Contracts Agent - Power Delivery

Southern Company • Atlanta, GA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Contracts Agent provides daily contracting and sourcing support to Power Delivery business partners, including Transmission, Substation, Distribution, and Vegetation Management. The role supports the full sourcing and contracting lifecycle, from requests for information and proposals through contract development, negotiation, administration, changes, claims, and closeout. It also works with category management teams to develop contracts aligned with category strategies and system-wide contracting requirements.

The agent develops sourcing strategies for services with varying levels of risk, manages multiple concurrent projects and contract-document turnaround targets, and builds vendor relationships while promoting efficient, transparent negotiations. The role focuses on controlling and mitigating risk, achieving strong commercial outcomes, supporting internal customers, and ensuring contract documents include required terms. It also champions adoption of AI and other digital technologies to reduce manual work, improve contract lifecycle management and data quality, and advance sourcing and supplier-management objectives.

The position requires detailed knowledge of procurement policies, contracting systems, and legal and commercial contract provisions. The incumbent works with legal, risk management, and financial services to resolve contractor exceptions and issues, drafts language for complex or non-standard purchases, and may identify and evaluate domestic and global supply sources. Occasional travel, including overnight stays, may be required. The incumbent is required to work in an Atlanta office location four days per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Management, Finance, Law, or another relevant technical discipline is preferred.
• Experience in procurement or contracts is preferred.
• Strongly preferred: experience in contract sourcing and development, including direct negotiation of terms and conditions for services contracts.
• Preferred: experience in contract drafting, contract language, and law.
• Knowledge and understanding of contract law, contracts, negotiations, preparation and drafting, and legal and commercial negotiations.
• Thorough understanding of contract procurement and administration controls.
• Ability to negotiate contracts that maximize business financial results, minimize risk, and satisfy internal clients.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong customer focus and service skills, including the ability to build and maintain relationships with internal customers, suppliers, contractors, and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to manage tight deadlines, large workloads, and multiple projects.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to negotiate terms and draft clear, logical, concise contracts.
• Strategic problem-solving ability and sound judgment.
• Excellent organizational skills to plan and manage workload and customer expectations.
• Analytical and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively on cross-functional and cross-company teams and gain buy-in for system projects.
• Knowledge of company structure and a general understanding of business-unit operations.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrate behaviors consistent with Southern Company values: Safety First, Intentional Inclusion, Act with Integrity, and Superior Performance.
• Self-motivated, proactive, customer-focused, and a strong communicator with a strong work ethic and sense of urgency.
• Promote teamwork, practice ethical behavior, and demonstrate creativity, initiative, flexibility, and willingness to learn from experience.
• Available for occasional travel, potentially requiring overnight stays.

Nice To Haves

• Formal education in contract language and law.
• Construction contract experience.
• Electric utility experience.
• Experience with Maximo, GEP, and other supply-chain-management technology.

Responsibilities

• Support sourcing and contracting activities throughout the contract lifecycle, including advising customers on RFI and RFP preparation, leading pre-bid meetings, reviewing bids, conducting cost and price analysis and negotiations, assessing risk, preparing agreements, assisting with administration and changes, following up and expediting, resolving claims, and closing contracts.
• Promote adoption of AI and other digital technologies in contracting by sharing best practices, identifying process improvements, and applying AI-enabled solutions to reduce manual effort, improve contract lifecycle management and data quality, and support sourcing and supplier management.
• Develop sourcing strategies for low- to high-risk services and manage multiple active projects and turnaround targets for procurement documents.
• Manage vendor relationships and support efficient, transparent contracting and negotiations to reduce costs, improve commercial terms, and avoid duplicated effort.
• Work cross-functionally to improve and streamline processes.
• Ensure overall risk is controlled and mitigated.
• Develop detailed knowledge of Southern Company and operating-company procurement policies and procedures, with the capability to serve as a subject matter expert.
• Build detailed knowledge of legal provisions, contract common law and formation, data security, remedies, liquidated damages, litigation avoidance, and dispute resolution.
• Ensure required terms and conditions are included in procurement documents and work with legal, risk management, and financial services to resolve contractor exceptions and issues promptly.
• Draft contract language, including special conditions for complex, non-standard purchases.
• Identify and evaluate domestic and global supply sources when needed, including conducting market research and analysis.
• Build and maintain fundamental to proficient knowledge of contracting systems used in daily support.
• Engage in conflict resolution and address identified issues.
• Serve as the primary interface with contractors in an ethical and respectful manner while protecting the company's interests.
• Communicate effectively with management at multiple levels.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees.
• Health, welfare, and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being.
• The position may be eligible for additional compensation through an incentive program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed