In many professions, it seems that job descriptions have been firmly in place for years – dentist, taxi driver, waiter. But in the world of contracting, the role of “Contract Manager” seems to be still evolving. In the classroom training sesisons that I have conducted during the past year, I will frequently ask those in the audience what their roles are. Many will respond, “attorney”, “negotiator”, “sales manager”, or “sourcing manager”. When I probe further, by asking the respondants to be more specific, I usually receive pretty consistent answers.
However, when someone responds that they are a “contracts manager” or “contracting manager”, the elaboration becomes quite varied. Some individuals appear to focus on the contract document, some focus on the commercial relationship that is governed by the contract document, and yet others seem to focus on the contracting process.
Why is there such diversity in the answers?
I invite you to define, if you are a “Contracts Manager”, what that role entails.
