Contracting Specialist

Contracting Specialist

Williams College is seeking a Contracting Specialist to join the newly established Department of Risk Management, Insurance, and Procurement. The department's three-person team is led by the Director of Risk Management, Insurance, and Procurement. We are looking for a Contracting Specialist who demonstrates an eagerness to build a program from the ground up. In this inaugural role for the college, we are looking for a collaborative problem-solver to provide centralized contract management services for our campus community.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborating with departments to understand the current, decentralized contracting landscape.
• Working with departments to generate requests for proposals (RFPs) documentation and bid recordkeeping, analyze bid submissions, and present options to requesting departments.
• Assisting departments in selecting final bids; providing clarity regarding their questions on the bid(s) or bidding process.
• Developing and maintaining a database of current and former contracts.
• Developing and delivering training sessions for faculty and staff on contract management processes and policy.
• Building on existing procurement guides, contract and agreement templates, and developing FAQs/job aids for employee reference.
• Developing and maintaining a preferred vendor list, conducting market research to provide the best value for the College.
• Developing and utilizing a vendor performance tracking metric.
• Processing purchase requisitions requests and purchase orders to support all departments of the College utilizing its Enterprise Resource Planning system, Workday.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree (Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or related field)
• Experience independently drafting and editing contracts and altering boilerplate "Terms of Service" language.
• Experience negotiating contracts directly with vendors over indemnification, liability caps, and data privacy clauses.
• Experience leading the competitive bid process.
• Experience guiding stakeholders to accurately define their needs, score competitive vendor bids objectively, and process winning bids into binding contracts.
• Experience navigating laws pertaining to business in higher education (FERPA, GLBA, ADA Section 508, and WCGA.)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to prioritize multiple assignments and timelines simultaneously.
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a diverse population of departments across the campus community.
• Experience learning new software and comfort navigating evolving digital tools and technologies.
• Experience in Workday or other Enterprise Resource Planning systems.

A cover letter is required for your application to be considered; please submit a cover letter in a separate document with your application.

Application review will begin on August 26, 2026. Pay range is from $87,500 to $97,500, commensurate with experience.

This full-time, year-round position is eligible for Williams College's robust benefits package designed to support you in your work and overall health and wellness. We offer comprehensive health insurance with coverage starting your first day of work, robust retirement plan contributions, tuition reimbursement, professional development opportunities, paid leave, access to gym facilities, discounts with local vendors and more. See more on our benefits by visiting our Williams HR website.

Hybrid on-site/remote work arrangements may be available for up to 2 days of remote work per week for employees based in MA, NY, CT, or VT, following a fully in-person onboarding period. This position requires a majority physical presence on campus with a minimum of 3 days per week of on-campus, in-person work. Remote work arrangements are subject to review and revision as policy evolves.

Employment at Williams is contingent on the verification of background information submitted by the applicant, including the completion of a criminal record check, and education when applicable. Decisions regarding appointments, promotions, and conditions of employment comply with applicable federal or state law…