Manager of Contracts - Houston

Company Description · About KIPP Texas Public Schools · KIPP Texas Public Schools is a free, public charter school network with more than 45 Pre-K - 12 schools across Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. With over 30 years in Texas, we work together with our famil ...

Job description

Company Description

About KIPP Texas Public Schools

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a free, public charter school network with more than 45 Pre-K - 12 schools across Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. With over 30 years in Texas, we work together with our families and communities to prepare students for college, career, and beyond Our schools provide a high-quality, well-rounded education built on academic success and personal growth, where all students learn and thrive in a productive, safe, and joyful way

As one of the earliest charter networks in Texas—founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018—we hire dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join a Team and Family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in academic success and joy. If you are passionate about joining a mission-driven community that wants every child to "run to school," the KIPP Texas Team and Family is for you

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 278 schools with nearly 16,500 educators and 190,000 students and alumni.

Job Description

The KIPP Texas Finance Team is a high-performing department within our School Support Partners (SSP), comprising Accounting, Business Intelligence (BI), and Financial Planning & Analysis. As a member of the Business Intelligence Team, you aren't just managing data – you are translating it into opportunity. We are a highly agile team dedicated to providing data transparency across our regions. Our mission is to bridge the gap between raw information and mission-aligned action, ensuring that every leader, from the classroom to the C-suite, has the insights they need to advocate for our students (little KIPPsters) and drive organizational excellence.

As the Manager of Contracts, you turn legal agreements into student opportunities, ensuring our schools have the resources they need to thrive by delivering what they need swiftly, safely, and responsibly. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Business Intelligence, you will exercise real authority as a high-impact individual contributor. You won't just move paper; you will leverage AI-enabled tools to triage complexity, mitigate risk, and protect our leaders' time.

Your Impact

• Operational Authority: Own the end-to-end contract lifecycle - review, coordination, and execution - with the autonomy to identify and resolve risks.

• System Innovation: Utilize AI tools to streamline triage and apply rigorous risk standards, ensuring only material issues reach legal or executive review.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Act as the vital link between internal teams, vendors, and outside counsel to drive follow-through and organizational agility.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Contract Intake & Review

• Own the end-to-end contract intake and review process from submission through execution

• Apply established risk criteria to classify contracts as LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH risk

• Use GenAI tools to accelerate initial review and produce clear, concise summaries

• Ensure contracts meet organizational standards prior to approval or signature

Execution & Follow-Up

• Coordinate contract revisions, redlines, and approvals with vendors and internal stakeholders

• Track and follow up on missing items including exhibits, insurance certificates, data protection addenda, and signatures

• Maintain clear timelines and reduce last-minute or incomplete contract submissions

Targeted Legal Coordination

• Escalate contracts for legal review only when defined risk thresholds are met

• Translate legal feedback into plain-English summaries and actionable next steps

• Partner with outside counsel to support efficient, focused reviews

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for contract status, requirements, and next steps

• Push back respectfully but firmly on incomplete or non-compliant submissions

• Provide executives with short, decision-ready summaries rather than legal memos

Process Ownership & Improvement

• Maintain accurate contract tracking, documentation, and status reporting

• Identify opportunities to improve templates, workflows, and review standards

• Support continued improvement of AI-enabled contract review practices

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3+ years of progressive experience in accounting, finance, operations, procurement, compliance, vendor management, or other operational roles involving contract review, risk assessment, or financial oversight.

• Experience translating financial, operational, or compliance requirements into structured review processes.

• Demonstrated experience managing projects end-to-end, including follow-up through execution

• Experience in nonprofit, education, healthcare, or other highly regulated environments preferred

• Prior experience coordinating with legal counsel or contract attorneys preferred

• Background as a contracts specialist, paralegal, procurement analyst, or compliance professional preferred

COMPETENCY AND SKILLS:

• Mission Alignment: Demonstrates strong integrity and a clear commitment to KIPP's mission and values, with a consistent focus on outcomes for students and families.

• Ownership of Team Culture: Contributes to a collaborative, mission-driven team culture by showing care for colleagues, modeling professionalism, and prioritizing people alongside results.

• Creating Clarity in Ambiguous Situations: Effectively navigates ambiguity by defining priorities, aligning stakeholders, and establishing clear processes that support execution and continuous improvement.

• Growth Mindset / Learning Process: Approaches work as a continuous learner; seeks and provides feedback, takes initiative, and supports individual and team development.

• Influence / Communication: Invests in building relationships and leads with both head and heart; communicates clearly and professionally with senior leaders, cross-functional partners, and external vendors. 

• Management of Projects: Manages multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating strong organization, follow-through, accountability, and attention to detail while meeting timelines and standards.

Physical Requirements: 

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The person in this position needs to be able to move about inside and outside the school throughout the workday.

• The candidate is expected to attend conferences, meetings and training sessions both virtually and in person within the Region. 

Additional Requirements:

• Reliable transportation is needed for travel between campuses

• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress.

• Work with frequent interruptions.

Work Environment: 

• Hybrid work - Reports to the Houston central (SSP) office (3 days in office; 2 days work from home)

Travel Requirements: 

• Minimal travel: May travel to other school sites or regional offices for professional learning, meetings and other work related activities (5-10% yearly)

Additional Information

What We Bring to the Table:

● Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage options for employees and their families.

● Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off (PTO) policies.

● Paid family leave.

● Flexible spending account or high-yield HSA.

● Employee assistance programs.

● KIPP also offers the following employee-paid benefits: legal plans, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance and disability insurance.

EEO:

KIPP Texas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP Texas ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Any individual needing assistance in making an application for any opening should contact the Talent Team.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job duties. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

Start Date: Immediate opening

Department: Regional Support and Leadership

Compensation: USD USD yearly