Manager Contracting

Manager Contracting

At Houston Methodist, the Manager Contracting position is responsible for working cross-functionally within the Supply Chain department and with hospital stakeholders to strategically and objectively source and contract for agreed upon materials, goods, services, and equipment in consideration of their total cost of acquisition including financial and other impacts to the hospital. He/she will perform complex financial analyses and research related to supply chain services and make fact-based recommendations to key stakeholders. The position requires a strong ability to communicate and collaborate with various committees, executives, physicians, legal and risk departments, as well as department management and staff. The Manager Contracting is responsible for developing the annual contract work plan in coordination with Value Analysis, and for the content of supply chain contract documents prior to submission to the legal team in coordination with the Contract Administrator. The manager position responsibilities include managing the daily work activities of the work unit/department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence, and efficiency while assisting management in accomplishing strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position provides guidance to staff and is responsible for staffing, budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work-related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also implements training, monitoring, and operations initiatives that secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.

Responsibilities

People Essential Functions:

• Performs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees in the department. Provides development and mentoring of staff. Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover. Develops direct reports to perform these same functions.
• Provides fair and consistent leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem.
• Facilitates and promotes effective team dynamics and team-building strategies within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.
• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.
• Directs activities concerned with contracts for purchase or sale of equipment, materials, products, or services. Disperses work to the group, facilitates work group meetings, and handles prioritization requests with the group from customers. Coordinates the review of contract documents prior to submission to the legal team and monitors contract quality.

Service Essential Functions:

• Plans and organizes day-to-day department operations, schedule, and activities. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.
• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department.
• Develop ongoing relationships and interactions with internal stakeholders and clinicians; understand and serve the needs of the business and source goods, services, and equipment as appropriate. Provide fact-based solutions.
• Guide contracting team efforts to present sourcing recommendations to hospital stakeholders, provide guidance in selecting alternatives, and participate in conversion and implementation efforts.

Quality/Safety Essential Functions:

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines, including infection control principles. Monitors and confirms staff maintain their required credentials that demonstrate competency per accrediting agency or department guidelines as applicable.
• Uses and optimizes information systems to enhance operations; supports entity-specific performance improvement and data management/analysis functions.
• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, reporting accidents, near misses, and/or adverse events immediately per department protocol and identifying solutions via collaboration. Adopts lean principles in driving process improvements. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.
• Monitors self and employee compliance with policies, procedures, and System HR Standards of Practice and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).
• Monitors, measures, and influences supplier performance and service level. Meets with customer base to ensure the highest level of customer service and develops plan to continually upgrade service levels.

Finance Essential Functions:

• Assists in the development of department budget and ensures that the department operates in a cost-effective manner. Manages/audits department expenses within approved budget parameters, ensuring that the department meets the budgeted/flex revenue and/or expense targets on a monthly and annual basis. Develops staffing plans and schedules to meet department/patient needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.
• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, developing others to do the same, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.
• Reviews contracts to identify savings opportunities and mentor team to support efforts to negotiate pricing with favorable terms and conditions, monitor liability issues, and ensure signature levels are within Houston Methodist guidelines.

Growth/Innovation Essential Functions:

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department operations or other department-specific measures by leading unit projects and/or other department/system directed/shared governance activities. Supports change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Proactively evaluates processes; recommends and implements action plan(s) for change; follows through to ensure effective, sustainable change. Participates in the development and implementation of new procedures and the review and revision of existing procedures.
• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals.
• Seeks opportunities to identify developmental needs of self and staff and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates My Development Plan (MDP) on an ongoing basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain business or related field.

Work Experience:

• Seven years of experience in contracting and supply chain of which three years must have been in a people management role; for internal employees seven years in contracting and supply chain with HM performance that demonstrates leadership responsibility.

License/Certification

Licenses and Certifications - Required:

• N/A

Licenses and Certifications - Preferred:

• CPCM - Certified Professional Contract Manager (NCMA) OR
• CTCM - Certified Texas Contract Manager - State Comptroller Certified OR
• CTCD - Certified Texas Contract Developer - State Comptroller Certified

KSA/Supplemental Data

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations.
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.
• Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels with patients, physicians, family members, and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles; engages the recipient(s) and helps them understand and retain the message.
• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization.
• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or