WEEK)

American Society of Anesthesiologists®•Schaumburg, IL

7d•$50 - $70

About The Position

The Contracting Specialist is a non-attorney independent contractor providing specialized contracting support to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Legal Department and related organizations. The contractor manages assigned contracting matters and applies substantial contracting experience and independent professional judgment to evaluate existing contracting practices and recommend practical improvements to efficiency, consistency, workflows, and use of attorney time. Areas of focus may include contract intake and triage, templates and playbooks, negotiation parameters, approval workflows, contract tracking and repositories, reporting, technology, and allocation of work between attorneys and non-attorney resources. The contractor drafts and revises agreements, facilitates negotiations within established parameters, coordinates contracting matters with stakeholders and counterparties, maintains contract records, and identifies issues that require attorney or subject-matter-expert review. This role does not provide legal advice or independently make legal determinations on ASA’s behalf. Services are performed independently, subject to agreed priorities, deliverables, deadlines, and applicable ASA requirements. This is a part-time to full-time contract/temporary engagement of approximately six months, for 20–40 hours per week, starting as soon as possible. The work may be performed remotely or from a mutually agreed work setting, including ASA’s Schaumburg, Illinois office when coordinated and agreed. The target hiring pay range is $50–$70 per hour, depending on experience. The position is benefits-ineligible. ASA describes its work as supporting members through education, resources, and advocacy to improve the experience and safety of patients. Its stated core values are Dedication, Collaboration, Commitment to Excellence, and Continuous Improvement. ASA reports having more than 160 team members and states that it is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

Minimum 3 years of substantive experience in contract administration, contract specialist work, paralegal work, legal operations, procurement contracting, or comparable experience.
Demonstrated ability to identify contracting-process inefficiencies and recommend and implement practical improvements to workflows, templates, playbooks, tracking, technology, and work allocation.
Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating contracts and supporting resolution of contract disputes or performance issues within established parameters, with appropriate escalation of matters requiring legal advice or attorney judgment.
Excellent organizational and project-management skills, including managing high volumes of matters, competing priorities, detailed records, and time-sensitive deadlines with limited oversight.
Strong contract drafting, proofreading, written communication, and negotiation skills, with exceptional attention to accuracy, consistency, and detail.
Ability to recognize legal, financial, privacy, security, intellectual property, insurance, and operational issues requiring escalation to an attorney or subject-matter expert.
Sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and ability to handle confidential and privileged information appropriately.
Ability to build positive working relationships, communicate diplomatically with internal and external stakeholders, and provide responsive, service-oriented support to attorneys and business teams.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business, legal studies, paralegal studies, contract management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
Experience developing or improving contract templates, playbooks, intake processes, approval workflows, contract repositories, reporting tools, or other legal operations resources.
Experience supporting in-house attorneys or a corporate, nonprofit, healthcare, association, law-firm, or government legal team.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 Office and CoPilot.
Experience using contract-lifecycle-management, document-management, electronic-signature, customer-relationship-management, or comparable workflow systems.

Responsibilities

Manage assigned contracts throughout the contracting lifecycle, including intake, drafting, review, negotiation, approval, signature, filing, renewal, amendment, termination, and closeout.
Evaluate contracting processes and technologies and recommend improvements to intake, drafting, negotiation, approvals, execution, tracking, and recordkeeping; assist with implementing approved improvements.
Draft and revise contracts, amendments, statements of work, licenses, nondisclosure agreements, and other documents using approved templates, playbooks, and attorney direction.
Review and negotiate standard business and contractual terms within established parameters and escalate legal, financial, operational, or non-standard issues to ASA legal staff.
Coordinate with business owners, Finance, Information Technology, Privacy and Security, and other stakeholders to gather requirements, identify dependencies, obtain approvals, and advance agreements through review and execution.
Serve as an internal point of contact regarding contracting status, process requirements, documentation, approvals, and next steps, without providing legal advice.
Maintain a complete and accurate central repository and inventory of ASA and related-organization contracts and associated records.
Track contractual terms and deadlines, including renewals, termination dates, notice periods, deliverables, pricing changes, insurance requirements, and other obligations; provide timely reminders.
Prepare contract summaries, comparison charts, issue lists, risk escalations, status reports, and other materials supporting attorney review and organizational decisions.
Coordinate contract execution under ASA signature-authority requirements and confirm approvals and supporting documents are complete before signature.
Develop, document, and maintain contracting procedures, intake tools, templates, clause libraries, checklists, and service standards in collaboration with ASA attorneys.
Use contract-management and other technology to improve workflow visibility, record accuracy, reporting, productivity, and turnaround time.
Conduct factual and procedural research and organize requested contract histories, prior language, approvals, correspondence, and supporting records; handle confidential and privileged information appropriately.
Provide project-management and administrative support, including document preparation, proofreading, signature coordination, deadline tracking, and follow-up.
Build effective working relationships and communicate professionally with internal clients, counterparties, vendors, and outside counsel.
At the direction of an ASA attorney, assist with contract disputes, performance concerns, alleged breaches, payment issues, termination matters, and other disagreements by organizing records, preparing correspondence and draft resolutions, tracking commitments, and coordinating follow-up.
Perform services consistently with ASA’s core values.
Perform other contracting or legal operations projects assigned by mutual agreement within the scope of the engagement.