Contracts Attorney - 00209155

The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) is one of Georgia's four health agencies serving the state's growing population of over 10 million people. DCH serves as the lead agency for Medicaid, oversees the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) and Healthcare Facility Regulation, impacting one in four Georgians.

Through effective planning, purchasing and oversight, DCH provides access to affordable, quality health care to millions of Georgians, including some of the state's most vulnerable and under-served populations. Six enterprise offices support the work of the agency’s three program divisions. DCH employees are based in Atlanta, Cordele and across the state. 

DCH is committed to providing superior Customer Service and Communication, embracing Teamwork and fostering Accountability to ensure that our internal and external customers and stakeholders feel included, respected, engaged and secure.  

JOB SUMMARY:

Under supervision, primarily drafts, reviews, and negotiates contracts, amendments, license agreements, subscription-based information technology and/or cloud-computing arrangements (i.e., software-as-a-service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)) and related professional services agreements, memoranda of understanding, interagency agreements, and other documents representing a contractual agreement on behalf of the Department of Community Health (DCH or Agency).  

Other duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provides analysis and advice on legal, liability, and/or risk management issues including identifying gaps or other key issues in business and process requirements, specifications and documentation that may adversely affect the projects’ desired results, timelines or budget. 
• Applies knowledge of state government procurement laws and regulations.
• Researches and analyzes case law as well as current and proposed statutory authority affecting the agency.   
• Represents the Contracts Administration unit in meetings with internal customers, other stakeholders (including any federal or State partners), and contractors.  
• May serve as the unit’s liaison or reviewer in one or more of the following areas: open records, immigration and security compliance, grant agreements, and contractor compliance with insurance/security requirements.  
• Drafts or reviews letters and other legal notices related to compliance and enforcement of contract terms and conditions, including but not limited to, matters related to vendor non-compliance with software/system/solution specifications and project schedules.  
• May provide training for the Department’s internal customers who request various contract actions to increase understanding of their role in the contracts process. 
• Acts as a liaison or representative between DCH and the Department of Law.
• Keeps abreast of legal issues and developments in the health care industry and related areas.  
• Must successfully work in a team-oriented environment with the ability to complete most projects on an individual basis.  
• May provide assistance to the Department of Law in the preparation and coordination of cases prior to and during court trials. 
• Complies with administrative processes designed to maintain and monitor the legal compliance of Agency processes. 
• Handles, manages, and oversees multiple projects.  
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.    

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Preference will be given to candidates who, in addition to meeting the qualifications listed above, demonstrate some or all of the following skills/experience:

• 3-5 years of contract experience as an attorney in drafting, reviewing, negotiating, interpreting, and administering vendor agreements, software licensing agreements, service level agreements, etc. in government and/or in the private sector that involve health care administration, health care access, or other related health care matters.
• 3-5 years of professional experience in a private or public sector environment involving the interpretation and application of federal, state, and/or local laws.
• 3-5 years of professional transactional experience in a private or public sector environment representing and/or advising clients procuring, overseeing, or delivering the design, development, and implementation of software or technology systems/solutions.
• Experience working with data privacy/security matters and/or information technology transactions.
• Understanding of software development change request process, including defects and requests for product enhancements or new features. 
• Knowledge of each phase of the software/system/solutions development life cycle.
• Knowledge of technical legal writing.
• Experience supervising attorneys and/or support personnel with demonstrable interpersonal skills.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, time-sensitive, customer service-oriented environment with continually changing priorities.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency, including the Microsoft Office suite, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and document management software (e.g., Laserfiche).

EARN MORE THAN A SALARY! In addition to a competitive salary, the Georgia Department of Community Health offers a generous benefits package, which includes employee retirement plan; paid holidays annually; vacation and sick leave; health, dental, vision, legal, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, health and child care spending account.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered, but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the hiring agency for next steps in the selection process. Applicants who are not selected will not receive notification. 

THIS POSITION IS SUBJECT TO CLOSE AT ANY TIME ONCE A SATISFACTORY APPLICANT POOL HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. APPLICATIONS WITHOUT WORK EXPERIENCE LISTED WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. CURRENT GEORGIA STATE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WILL BE SUBJECT TO STATE PERSONNEL BOARD (SPB) RULE PROVISIONS. THE POSITION MAY BE FILLED AT A LOWER OR HIGHER POSITION LEVEL.

This position is unclassified and employment is at-will. Candidates for this position are subject to a background history and reference check. For more information about this job contact: : http://dch.ga.gov

Salary : $59,331 - $85,000