Contract Manager
"Every large business needs goods and services to function. I oversee purchasing these goods and services. My job is to establish processes to ensure purchased products and services meet the established business requirements for cost and quality. I ensure that terms and conditions are met to business requirements and lay out contracts for the seller to abide by. Anything that my company buys control, in this way I am essential to regulating budget and company initiatives."
Salary Range:
$82,000 - $138,000
The Tip
Is great to be a big picture thinker, but remember the real value is in managing the small stuff well.
Priority Knowledge & Skills
Customer Relationship Management
Knowledge & ability to:
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Apply principles of CRM
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Manage a sales process
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Compelling presentation & report writing
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Develop & execute a distribution strategy
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Leverage e-commerce
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Develop & execute a merchandising strategy
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Leverage co-operative marketing
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Provide customer support
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Develop & execute a pricing strategy
General Management
Knowledge & ability to:
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Manage budgets
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Manage projects
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Negotiate contracts
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Conduct competitive analysis
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Conduct environmental scan
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Leverage contextual knowledge
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Analyze data & leverage business intelligence
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Develop and manage forecasts
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Manage business intelligence and analytics
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Negotiate and manage contracts
Internal Supply Chain Management
Knowledge & ability to:
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Collaborate with partners in product/service design
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Manage inventory and warehousing
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Manage order fulfillment
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Manage transportation logistics
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Design, establish and manage related contracts
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Identify and develop strategic sourcing relationships
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Establish strategic and tactical SCM plans and processes
Building Block Experiences
Education & Learning:
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Bachelor of Arts (psychology) with a minor in SCM
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Completed an extension certificate in contract management from a local college
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Professional Project Management (PMP) certification via the Project Management Institute
"During my undergraduate degree, I had full intention of going to law school but then took a course in SCM and contract management. I discovered, that what I really loved wasn’t law but the managing the contracts for large deals. This led to me completing a certificate in contract management and securing my PMP certification."
Employment Experiences:
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Student ambassador in university and led high school student tours
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Completed an internship at a law firm during my undergraduate year.
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Upon graduation, was hired as contracts coordinator for a small oil services company.
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Recruited as a contract coordinator for a large integrated energy company. This role included managing staff.
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Promoted to contract manager job with my current firm.
"Community relations is a senior role that requires years of industry experience. To build to this role, I needed to spend time learning both the energy and contract management business. Contract management is about managing details and having a depth of experience to ensure contracts are designed to support the business and minimize risk."
Community Experiences:
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Volunteer for a local environmental organization, managing fundraising events
"I coordinate events for local non-profits, allowing the refinement of my event management skills from promotion to execution."
Contextual Experiences:
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I did a six-month international posting in Dubai.
"My temporary assignment in Dubai was an eye-opening experience about the cultural and organizational challenges facing global business. The process for developing contracts were totally different than in Canada."
Relationships:
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Built a diverse mentor team of lawyers, accountants and communicators over the years
"My mentors coached me to avoid specializing too early and to get out of the cubicle and into the field. I owe them a lot for pushing me."