Contracts Administration Paralegal

This is a part-time position at 30 hours/week

Position can be Remote on the East Coast

The Part-Time Contracts Administration Paralegal supports the Legal Department by administering and coordinating the organization's contract lifecycle, including contract intake, routing, review coordination, execution, database management, filing, renewal tracking, and reporting. The position works closely with attorneys and internal stakeholders to ensure contracts are processed efficiently, accurately, and in accordance with established procedures. The position is administrative and operational in nature and is not responsible for providing legal advice, negotiating legal terms, or making legal determinations independently.

Role and Responsibilities

• Working with attorneys on IFAW’s Legal team, assist with development of and maintenance of contract templates, standard operating procedures and resource materials. These materials will be tailored to particular IFAW audiences and will highlight relevant legal compliance issues for particular activities/jurisdictions and will promote compliance with IFAW’s procurement policies.
• Apply established Legal Department procedures to identify contracts that require attorney review and route such agreements accordingly. Develop clear processes (e.g., legal approval stamp) for tracking such review.
• Conduct an administrative review of contracts for completeness, required approvals, use of approved templates, consistency of information, and compliance with contracting procedures before routing to attorneys where legal review is required.
• Provide financial analysis for individual and aggregated contracting activity reports for annual financial planning and special projects as assigned.
• Prepare periodic contract administration reports regarding contract volume, contract status, renewals, expirations, turnaround times, and outstanding matters.
• Establish and administer systems to capture and report on contractual terms to help with institutional oversight and administration, including details on entities, currencies, annual commitments, etc.
• Coordinate contracts from initial request through review, approval, execution, filing, renewal, and expiration.
• Maintain accurate contract data, including parties, contract type, effective dates, expiration dates, renewal terms, responsible department, and status.
• Monitor contract deadlines, renewal periods, expiration dates, and other key contract obligations and provide advance notifications to stakeholders.
• Maintain executed agreements and supporting documentation in accordance with document retention requirements.
• Coordinate electronic signature processes utilizing DocuSign or similar platforms.
• Manage and maintain contract tracking systems, contract databases, and contract-management software.
• Assist with other administrative and legal matters, as needed.

Qualifications and Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field preferred. A Paralegal Certificate from an accredited program is required unless the candidate possesses substantial prior paralegal education or experience.
• 3+ years of experience in contract administration, contract management, legal operations, paralegal work, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience administering agreements throughout the full contract lifecycle.
• Experience working with contract management software, contract databases, DocuSign, and Microsoft Office applications required.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and conflict resolution skills; and ability to perform with high degree of independence.
• Ability to produce effectively while working on several projects simultaneously and with multiple deadlines for completion.
• Experience supporting international or nonprofit organizations is preferred
• Familiarity with consulting agreements, independent contractor agreements, vendor agreements, software licenses, non-disclosure agreements, grant agreements, and other routine organizational contracts.

At IFAW, we aim to create and foster a workforce that reflects and contributes to the diverse, global community in which we work to improve the lives of both animals and people. We are dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion so we actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Hiring rate is $25 - $30 per hour