Senior Contract Attorney

Description:

Duties & Responsibilities:
Purpose of Position:
Under the direction of the Chief Contract Officer, provides legal review guidance on procurement contracts, supply chain agreements, vendor negotiations and contract service level agreements ensuring compliance with federal and state laws.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advises the Chief Contract Officer on procurement-related contract matters and risk management strategies. Supports health care leadership in negotiating high-value procurement deals, capital equipment acquisitions, and strategic partnerships; works closely with appropriate departments (e.g., Pharmacy, Supply Chain, EITS) to ensure compliance with applicable legal standards and internal policies.
• Leads the drafting, review and negotiation of procurement contracts, vendor agreements, master services agreements, software licenses and IT agreements that include complex implementations, Protected Health Information (PHI) and cloud services.
• Ensures contracts contain appropriate terms and conditions regarding pricing, warranties, liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution. Collaborates with procurement, finance, and operations teams to efficiently and cost effectively facilitate the procurement process and align contract terms with business objectives to ensure favorable terms for the System.
• Identifies potential legal and financial risks associated with procurement transactions; collaborates and escalates with necessary stakeholders to optimize contract terms and develop risk mitigation strategies.
• Conducts training for procurement and contract teams on contract management, compliance obligations, and risk mitigation under the guidance of the Chief Contract Officer.
• Handles vendor disputes, contract breaches; and escalates procurement-related litigation to the H+H Office of the General Counsel.
• Works with the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) to help establish standard contract templates and procedures to streamline the procurement process while maintaining legal protections and ensuring consistency; drafts, reviews, and revises relevant material.
• Provides strategic and contractual advice to senior leadership and other business partners on a wide-variety of contractual matters.
• Assists the Chief Procurement Officer by drafting materials, presentations, and completing necessary research to achieve institutional deliverables.
• Works in collaboration with NYC H+H leadership and internal stakeholders to effectively communicate and manage priorities at all levels of the system.
• Reviews supply chain Board level documentation, including all materials (e.g., contracts, policies) to be presented to the Board for matters under Supply Chain purview.
• Responsible for managing a team of contract attorney(s) and performing other administrative roles.
• Monitors and interprets evolving legal and regulatory requirements affecting healthcare procurement, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines. Implements procurement policies that comply with health care setting accreditation standards and other industry best practices.
• Performs other related duties, as required.

Minimum Qualifications:
Admission and active membership to the New York State Bar; and

Six (6) years of experience in drafting and negotiating contracts subsequent to admission to the Bar, in New York State or those jurisdictions that have reciprocity with New York State, three (3) years of which must have been progressively responsible or supervisory experience. The following jurisdictions have reciprocity with New York State: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Department Preferences

• Supply Chain management
• Healthcare regulations
• Vendor negotiations
• NY State/City Labor Laws
• CMS Regulations
• Anti-kickback laws
• FOIL
• Public Procurement methods
• Vendor diversity requirements
• In-house legal experience
• Specialized knowledge and experience with commercial contracting in a healthcare environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills

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