Contract and Vendor Advisory Specialist (Contract Writer)

Job Title: Contract and Vendor Advisory Specialist (Contract Writer)
Work Arrangement: Fully remote within the United States; core hours Monday to Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern Time
Location: Remote, United States (Eastern Time schedule)
Employment Type: W-2, full time, 40 hours per week
Engagement Type: Contract, approximately six months, anticipated November 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027;
Final Interview: Client interview by video conference

Position Summary

Dhaka Technologies Limited Company is hiring a Contract and Vendor Advisory Specialist on behalf of the client, a state government human services agency. The client is preparing to contract with a system vendor for a multi-year modernization of its child welfare information system. The Specialist is the contract writer and negotiation lead on the client's team: working alongside the client's project manager, business analyst, program subject matter experts, procurement specialists, and legal counsel, the Specialist drafts the vendor contract and service level agreement, leads negotiation sessions with the selected vendor, turns negotiated positions into contract language, and builds the SLA, KPI, performance monitoring, and corrective action structure that will govern the vendor after signing. Contract drafting begins November 1, 2026. The contract is expected to go through the client's independent review and federal partner review in April 2027, with execution targeted for April 30, 2027. This is a full-time, fully remote engagement performed on Eastern Time, and it ends when the contract is signed. This is not a project management role and not a legal counsel role; the client provides both.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft and refine the vendor contract and service level agreement using the client's contract templates, exhibits, and attachments, incorporating direction from the client's legal counsel and procurement specialists.
  
• Lead negotiation sessions with the selected system vendor together with client staff, expected at least weekly and up to daily during active negotiation, and convert each negotiated position into clear, enforceable contract language.
  
• Maintain the contract through its full review cycle: draft completion, client internal reviews, state independent review, federal partner review, final modifications, and routing for signatures.
  
• Deliver a contract plan and schedule covering scope, roles, milestones, risks, communication plan, and required approvals through contract execution.
  
• Define service level agreements, key performance indicators, and a performance monitoring framework tailored to the modernization project, and write them into the contract.
  
• Develop the vendor performance reporting structure and risk mitigation recommendations that the client will deploy after contract signing.
  
• Customize corrective and preventive action plan (CAPAP) templates and provide advisory notes on compliance and risk mitigation.
  
• Identify, log, and help mitigate risks in contract terms, including compliance with state and federal funding requirements.
  
• Facilitate collaboration among program leadership, procurement, the project team, and legal advisors so that contract terms are clear, enforceable, and aligned with program priorities.
  
• Develop guidance for client teams on contract and vendor management practices, including vendor onboarding and offboarding.
  
• Provide weekly progress updates on progress, concerns, and roadblocks; prepare monthly status reports; and deliver a final executive review with recommendations on contract reviews, amendments, and renewals.
  
• Produce all deliverables in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Project, Visio) or Adobe PDF, working in Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, Azure DevOps, and DocuSign on client-provided systems or virtual desktop.
  

Requirements

Required:

• Seven or more years of experience drafting and negotiating information technology or professional services contracts for state or local government, including statements of work, service level agreements, key performance indicators, and performance terms.
  
• Demonstrated experience as the primary author of at least one large system implementation contract (software, SaaS, or systems integration) carried from first draft through negotiation to execution.
  
• Experience leading or co-leading negotiation sessions with vendors and converting negotiated outcomes into contract language.
  
• Experience with contracts subject to federal funding requirements and oversight (for example HHS, ACF, or CMS funded programs), including state independent review or comparable approval processes.
  
• Three professional references, submitted with the application, from engagements within the last five years who can speak specifically to the candidate's contract writing. Applications without three references will not be considered.
  
• Strong written communication, with experience producing executive summaries, contract plans, and status reports for senior government audiences.
  
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Project, Visio), SharePoint, Teams, Azure DevOps, and DocuSign.
  
• Available full time, Monday to Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern Time, from November 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027.
  
• Located in the United States and authorized to work in the United States; work cannot be performed from outside the United States.
  
• No current or prior involvement with any vendor that has bid on, or has an interest in, the client's child welfare system procurement; any potential conflict of interest must be disclosed.
  
• Must sign a client non-disclosure agreement, pass a background check, perform all work on client-provided systems or virtual desktop, and refrain from using AI meeting assistants in client meetings.
  
• Experience with CCWIS, SACWIS, child welfare, Title IV-E, Medicaid, integrated eligibility, or other federally funded human services systems.
  
• PMP or another PMBOK-based credential, an IIBA certification (CBAP or CCBA), or a contract management credential such as CPCM, CFCM, or NIGP-CPP.
  
• Prior work with a state central IT agency, state procurement office, or vendor relationship management unit.
  

How to Apply

Please send your resume and three professional references to talent@dhakatech.us with "Contract and Vendor Advisory Specialist" in the subject line. For each reference, include the name, title, organization, email address, phone number, and the contract work the reference can speak to. References must be from engagements within the last five years and must be able to speak specifically to your contract writing. Applications submitted without three references will not be considered.