Contracts Agent - Enterprise Services

Southern Company•Alma, GA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Contracts Agent supports contracting needs across Southern Company business units and guides organizations in procuring and paying for goods and services. The role provides daily support for sourcing and contracting activities from start to finish, including sourcing, negotiation, contract creation and administration, and contract closeout. It supports a high volume of concurrent projects and works with internal customers, suppliers, contractors, Legal, Risk Management, Accounting, and other stakeholders. The position also supports technology procurement, including software, SaaS, subscription services, technology equipment, and related services. It leads technology sourcing projects and assists with strategic procurement decisions, applying an understanding of IT security risks and mitigation strategies. The position reports to a Company location in person at least four days per week.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Experience in procurement or contracts preferred.
Experience negotiating technology-related contracts highly preferred.
Knowledge of contract law and drafting.
Ability to conduct legal and commercial negotiations.
Self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision.
Customer-focused, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with internal customers, suppliers, contractors, and other stakeholders at all levels.
Ability to handle tight deadlines, large workloads, and multiple projects with enthusiasm.
Superior written and oral communication skills, including negotiating contract terms and writing clear, logical, concise contracts.
Strong organizational skills to plan and manage workload and customer expectations effectively.
Ability to think strategically and apply seasoned judgment.
Strong communication skills for high-level interactions with management at multiple levels.
Strong customer service, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work effectively on cross-functional and cross-company teams and secure stakeholder buy-in, including on system projects.
Effective influencing and consensus-building skills.
Ability to acquire proficiency in supply chain and basic business technology tools, including procurement systems and SharePoint.
Demonstrated behaviors consistent with Southern Company values, including a strong work ethic, sense of urgency, teamwork, ethical behavior, creativity, initiative, flexibility, and learning from experience.
Ability to work in person at a Company location at least four days per week.

Nice To Haves

Formal education or experience in contract language.
Experience in procurement or contracts.
Experience negotiating technology-related contracts.

Responsibilities

Advise customers and lead preparation of Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs), pre-bid meetings, offer reviews, cost and price analyses, negotiations, risk assessments, contract documents, and agreements.
Support contract administration, changes, expediting and follow-up, claims disposition, and contract closeout.
Manage a high volume of concurrent projects while meeting defined turnaround targets for contract-related documents, including RFPs, master agreements, nondisclosure agreements, amendments, and statements of work.
Lead negotiations of legal and commercial terms to control and mitigate risk.
Ensure required terms and conditions are included in procurement documents and coordinate with Legal, Risk Management, and Accounting to resolve contractor exceptions and issues.
Maintain knowledge of legal provisions, contract common law and formation, remedies, liquidated damages, litigation avoidance, and dispute resolution; draft contract language and special conditions for complex, nonstandard purchases.
Identify and evaluate domestic and global sources of supply as needed, including conducting market research and analysis.
Coordinate updates to supplier information and required compliance documentation, such as safety records and certificates of insurance.
Use sourcing, contracting, procurement, and payment systems, including GEP, Maximo, and Oracle.
Resolve conflicts during contract performance, including negotiating contractual revisions.
Communicate contract terms, status, and processes to business partners and management at all levels.
Serve as a subject matter expert and guide business partners on Southern Company procurement policies and procedures.
Maintain the primary interface with contractors ethically and respectfully while protecting the company’s interests.
Manage vendor relationships and promote efficient, transparent contracting and negotiation processes to reduce costs, improve commercial terms, and avoid duplicated effort.
Negotiate software license, SaaS, subscription service, and master technology equipment purchase agreements.
Lead technology sourcing projects and assist in developing and implementing strategic procurement decisions for technology services, software, SaaS, and hardware.
Apply IT security risk knowledge and mitigation strategies addressing data breaches, malicious or harmful code, and security vulnerabilities.