Contract Specialist Position Description

Reports to Director of People and Operations

Summary

The Contract Specialist supports MEC’s mission of promoting energy efficiency and environmental justice. The Contract Specialist is responsible for using agreement and procurement templates to procure and negotiate contracts, ensuring compliance with contract specifications, building and maintaining relationships with contractors and vendors, and keeping accurate records for all assigned activities. The role involves researching and maintaining up-to-date boilerplate, implementing MEC’s procurement policy, maintaining a working knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulation, and sourcing reliable information to support decision-making. The specialist also assists in generating certain reports, reviewing project invoices for compliance, and contributing to the effective execution of MEC operations.

Duration and Category

Regular Full-time; Exempt

Supervisory Responsibilities

None.

Essential Duties

• Relationship Management: Serve as the primary liaison with external contracting representatives. Build and maintain relationships with vendors, contractors, funders, and stakeholders. With all staff, maintain and utilize an informative relationship management database in Salesforce.
• Contract Administration: Draft, review, and negotiate contracts to ensure compliance with legal requirements and organizational policies. Coordinate contract amendments, extensions, renewals, and terminations. Resolve problems and issues with sub-awardees and vendors that occur in performance of contracts, referring certain claims or complaints to People and Operations Director.
• Compliance Monitoring: Monitor and evaluate contractor performance to ensure adherence to contract specifications and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Conduct assessments to verify MEC/sub-awardee compliance and participate in annual MEC compliance audits.
• Financial Monitoring: Review and verify invoicing documentation for compliance with contract terms. Maintain familiarity with project budget trackers for use with amendment and continuation planning. Ensure contract-related financial documentation meets institutional standards.
• Solicitation and Agreement Documentation: Coordinate competitive bids, RFPs, and RFAs with program staff, ensuring compliance with grant requirements and MEC policies. Manage the submission process, assist in vendor or subrecipient selection, and oversee agreement drafting and execution, maintaining thorough records.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with program managers and other MEC staff to support the efficient execution of operations. Contribute positively to the work environment of a small, collegial non-profit organization.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant discipline and/or equivalent years of experience (preferred)
• Three or more years of post-college work experience.
• Strong knowledge of procurement best practices, contract documents, and legal specifications, including related regulation.

Skills and Competencies

• Attention to Detail: Exceptional attention to detail, excellent listening and writing skills, excellent task tracking and communication with the team.
• Self-Leadership: Self-starter with strong organizational skills, able to meet deadlines, adapt to changes in the work environment, and work both independently and collaboratively toward common goals. Capable of handling competing demands and autonomously managing workload.
• Relationship Management: Experience forming and maintaining partnerships among decision-makers at external organizations and internal project personnel. Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills, and the ability to resolve conflicts diplomatically.
• Procurement Standards and Best Practices: Understanding of best practices and practical experience implementing procurement standards and contract management practices.
• Institutional Financial Literacy: Understanding of institutional financial and procurement policy, sub-award budgets and invoices, as applicable to contract compliance.
• Adherence to Documentation Standards: Ability to structure and format contractual agreements, funding notices, and other official documentation according to company policies, style guides, and other detailed instructions.
• Analytical and Reasoning Ability: Strong analytical skills useful in monitoring contract compliance, performing research, and discerning applicable knowledge from internal and external data.
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills, including reflective listening, and the ability to present information clearly and concisely to both internal and external colleagues.
• Computer and Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 Suite, and experience with information systems for progress tracking and data storage required.

Work Environment

MEC offers teleworking options, appropriate for the work duties and at the discretion of supervisors. Most work for this position may be completed remotely. Some in-person meetings, and office time are required. The noise level in the office environment may be moderate due to staff phone calls and conversations.

Salary and Benefits

Annual salary range: $55,000-$58,000

Benefits

• Flexible scheduling and teleworking
• 24/7 access to co-working space
• Professional development opportunities
• Work-Life Balance programs: Opportunity for unpaid leave for volunteerism, paid jury leave, paid bereavement leave, etc.
• Paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, and paid holidays
• Group health, dental, vision
• Employer-paid life insurance