Contracts Manager, Impact Finance & Markets

The Impact Finance & Markets Division at The Nature Conservancy provides technical and strategic leadership to create transformational impact with the private sector by translating the value of nature and conservation approaches into actionable, science-based strategies that can help solve societal challenges. The Contracts Manager will serve as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for contractual agreements across Impact Finance & Markets (IFM). As part of the IFM operations team, the position will manage the full agreement lifecycle, including intake, pre-contract requirements, drafting, review, approvals, execution, tracking, deliverables, amendments, and close-out. The Contracts Manager will provide responsive guidance to project managers, strengthen consistency and compliance, and improve the systems, tools, and resources used to manage IFM agreements.

This position may be based in any country with an established office in time zones equivalent to U.S. Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific time zones.  The Contracts Manager may work remote, hybrid, or in person.  They will report to the Deputy Director, Impact Finance and Markets.

Relocation assistance and immigration sponsorship are not available for this position.

Please submit a cover letter and resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

If interested in this role apply immediately as we may close the posting at any time.

The Contracts Manager will support IFM’s priorities by developing and implementing an efficient, consistent, and well-controlled money-out and money-in contracts function. They will apply extensive knowledge of TNC policies, procedures, templates, systems, and approval requirements; advise staff on agreement-related questions; identify risks and process gaps; and coordinate with Legal, Finance, Purchasing, Information Security, Records Management, and other subject matter experts. The position will develop guidance and training, maintain reliable records and reporting, and develop and implement practical improvements to workflows, systems, and tools.

The Contracts Manager will obtain and maintain certification as a TNC Certified Contracts Specialist (CSS) and obtain training related to money-in contractual and private grant agreements.  In the event IFM performs work under a public award, the Contract Manager will complete public awards training.  

The Contracts Manager, in partnership with project managers, will coordinate, and as appropriate, draft, review, negotiate, process, execute, amend, renew and close out contractual agreements with external parties. 

The Contracts Manager will serve as IFM’s Business Unit Records Management Coordinator and maintain IFM’s Delegation of Authority records. The Contracts Manager may perform other duties as necessary related to operations. 

They will approach all work with a spirit of collaboration and respect for colleagues and partners across geographies and cultures.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Act independently within broad program goals and under established guidelines to prioritize tasks in the absence of specific instructions and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience to identify and solve problems; 

• Develop and implement new initiatives or the improvement of existing procedures that will ensure business unit and organization-wide goals and strategies are achieved; 

• Ensure programmatic commitments, Conservancy policies and procedures, and legal requirements are met and managed for compliance; Decisions may bind the organization financially or legally; 

• Collaborate with Finance staff on managing private awards; 

• Collaborate, as needed, with Grants Specialists on managing public awards; 

• Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information; 

• Manage projects with several variables - set realistic deadlines, manage a timeline, and ensure accountability; 

• Work across functions, geographies, and organizational levels and adapt guidance to varied contracting contexts.  

• Financial responsibility may include purchasing, processing invoices, and assisting with budget preparation or tracking; 

• May participate in complex negotiations; 

• Must be independent and self-motivated with the ability to participate effectively in a remote team environment. 

• Be willing to work longer hours as needed; and  

• Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain. 

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years' experience or equivalent combination; 

• Previous contracting experience, coursework, or dedicated training; 

• Experience with organizational skills and attention to detail; 

• Experience managing and implementing multiple projects; 

• Experience interpreting guidelines to achieve desired results; 

• Experience with business process analysis and/or improvement; 

• Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading;  

• Experience organizing time and managing diverse activities to meet deadlines;  

• Experience working with cross-functional teams; and 

• Experience handling confidential information. 

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experiences are appreciated; 

• Ability to analyze information for the purpose of preparing reports, coordinating activities, and solving problems; 

• Ability to manage and implement complex processes; 

• Ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results; and/or 

• Experience in supporting Financial and/or Legal processes.  

This position may be based in any country where TNC has an established entity, taking into consideration legal restrictions, such as non-national ratios and immigration processing times. For U.S. based applicants only, the starting pay range for this position is generally within the range of $80,000 – $104,000 for annual base salary and is based on location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA.

For all other applicants, pay ranges will be in local currency, the pay range will be based on the local labor market, and not tied to the above pay range. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment and used to determine your actual pay range. Additionally, for all applicants, actual pay will fall within a range based on a variety of factors including, for example, the candidate’s qualifications, specific skills, and experience.