Agent, Contracts

Contracts Agent – SCS Enterprise Services Supply Chain Management Transaction Team This position will be located in Atlanta, GA or Birmingham, AL. Job Summary This position will provide daily contracting and sourcing support (request for proposal, negotiations, contract development, risk mitigation, tracking, analysis) to meet the acquisition needs for services and materials. This position will also work closely with our category management strategies in support of contracting requirements.

Job Responsibilities

• Duties will include the daily support of all sourcing & contracting activities “from cradle to grave”, including advising customers on Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) preparation, lead pre-bid meetings, review of offers upon receipt from bidders, cost & price analysis, negotiations, risk assessment, preparing contract documents and agreements; assists in contract administration, incorporation of changes, expediting & follow-up, disposition of claims, and contract closeout.
• Duties will require leading sourcing projects, assisting in developing and implementing strategic programs for the procurement of Equipment and Services.
• Expectations include outstanding oral and written communications with ability to excel in high-level communications with management at multiple levels.
• Develop the sourcing strategy for low to high risk services. A typical agent will support ~ (20 – 25) active projects concurrently with defined turnaround parameters (target days) for all contract related documents (RFPs, Master Agreements, Non-Disclosure, Amendments, Statements of Work, etc.) throughout the year.
• Manage relationships with the Company’s vendors and ensure efficient and transparent contracting and negotiation process to reduce costs, improve commercial terms and reduce duplication of efforts.
• Work cross-functionally to improve and streamline processes.
• Ensure that overall risk is properly controlled and mitigated.
• Develop a detailed knowledge of the Southern Company and Operating Company procurement policies/procedures and have the capability to become a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
• Expected to build and maintain a detailed knowledge and understanding of essential legal provisions, contract common law, contract formation issues, data security issues, remedies, liquidated damages, litigation avoidance, and dispute resolution.
• Ensure all required terms and conditions are included in procurement documents and work with legal, risk management and financial services (accounting) to resolve contractor exceptions and issues in a timely manner.
• Draft contract language, including special conditions for complex, non-standard purchases.
• Identify and evaluate new sources of supply, domestic and globally, when necessary to meet customer needs, including performing market research and analysis.
• Build and maintain a fundamental to proficient knowledge of our contracting systems utilized in daily support.
• Conflict Resolution, the ability to engage and fix identified issues.
• Maintain the primary interface with contractors in an ethical and respectful manner while protecting the Company’s interests.

Additional Job Responsibilities Specific To Technology Support

• This position will support technology related procurement activities. Duties will include the negotiation of Software License Agreements, Application Service Provider Agreements, Subscription Service Agreements, Master Technology Equipment Purchase Agreements, etc.
• Duties will require leading sourcing projects and assist in developing and implementing strategic decisions for the procurement of Technology Services, Software, Software as a Service, and Hardware.
• Duties will require a strong understanding of IT Security related risks and application of mitigation strategies to address data breaches, malicious and harmful code, security vulnerabilities, etc.

Job Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required
• BS in Business, Management, Finance, or Law is preferred
• Formal education in contract language and law is highly preferred
• Experience with negotiating technology related contracts is highly preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Contract law and drafting of terms and conditions (required)
• Legal and commercial negotiation skills (required)
• Self-motivated and ability to work with minimal supervision
• Customer focused with ability to build and maintain relationships with internal customers, suppliers, contractors and other key stakeholders
• Effectively handle tight deadlines, large workloads, and multiple projects with positive enthusiasm
• Superior written and oral communication, to successfully negotiate contract terms and write such contracts in a clear, logical and concise manner
• Candidate must have the ability and determination to support multiple projects under tight deadlines
• Candidate must have effective influencing and consensus-building skills
• Strategic focus on problem-solving
• Excellent organizational skills are required to plan and manage assigned workload and customer expectations effectively to meet internal business unit requirements
• Ability to think strategically and apply broad seasoned judgment to decisions
• Highly effective communications skills
• Strong customer service skills
• Analytical and interpersonal skills
• Ability to effectively work and participate in cross-functional and cross-company teams at all levels in the organization to ensure buy-in by multiple stakeholders when working on system projects

Behavioral Attributes

• Must demonstrate behaviors consistent with the Southern Company values of Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance and Total Commitment
• Self-motivated
• Customer focused
• Strong work ethic
• Exhibits a strong sense of urgency
• Promotes teamwork
• Practices ethical behavior
• Displays creativity, initiative, and flexibility
• Learns from and utilizes experience

Additional Details

• Available to travel (occasionally) as needed which may require an overnight stay
• Candidate must have a valid driver’s license

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Excellent benefits packages which includes:
• Medical and dental coverage
• Defined Pension/Cash Balance Benefit Plan
• Performance-sharing plan
• 401(k) plan with a generous company match
• Bonus opportunities
• Tuition Reimbursement

Please submit an updated resume with your application

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million residential and commercial customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy infrastructure company with national capabilities, a fiber optics network, and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience, and sustainability, we are taking action to meet our customers’ and communities’ needs while advancing our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture and hiring practices have earned the company national awards and recognition from numerous organizations, including Forbes, Military Times, DiversityInc, Black Enterprise, J.D. Power, Fortune, Human Rights Campaign and more. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant’s qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Job Identification: 6699

Job Category: Supply Chain

Job Schedule: Full time

Company: Southern Company Services