Contract Commercial Lead

Cognizant's commercial contracts are an integral component of client relationships. Ideally, contracts reflect a shared understanding of the value Cognizant delivers to clients as well as serving as a blueprint for delivery success and protecting the company against commercial and legal risks. The objective of the CLRM program is to help ensure Cognizant's client contracts embody these aims, supporting all verticals and business units across the organization with the objective to improve financial/ operational performance and minimize/ mitigate risk at each stage of the contract lifecycle (contract creation, execution, and analysis).

Summary of Role
In this client-facing role, we are looking for an experienced Senior Contract Commercial 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 includes being responsible for a BU portfolio and may include supervising and growing a small team of offshore or locally based contract managers.
Reporting into the global Contract Lifecycle Risk Management (CLRM) function, the individual will leverage his or her extensive contracting experience gained in respect of complex IT services contracts to promote and help apply contract commercial management best practices in a pragmatic way to all aspects of Cognizant's relationship with the client, from proposal stage, through SOW negotiation, service delivery & completion.
We are looking for confident and intellectually curious people to join the team. To succeed here, the individual needs to be a self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset who is willing to try new ways of doing things, initiate and drive outcomes taking responsibility and accountability. The individual will be comfortable relying on his or her experience and judgment to navigate ambiguity and adapt to changing circumstances. A savvy communicator with great people skills, he or she is 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.

Key Responsibilities:
• Proactively 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, commercial issues and escalations and lead coordinating inputs from internal stakeholders and client closure.
• Chair and/or facilitate contract related governance meetings with the client's business stakeholders and sourcing / procurement team and oversee creation of contractual reporting to the client.
• 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.
• Lead and 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, collaborating cross functionally.
• Raise contract awareness and commercial acumen within the sales/ delivery team, including creation of guidance, templates and other materials on contract commercial mgmt 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 offshore CLRM support and may lead and grow a team of contract managers on other engagements.

Core capabilities:
• Deep practical experience of contract management in the IT and/or business services market for Singapore Public Sector client base with a detailed understanding of key legal/ commercial principles and obligations found in complex managed services, transformation and professional services contracts.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with strong executive presence capabilities. Ability to read, write in Chinese language is an advantage
• 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.
• Strong analytical skills, with demonstrable fluency in deal economics, leveraging commercial levers. Familiarity with P&L management/ reporting would be an advantage.
• Technologically minded, with experience in using and implementing contract management platforms, and in development of contracting processes/procedures and driving change.
• Proactive problem identifier & 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, and navigating [virtually] in a large, complex, multi-location & time-zone, matrix management-based organization.

Required Qualifications:
• Minimum Bachelor's degree (Post Grad in Business, Commerce, Management, Law or Finance an advantage)
• Minimum 12+ years of experience in the IT Services Industry (Infrastructure, Applications, and BPO)
• Minimum 3+ years of leadership / team management
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills, and commercial awareness

Employee Status : Full Time Employee

Shift : Day Job

Travel : No

Job Posting : Jan 16 2023

About Cognizant
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 185 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com or follow us @Cognizant.