Awards Agreements and Compliance Specialist

Art and Wellness Enterprises•Bentonville, AR

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Award Agreements and Compliance Specialist supports the planning and execution of agreement administration and compliance activities, providing operational support across the awards processing lifecycle. Working in close partnership with internal teams, the shared services legal team, and external stakeholders, this role supports cross-functional initiatives by preparing, documenting, and managing agreements and amendments, ensuring compliance documentation is complete, accurate, and maintained in accordance with established standards, and coordinating the agreement lifecycle from drafting through closeout. The role contributes to compliant awards processing by maintaining documentation within organizational systems of record, supporting agreement workflows, coordinating agreement modifications and legal review, and helping ensure agreements are complete, well-documented, and aligned with approved award decisions and organizational requirements. Success in this role requires strong organizational, analytical, and project coordination skills, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities, support cross-functional collaboration, and exercise professional judgment in administering agreements, identifying compliance risks, and maintaining accurate documentation. The role also requires attention to detail, adaptability, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and a collaborative approach.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, legal studies, nonprofit management, public administration, or a related field required.
4–6 years of progressively responsible experience in contract administration, agreements management, compliance, grants administration, or related operational roles.
Demonstrated expertise in agreement administration for award or grant agreements, compliance documentation, due diligence, records management, and documentation standards.
Proven experience preparing, reviewing, tracking, and maintaining agreements, amendments, and related documentation throughout the agreement lifecycle, including coordinating document workflows and mult-step approval processes.
Proven ability to manage competing priorities, coordinate multiple agreements and initiatives simultaneously, and maintain organized, accurate work in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communication (verbal, written, presentation) and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify challenges, develop practical solutions, and exercise strong attention to detail and sound judgment.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners to support agreement administration, compliance activities, operational objectives, and organizational standards.
Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and Word, and familiarity with document management, grants management, and collaboration platforms.
High level of professional integrity and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, remaining adaptable and resilient.

Nice To Haves

Experience in nonprofit, foundation, higher education, or similar organizations is preferred.
Experience using grants management systems (GMS), electronic signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign), SharePoint, and related technologies supporting agreement administration, documentation, and compliance activities.

Responsibilities

Prepare, draft, issue, and track agreements, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with approved terms.
Route agreements to department leadership for review prior to execution and manage signature workflows, electronic signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign), and timelines.
Draft and process agreement amendments, ensuring changes are clearly documented, version-controlled, and routed for required review and approval.
Manage requests for agreement modifications and revisions by coordinating with the shared services legal team and facilitating follow-up with authorized signers and relevant recipients to ensure agreements progress through review to full execution.
Track agreement status, progress, and key milestones across the agreement lifecycle.
Conduct agreement due diligence using organizational documents such as Form 990, W-9, and other required compliance records.
Ensure required compliance documentation is complete, consistent, and aligned with agreement requirements.
Identify documentation gaps, inconsistencies, or risks and coordinate resolution.
Ensure executed agreements and required compliance documentation are accurately recorded in the grants management system (GMS).
Coordinate with the shared services legal team and department leadership on non-standard, high-risk, or complex agreements, preparing materials for legal review.
Collaborate with awards processing to confirm executed agreements are in place prior to payment record creation and payment requests.
Respond to internal and external inquiries regarding agreement status, requirements, and documentation.
Participate in departmental and cross-functional meetings to support alignment across awards processing.
Maintain documentation within organizational systems of record, ensuring records are organized, current, and audit-ready.
Organize, update, and preserve agreement files and supporting documentation using applications such as Microsoft Word, SharePoint, and related applications.
Support consistent documentation practices, templates, and version control across agreements and compliance records.
Serve as a resource on documented grant terms, agreement closeout requirements, and documentation standards.
Identify and address compliance risks, non-standard terms, documentation gaps, or execution issues.
Escalate issues that fall outside established standards to department leadership.
Carry out agreement and compliance processes with accuracy and consistency to reinforce adherence to established standards.
Stay informed about best practices in philanthropy and the arts sector.
Provide supervision, mentorship, and professional development to department interns.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support evolving organizational needs.