Contract Operations Specialist

Schellman is a Top 50 CPA firm and a leading provider of attestation and compliance services. Our professional services focus on security and privacy audits, assessments, and certifications. Schellman has become one of the largest cybersecurity assessment firms in the United States without providing any traditional accounting services. We are an accredited multi-framework ISO Certification Body for security, privacy, business continuity, and quality; a globally licensed PCI Qualified Security Assessor and a top provider to clients serving the federal DoD space as a leading FedRAMP 3PAO and the first assessment firm authorized as a CMMC C3PAO. Our specialty and expertise remain in providing best in class Cybersecurity and IT Audits and Attestations. Our culture, approach with clients, and dedication to our values has led us to consistently be a Great Places to Work certified company and rated as a Best Firms to Work For by Accounting Today and a Glassdoor Best Places to Work. We deeply appreciate our employees, as shown by our first core value – People Come First. This is demonstrated in our culture, benefits, and how we handle business. Come see what makes Schellman special! The Contract Operations Specialist plays a key role in supporting the drafting and execution of client contracts through Ironclad, Schellman's contract lifecycle management system. This role is responsible for maintaining Ironclad contract templates, managing active workflows, and ensuring contracts move efficiently through the full contracting cycle. The Contract Operations Specialist works closely with service delivery, sales, and internal teams to facilitate a streamlined and compliant contracting process. This includes managing contracts such as Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs), Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Engagement Letters, and Amendments through the drafting, negotiation, and execution process. As Ironclad becomes fully adopted across the organization, this role will serve as an Ironclad super user — building and updating workflows, monitoring contract progress against SLAs, and proactively following up when contracts are stalled. The Contract Operations Specialist will also partner with service delivery and internal teams to identify and develop efficiencies that expedite the contract lifecycle and automate data across systems where possible. Essential Functions Ironclad Administration & Contract Management: Serve as an Ironclad super user; build, maintain, and update contract workflows and templates as needed to reflect current terms, services, and clauses. Support continued adoption of Ironclad across internal teams, providing guidance and training as needed. Monitor contract progress within Ironclad to ensure each contract is advancing through the cycle in alignment with established SLAs; proactively follow up when contracts appear stalled. Recognize and develop efficiencies within Ironclad and related processes to expedite the overall contract lifecycle. Work closely with service delivery and internal teams to automate data across systems where possible, reducing manual handoffs. Contract Development: Assist in drafting NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, Job Arrangement Letters (JALs), and amendments. Monitor contract terms and deviations from standard templates to maintain compliance. Track and monitor the contract lifecycle from drafting to execution, identifying process inefficiencies. Process & System Optimization: Maintain and optimize Ironclad as the organization's contract management system, ensuring workflows and content remain current and accurate. Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure contract execution efficiency. Collaborate with internal stakeholders (sales, service delivery, finance, compliance and legal) to enhance contract workflows. Collaborate with the technology team to support integrations between Ironclad and existing internal systems, contributing to requirements gathering and testing to reduce manual data entry and automate data flow across platforms. Data & Compliance Management: Ensure accuracy of required contract metrics across CRM tools such as HubSpot or Salesforce Track and analyze contract lifecycle metrics, including time to execution, number of revisions, and deal consistency. Provide insights into contract cycle performance to support process improvements and inform operational decision-making. Client & Internal Stakeholder Coordination: Work closely with sales, business development, and service delivery teams to optimize deal execution. Support contract negotiations and compliance reviews with client contacts, internal and external legal and procurement teams Coordinate with the contracts team post-execution to ensure complete and accurate data transfer for invoicing. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Strong understanding of contract lifecycle management, contract terms, and professional services agreements. Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms; Ironclad experience strongly preferred. Familiarity with CRM tools such as HubSpot is a plus. Knowledge of professional services agreements and compliance standards, especially within accounting, consulting, or cybersecurity industries. Analytical skills to interpret contract terms, identify deviations, and track lifecycle metrics. Ability to work collaboratively across teams, including sales, legal, compliance, and finance. Exceptional organizational and project management skills to track multiple contracts in progress. Strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in contract content, terms, and data. Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with competing priorities. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and contract management tools, including Ironclad or similar CLM platforms. Education, Work Experience, and Certifications Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Law, or a related field. 2+ years of experience in contract administration, contract operations, or professional services operations. Experience with contract lifecycle management systems and workflow automation is highly desirable. Prior experience working in accounting, consulting, or a Big 4 firm is a plus. Schellman is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace; therefore, providing equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected basis, including arrest and conviction records, in accordance with applicable law. Schellman uses E-Verify in our hiring process. At Schellman, we strive to provide a flexible and balanced environment and therefore offer the opportunity to work remotely, unless otherwise stated in the job requirements. Connecting, collaborating and continuous education are also highly valued and therefore we require some travel annually for our Internal Service Delivery roles, which can include in-person training, team meet-ups, and strategy meetings. Service Delivery team members will also be required to travel based on business and client needs. Schellman is the only Top 100 CPA firm to specialize in IT Audit and Cybersecurity. Not all CPA firms are created equally, and we pride ourselves on our differences, including promotions only from within, the ability to contribute and be heard, and most importantly, great work-life balance. The biggest difference? We don't perform any remediation or consulting. Our pace is fast and therefore, we are not the best fit for everyone. As we continue to be named one of the fastest-growing CPA firms, we are adding to our teams and currently conducting interviews. If you've always thought of yourself as someone who sets themselves apart from the crowd, as someone who likes to be visible, have their contributions noted, moves quickly and likes the feeling of completion, you're the exact type of candidate we're searching for.