Senior Commercial Contract Manager at Cognizant in Dallas, Texas

Job Description:

Senior Commercial Contract Manager

In this client-facing role, we are looking for an experienced Senior Commercial Contract Manager to serve as the point of contact for specified key client/s in respect of all contract related matters, and to provide ad hoc contract management support to other accounts and on CLRM program initiatives.  The role may also include being responsible for supervising a small team of contract managers.

Reporting into the global Contract Lifecycle Risk Management (CLRM) function*, you will leverage your extensive contracting experience gained in respect of complex IT services contracts to promote and help apply contract management best practices in a pragmatic way to all aspects of Cognizant’s relationship with the client, from proposal stage, through negotiation of SOWs through to service delivery and completion. 

We are looking for confident and intellectually curious people to join the team. To succeed here, you need to be a self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset who is willing to try new ways of doing things. You are comfortable relying on your experience and judgment to navigate ambiguity and adapt to changing circumstances. A savvy communicator with great people skills, you are a team player who will be comfortable building relationships with a geographically dispersed team and with stakeholders in other functions, and embraces opportunities to shape the future.

*The CLRM program supports all verticals and business units across the organization, with the objective to improve financial/ operational performance and minimize/ mitigate risk by enabling process improvements at each stage of the contract lifecycle (contract creation, execution, and analysis).

Cognizant (Nasdaq-100: CTSH) is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant is ranked 193 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world.

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute commercial and contract thought leadership to support the engagement / CLRM leadership in their strategic planning and engagement with the client and on CLRM initiatives. 


• Point of contact for your engagement team and client/s on all contractual matters, including contract performance/ compliance, SOWs, MSA Amendments, contractual queries and escalations. 


• Chair and/or facilitate contract related governance meetings with the client’s business stakeholders and sourcing / procurement team.


• Commercial shaping, drafting and negotiating of various forms of complex contractual documents, coordinating with relevant SMEs as appropriate and undertaking necessary escalations.  Work with SMEs to prepare pragmatic responses/ mark ups to client drafts, collaborate with leadership in setting negotiation strategy and lead the negotiation team to execute on the strategy. 


• Act as a subject matter expert, thought leader and trusted advisor on matters related to the application of the contracting provisions, policy, and in defining and implementing end-to-end contracting governance processes and procedures.


• Raise contract awareness and commercial acumen within the sales/ delivery team, including creation of guidance, templates and other reference materials on best practices.


• Provide advice and guidance on the contract obligations, drive and track all party’s compliance.


• Liaise with procurement and engagement team to negotiate / manage subcontractor contracts.


• Work with engagement leadership, sales /delivery team, other internal SMEs and the client to identify risks and broker resolutions to any challenges, disagreements and escalations that arise.


• Responsible for the maintenance of a full set of contractual records, including contract documents, key contract-related correspondence, logs, status reports and optimized use of related toolsets.


• Oversee any offshore CLRM team support for the engagement and may lead a small team of contract managers on other engagements.

Core capabilities:

• Deep practical experience of contract management in the IT and/or business services market.


• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with strong executive presence capabilities


• Proven ability to build strategic relationships internally /with client whilst working virtually.


• Flexible, team player able to adapt your thinking / approach and with ability to balance process, compliance and risk management activities while ensuring the business is successful


• Nuanced and sophisticated client-facing skills, including ability to identify and negotiate a fair deal and manage difficult/ tense situations. 


• Detailed understanding of key legal/ commercial principles and obligations found in complex managed services, transformation and professional services contracts.


• Strong analytical skills, with demonstrable fluency in deal economics, leveraging commercial levers and familiarity with P&L management/ reporting would be an advantage.


• Experience in development of contracting processes / procedures and driving change.


• Proactive problem solver, able to think laterally and work independently using your own initiative, handling and prioritizing multiple activities & engagements.


• Experience in providing guidance and leadership to others.


• Experience in navigating large, complex, matrix management-based organizations.


• Technologically minded, with experience in using and implementing contract management platforms and software.  

Location:  United Kingdom with the occasional requirement to travel/ work away from home

Role designation: Senior Contract Manager, Contract Lifecycle Risk Management