Procurement and Contract Specialist

Description We are looking for a Procurement and Contract Specialist to support contract and procurement operations for a higher education organization in Newark, New Jersey. This Long-term Contract position is ideal for someone who can manage a high volume of agreements, communicate effectively with senior stakeholders, and maintain accuracy in a fast-paced administrative environment. The role focuses on contract administration, vendor and specialized services agreements, and day-to-day coordination within Workday and related procurement processes.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the full lifecycle of contracts, from intake and review through processing, execution, and ongoing administration.

• Coordinate a large volume of agreements each month, ensuring timely handling of construction, engineering, and specialized services contracts.

• Use Workday and other procurement systems to route, track, and maintain contract records with a high level of accuracy.

• Partner with senior leadership, internal departments, and external vendors to move agreements forward and resolve contract-related questions.

• Support procurement operations by reducing administrative burden, organizing documentation, and keeping activities on schedule.

• Monitor contract timelines, renewals, and approvals to help maintain compliance with internal standards and business requirements.

• Communicate contract terms, status updates, and next steps clearly in both verbal and written interactions.

• Handle sensitive information with discretion while maintaining strong attention to detail across all contract activities. Requirements • Experience in procurement, contract administration, or a closely related function.

• Working knowledge of contract terms and the ability to review and manage agreements confidently.

• Familiarity with Workday or similar enterprise systems used for contract intake, tracking, and processing.

• Ability to manage high-volume workloads while staying organized and meeting deadlines.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to present information clearly to managers and stakeholders.

• Experience supporting purchase orders, buying processes, and broader procurement functions.

• Understanding of confidentiality expectations and sound judgment when handling sensitive documents.

• Background working with vendor, consulting services, construction, or engineering contracts is preferred.

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.

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All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information.

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