. Modify contract administration processes and templates.
• Evaluate contractual insurance requirements and work with Finance Director to ensure Xerces coverages comply with terms. Manage issuance and addition/removal of additional insured from Xerces’ coverage.
• Maintain contract data in the database; generate reports for Finance and Operations teams.
• Provide support to program staff in the interpretation of contract terms and provide an analysis of potential consequences to the appropriate level of management for approval.
• Manage payment processing for service agreements in coordination with Finance team.

Procurement:

• Draft and negotiate professional service contracts, subcontracts and subawards in accordance with federal Uniform Guidance as applicable.
• Identify and research procurement-related governmental compliance requirements which affect existing procurement policies or templates. Communicate new requirements to the Compliance and Contracts Manager and, in conjunction with the Accounting and Procurement Specialist, assist with the development of any necessary policy revisions. Modify contract administration processes and templates as needed.
• Maintain vendor contract data in the database; generate reports for Finance and Operations team as needed.

Other:

• Maintain and update contract templates, including those for commercial co-ventures (CCVs), licensing, royalties, sponsorships, fee for service activity, and independent contractors.
• Identify, implement, and document contract management process improvement projects including; best-practice policies, procedures for records, and information management.
• Maintain Xerces’ registration in the federal eligibility database (System of Award Management).
• Other duties as assigned based upon changing business needs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED

• 2+ years contract review, negotiation and administration experience, including review of terms, risk assessment, execution of contracts, and complying with pre- and post-award requirements, developing standard practices, and negotiation of contract terms.
• Experience applying knowledge of contract terminology.
• Strong English language reading/writing, critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with team members and responding to requests in a timely manner.
• Clear and concise verbal and written communication.
• Tactful negotiation skills to achieve results with others who may not have accounting or contracting backgrounds.
• Ability to efficiently prioritize multiple concurrent deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong self-organization and initiative, taking responsibility to resolve issues and complete work assignments with minimal supervision after initial training.
• High attention to detail, with strong editing, proofreading, and document review skills.
• Experience organizing and maintaining data files and structure in a shared team environment.
• Ability to work cooperatively with diverse teams and constituents in a respectful, equitable, and inclusive fashion.
• Strong computer skills, experience with spreadsheets and word processing applications, specifically Microsoft Office and Google Suite.

PREFERRED

• Experience with, federal grant compliance, and/or project management.
• Demonstrated interest or experience in nonprofit work and conservation issues.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree, or Associates Degree with 5+ years applicable experience.

PREFERRED

• Contract management certification

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Be able to perform the following with reasonable breaks and/or reasonable accommodations:

• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a telephone, copy machine, and computer printer for periods of up to 8 hours per day.

STATUS & SCHEDULE: Full-Time, salaried, exempt position, scheduled to work ~ 40 hours/week. Schedule may be flexible and the opportunity for partial or full-time remote work location can be made, depending on job-specific requirements.

BENEFITS: This position includes a generous benefits package including; thirteen paid holidays, paid time off accrued at a rate of 1.73 hours for every 30 hours of pay (15 days per year for a 40 hour/week schedule), medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage, the option to participate in a pre-tax flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses, short-term disability insurance where not provided under state law, long-term disability insurance, participation in a 401k retirement program with employer contribution match upon meeting eligibility requirements, and a flexible work environment.

TERMS: The Xerces Society is an at-will employer. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Xerces Society and our programs, please see our website: www.xerces.org

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at: http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Xerces Society is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including disability and veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

PRIORITY REFERRAL OF PROTECTED VETERANS

We request priority referral of protected veterans for all openings with our organization. In order to be considered for employment, all applicants for employment with Xerces Society, apply through our Job Board. When referring or being referred as a candidate, including protected veterans, please refer them to this applicant site; http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs.

Xerces Society Inc

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