Director, Client Contract Services

Director, Client Contract Services - Office with Flex - Dublin, Ireland

ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development.

Overview:

The Director, Client Contract Services is responsible for leading a team in the development, negotiation, and management of contracts and change orders, ensuring compliance with company standards and driving process improvements. This role is aligned primarily to our Lab business and requires strong commercial awareness, strategic relationship-building, and the ability to innovate and lead change within the organization.

What you will be doing:

Contract & Change Order Management

• Contract & Change Order Oversight: Manage all contracts and change orders issued by the team, and prioritizing to drive towards quarterly targets.
• Compliance: Ensure all activities adhere to Client Contract Services SOPs, processes, guidelines, and policies and address any quality concerns.
• Negotiations: Lead complex negotiations with key clients, applying strong commercial awareness.
• Reporting & Troubleshooting: Report contract status and potential issues to senior management and proactively troubleshoot to develop balanced solutions.
• Budget Review: Critically review and challenge project team budget changes to ensure they are justified.
• Legal Interpretation: Interpret legal language in contractual documents to support sound decision-making.
• Workload Management: Prioritize and manage team workload to meet business needs and timelines.
• Payment Schedules: Support the team in developing cash-neutral payment schedules.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement solutions to enhance efficiency, client satisfaction, and employee engagement.

Relationship Building

• Collaborate with other CCS directors to solve problems and develop the team.
• Engage positively with VPs, directors, and the wider ICON management community.
• Expand relationships with key clients and drive new business.
• Work closely with project teams, sales, proposals, finance, project analysis, and senior management.
• Take a strategic approach to client relationships, driving change for improved satisfaction and efficiency.

Communication

• Lead discussions and negotiations with ICON Legal and Sales Teams on contract terms.
• Support the team in client negotiations regarding contracts and budgets.
• Provide recommendations for negotiations and discussions with clients.
• Organize and manage internal and client meetings related to contracts and change orders.
• Liaise with the VP on escalated issues.
• Conduct department meetings to communicate updates and translate company strategy into team targets.

Process Improvement

• Foster a culture of process improvement focused on streamlining operations and adding business value.
• Assess, implement, and drive process improvements.
• Lead taskforce initiatives and recommend innovations for efficiency.

Training & Development

• Prepare and deliver presentations for internal and client audiences.
• Recommend training for the wider team.
• Mentor, train, and develop direct reports, providing feedback to the VP.
• Identify and address professional growth areas for team members.

Other Duties

• Willingness to travel (< 5%).
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Your profile:

• Proven experience in contract management and negotiation.
• Strong commercial awareness and strategic thinking.
• Ability to interpret legal documents and complex agreements.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience in process improvement and change management.
• Proficiency in Excel, Salesforce and project tracking tools.
• Commitment to quality, efficiency, and client satisfaction.
• Ability to mentor and develop team members.

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What ICON can offer you:
Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our benefits examples include:

• Various annual leave entitlements
• A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
• Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
• Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.
• Life assurance
• Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

Visit our careers site to read more about the benefits ICON offers.

At ICON, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know or submit a request here

Interested in the role, but unsure if you meet all of the requirements? We would encourage you to apply regardless – there’s every chance you’re exactly what we’re looking for here at ICON whether it is for this or other roles.

Are you a current ICON Employee? Please click here to apply