High-Requirement Contract Specialist

Description

Position Summary

The High-Requirement Contract Specialist manages and executes complex, non-standard customer contracts from RFQ review through order acceptance, supplier coordination, fulfillment, required deliverables and invoicing. This role combines established Inside Sales quoting, customer communication and order-management functions with advanced contract review, compliance coordination, risk management and cross-departmental execution. The primary focus is accurate and timely fulfillment of contractual obligations rather than prospecting and cold calling. The Specialist independently coordinates assigned contracts, escalates decisions requiring approval and supports peer training and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Core Sales Support & Order Management Responsibilities

· Create, enter, review and manage customer quotations, sales orders and purchasing requests throughout the sales cycle.

· Use ERP, CRM and reporting tools to maintain accurate transactions, track open quotes and orders, and report contract and sales-support activity.

· Respond promptly to RFQs, provide clear and accurate quotations, follow up on open requirements and maintain professional customer relationships.

· Coordinate with Account Management, Purchasing, Quality, Operations and leadership to meet customer requirements.

· Support replacement-equipment and service quotations, including customer requests arising from rejected calibration assets, without a primary responsibility for new-business prospecting.

· Investigate customer concerns, communicate resolutions and help prevent recurrence.

Contract intake and review

· Identify high-requirement or non-standard RFQs and route them for appropriate contract, technical or Quality review.

· Apply applicable contract review checklists; confirm part numbers, revisions, specifications, appendices, coded notes, quantities and special conditions.

· Acknowledge RFQs and maintain a tracker for quotation due dates, open questions and required approvals.

Flow-downs and order accuracy

· Identify and document supplier and internal flow-down requirements, including inspection, traceability, counterfeit prevention, rated orders, hazardous material and special freight instructions where applicable.

· Compare incoming purchase orders/contracts with accepted quotes and original RFQs; elevate discrepancies before acceptance.

· Record clear ERP order and line notes, job references, customer-specific identifiers, QA flags and special handling instructions; coordinate confirmation of required quality settings.

Execution and communication

· Maintain a contract milestone log covering quote deadlines, supplier acknowledgments, expected delivery, customer delivery commitments, shipment requirements and invoicing deadlines.

· Communicate nonstandard deliverables (such as certificates, inspection records, test reports or other contract-required documentation) to responsible departments and verify ownership.

· Coordinate with Purchasing, Quality, Shipping/Receiving, Operations and Finance to confirm special shipping notes, third-party freight accounts, documentation packages and billing instructions.

· Monitor order status, document changes, notify customers as required and escalate potential missed deadlines.

Complex Contract Execution & Coordination

· Independently coordinate assigned high-risk or multi-stage contracts from RFQ through fulfillment and billing, while maintaining assigned sales support and order-management responsibilities.

· Lead cross-functional reviews of conflicting or ambiguous technical, commercial, quality and schedule requirements; obtain documented decisions from authorized owners.

· Assess changes in specification effectivity, revisions, coded notes, appendices, quantities and delivery terms and ensure affected departments and suppliers receive updated instructions.

Compliance and risk management

· Validate completeness and consistency of contract review records and flow-down packages before release, using required peer/Quality review when applicable.

· Proactively identify schedule, supplier, documentation, shipping and invoice risks; maintain mitigation actions, owners and escalation dates.

· Coordinate recovery plans for delayed material, special inspections, customer-required documentation and delivery changes without bypassing approval authority.

Cross-Departmental Coordination & Process Improvement

· Serve as a primary coordination point for complex contract milestone reviews involving Sales, Purchasing, Quality, Operations, Shipping and Finance.

· Monitor critical quote, delivery and invoicing commitments through exception reporting and communicate risks to management early.

· Coach and support colleagues on checklist quality, ERP coded notes, flow-down communication and contract documentation; support peer reviews.

· Recommend improvements to work instructions, contract trackers, handoff standards and recurring error-prevention controls.

Education, Experience & Knowledge

· Associate degree in a business or technical field, or equivalent relevant experience; bachelor’s degree preferred.

· Demonstrated experience executing complex or high-requirement contracts; proficiency and contract complexity handled are more important than tenure alone.

· Advanced knowledge of contract reviews, supplier flow-downs, quality documentation, ERP controls, supply chain dependencies and exception management.

· Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple departments, coach peers and communicate contract risks to management.

Performance Expectations

· Consistent independent ownership of complex contract milestones with early risk identification and escalation.

· High quality of reviewed contract records, flow-downs and departmental handoffs with reduced rework.

· Documented resolution and closure of exceptions, changes and competing deadlines.

· Effective mentoring, peer-review support and measurable contributions to process improvement.

Performance measures and targets are established by management, considering contract complexity, assigned workload, applicable procedures and customer commitments.

Authority & Compliance

This position coordinates and documents contract requirements but does not independently waive customer terms, technical specifications, quality controls, restricted-information safeguards or contractual obligations. Questions, discrepancies and proposed deviations must be elevated to authorized reviewers before acceptance or release. Follow applicable work instructions and approved quality procedures.

Working Conditions & General Requirements

Professional office environment with regular use of computers, telephone, ERP and business software. Occasional travel or training may be required. Employees must follow applicable safety, information-security and equal-employment policies. Other related duties may be assigned consistent with business needs.