Division and Unit Overview
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific membership association, with a mission to “advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people”.
ACS Publications is a Division of the ACS and has all the characteristics of a medium-large scientific and technical publishing organization. It is one of two Divisions charged with serving the dual function of generating a reliable annual surplus to support the Society’s programmatic activities, while also fulfilling a core goal of the Society in advancing knowledge in the field of chemistry and the chemical enterprise. The Division publishes 75+ high-quality peer-reviewed journals covering the breadth of chemistry and allied fields, as well as numerous other high-quality products and services of benefit to the global community.
The Division has US-based facilities in Washington, D.C. and Columbus OH, as well as worldwide operations in a growing number of international locations under ACS International, Ltd. (ACSI) including but not limited to the UK, Singapore, China, and India.
Position Summary
The Contracts Analyst position reports to the Manager, Contracts up through the office of the Senior Director, Sales Operations to support the work of the ACS Publications Global Sales and Sales Operations Teams. Primary responsibility is for contributing to activities including reviewing, revising, and advising on all License agreements and related documentation associated with the Publications Sales Contracts. The position is responsible for assist with negotiations between Legal, Sr. Sales Management and academic, industrial, and government customers worldwide to ensure that all contractual agreements sufficiently protect ACS and comply with all established policies and procedures.
Specific Accountabilities are as follows:
Serves as a Point of Contact (POC) representing the Global Sales Team for the review, negotiation, and administration of all contracts, subcontracts, and contract modifications. Analyzes contract requirements, special provisions, terms and conditions to ensure compliance with appropriate laws and regulations. Ensures that all contracts are prepared, executed and retained in accordance with ACS policies and procedures. Represents ACS Publications on customer facing calls to support sales and sales management as non-financial terms are reviewed and potentially revised. Is an informed and responsive POC for ACS Publications customers to negotiate/resolve disputed contract terms and conditions. Demonstrates a standard of care with clients that serves to improve customer relations when resolving these conflicts. Contributes to initiatives related to the tracking, monitoring and reporting of information associated with all sales contracts/licenses. This includes document review, contract audit and information gathering for management. Stays abreast of industry trends with respect to contract administration. Leverages learning to recommend adjustments to ACS Sales’ process and approach. Ensures Global Sales Team members are kept informed and aligned with changes and policies related to licensing and product usage terms and conditions. Participates in knowledge exchanges with CAS contracts, legal, and sales staff with an eye toward continuous improvement.Required Education & Skills:
Bachelor’s Degree required. Law or other relevant graduate degree, or specific or equivalent experience are preferred. A Certificate of Contract Management (CCM) is also of value. Practical knowledge of contract administration standards. Fundamental understanding of legal matters within the scientific publishing industry, such as content licensing including copyright and intellectual property law in particular. Strong writing skills, knowledge of grammar, and critical analytical skills. Excellent time-management skills. This position demands a highly effective multi-tasker with the ability to handle numerous client and contract assignments concurrently while independently applying judgment to prioritize (and continuously re-prioritize) tasks. Strong influencing and relationship-building competencies in order to drive work to conclusion without detriment to turnaround time or cost. Must have both the skill and confidence to negotiate solutions with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Must have the knowledge, insight, experience, and creativity to design complex legal and copyright terms on a global scale that are in the short- and long-term interests of ACS. An affinity for working in a highly collaborative team environment. Personality and work style that fosters collaboration and builds trust. Proficiency in standard technology tools with comfort and curiosity to engage as a continuous learner to adapt to system additions and changes. 5 years of professional work experience with at least 3 years in a licensing contracts administration role requiring a high level of independence, accountability, and responsibility for analyzing and acting. Experience in publishing, scientific publishing, or a related industry is preferred.