Contracts Specialist

Title: Contracts Specialist

Location: Central Office and Training Center

The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) is a nationally recognized urban school district that serves approximately 22,000 students, and 60+ different languages are spoken in the homes of our students. KCKPS is home to Sumner Academy, the #6 highest rated High School in the Nation and #1 High School in Kansas according to the US News rankings.

With Head Start/preschools, 28 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 5 college and career academies/high schools, we are the fifth largest district in the state of Kansas, and our student population is approximately 56% Hispanic, 24% African American, 9% White, and 6% Asian. To serve our students, the district employs approximately 4,000 employees, including more than 1,800 teachers.

Job Goal

The Contracts Specialist is responsible for districtwide contract administration and related procurement support for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. This position manages the full contract lifecycle for a wide range of agreements, including professional services, software, technology, maintenance, facilities, consulting, cooperative purchasing, revenue-generating, and other operational contracts.

The Contracts Specialist drafts, reviews, redlines, negotiates, routes, tracks, and maintains contracts and related documents to ensure agreements are accurate, complete, timely, and compliant with district procedures, funding requirements, and applicable laws and regulations. The position also administers the district's contract management system, maintains standard templates and workflows, and supports schools and departments in the proper submission and administration of contracts.

In addition, the Contracts Specialist manages the district's vendor performance score card process by coordinating evaluations, tracking vendor performance metrics, maintaining documentation of service quality and compliance, and preparing reports to support renewals, corrective action, and future procurement decisions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Contract Administration

• Draft, review, revise, redline, and coordinate execution of contracts, amendments, renewals, extensions, addenda, memoranda of understanding, and related documents.
• Manage the full contract lifecycle from intake through execution, implementation, renewal, closeout, and record retention.
• Review contract requests for completeness, scope, deliverables, pricing, term dates, renewal provisions, termination language, insurance requirements, indemnification, confidentiality, data privacy, and other required business terms.
• Ensure contracts are aligned with district policy, purchasing procedures, funding restrictions, approval thresholds, and internal control requirements.
• Coordinate contract routing and approvals with Finance, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, department administrators, school leaders, and legal counsel as needed.
• Confirm that required approvals, contract execution, and purchase order requirements are completed before services begin or goods are ordered.
• Track key contract dates and obligations, including expiration dates, renewal windows, notice periods, insurance certificates, deliverables, service commitments, and vendor compliance requirements.
• Monitor contract compliance and follow up on missing documents, performance issues, payment questions, or contract administration concerns.
• Maintain accurate, organized, and audit-ready contract files in accordance with district procedures and records retention requirements.

Contract Management System Administration

• Administer the district's contract lifecycle management system, including ContractNow by Gatekeeper.
• Maintain contract metadata, templates, clause libraries, approval workflows, renewal alerts, repository organization, and reporting functions within the system.
• Support process improvements, data cleanup, migration, and implementation efforts if the district uses or transitions to CobbleStone or another approved contract management platform.
• Develop and maintain contract intake forms, routing checklists, standard templates, playbooks, and user guidance materials to improve consistency and turnaround time.
• Troubleshoot workflow issues, monitor system use, and support departments and schools in following district contract submission procedures.

Vendor Performance Score Card Management

• Develop, maintain, and administer a districtwide vendor performance scorecard evaluation process for contracted vendors and service providers.
• Coordinate collection of vendor performance feedback from schools, departments, and program leaders using established evaluation criteria.
• Monitor vendor performance against contract requirements, service expectations, delivery timelines, responsiveness, quality standards, invoicing accuracy, and compliance obligations.
• Prepare vendor performance summaries, scorecards, dashboards, and trend reports for Finance, Purchasing, and district leadership.
• Facilitate periodic vendor performance review cycles and maintain documentation of findings, concerns, and follow-up actions.
• Recommend corrective action plans, contract remedies, renewal decisions, or non-renewal actions based on documented vendor performance results.
• Ensure vendor performance data is maintained in the contract management system and is available to support sourcing, contract renewal, and procurement planning decisions.

Procurement and Cross-Functional Support

• Partner with Purchasing on contracts resulting from invitations for bid, requests for proposal, requests for quote, cooperative purchasing agreements, and professional service engagements.
• Research and interpret contract terms, district procedures, procurement requirements, and related administrative rules.
• Prepare recommendations regarding contract risk, vendor performance, compliance, and operational impact.
• Assist in developing and improving district procedures, internal controls, and documentation standards related to contracting and vendor management.
• Provide training and technical assistance to school and department staff regarding contract request procedures, workflow expectations, required documentation, and contract system use.
• Support special projects, audits, reporting needs, and other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate's degree in business administration, public administration, finance, procurement, legal studies, contract management, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.
• Minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in contract administration, procurement, purchasing, finance, legal support, or a closely related field.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, redlining, and coordinating execution of contracts and related documents.
• Experience using a contract lifecycle management system such as ContractNow by Gatekeeper, CobbleStone, or a similar platform.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, or Gmail, and shared document systems.
• Strong written communication, organization, and analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a public school district, higher education institution, municipality, county government, or other public-sector environment.
• Experience supporting public procurement processes, including bids, proposals, quotes, and professional services agreements.
• Experience with vendor performance management, score cards, service-level reviews, or supplier relationship management.
• Experience creating reports, dashboards, or KPIs related to contract administration, vendor performance, or compliance.
• Experience working with legal counsel, Accounts Payable, Finance, and Purchasing on contract review and administration.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of contract administration principles, business terms, standard clauses, and contract lifecycle management practices.
• Knowledge of public purchasing methods and the relationship between solicitations, contracts, purchase orders, and payment controls.
• Knowledge of vendor performance management, scorecard methodology, compliance monitoring, and service-level expectations.
• Ability to read and interpret scopes of work, pricing structures, insurance language, vendor exceptions, renewal terms, and legal or operational risk factors.
• Ability to analyze vendor performance objectively using documented standards and measurable criteria.
• Ability to manage multiple contracts, deadlines, review cycles, and priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to prepare clear, accurate, and professional correspondence, reports, procedures, and contract documents.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive district information.
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships with principals, department leaders, vendors, Finance staff, Purchasing staff, and legal counsel.
• Ability to explain procedures and requirements clearly to staff with varying levels of contract or procurement experience.
• Ability to work independently, manage detail-oriented work, and follow through on assignments with minimal supervision.

Core Working Relationships

This position works closely with:

• Finance leadership
• Purchasing staff
• Accounts Payable
• School administrators and department leaders
• Program managers and requestors
• Legal counsel
• Vendors and service providers

Working Conditions / Physical Requirements

• Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment.
• Requires frequent computer use, document review, data entry, and participation in virtual or in-person meetings.
• Requires the ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and in writing.
• May require occasional lifting, carrying, or moving of files and materials up to 20 pounds.
• May require occasional travel to district locations (local) for meetings, trainings, or support.

Performance Expectations

Success in this position will be measured by:

• Timely review, routing, and execution of contracts
• Accurate maintenance of the district contract repository and contract management system
• Reduction in incomplete or noncompliant contract submissions
• Timely tracking of renewals, expirations, notices, and required documentation
• Effective administration of a consistent vendor performance scorecard process
• Completion of vendor evaluations and reporting within established timelines
• Use of scorecard results to support renewal, corrective action, and future procurement decisions
• Strong internal customer service to schools, departments, and district leadership
• Maintenance of audit-ready contract and vendor performance documentation

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 261 days

SALARY: Level 18

Classified Salary Schedule

https://www.kckschools.org/hr/classified-salary-schedule-work-page

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

REPORT TO: Director of Purchasing or designee

EVALUATION: Performance of this position will be evaluated in accordance with Board of Education policy.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. The individual holding this position performs additional duties and additional duties may be assigned.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KCKPS is an equal opportunity employer and shall not discriminate in its employment practices and policies with respect to hiring, compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of an individual's race, color, religion, sex/gender (to include orientation, identity, or expression), age, disability, national origin, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law.

For more information regarding Title IX please contact:

District Compliance Coordinator

2010 N. 59th Street

Kansas City, KS 66104

913-279-2262

Title IX@kckps.org