Legal, Contracts & Compliance Specialist — State Health Contracting

Legal, Contracts & Compliance Specialist — State Health Contracting Location: Phoenix, AZ (US) / Hybrid The Legal, Contracts & Compliance (LC&C) Specialist supports the delivery, review, negotiation, and compliance oversight of State Health contracts (including Medicaid program contracts, subcontracts and proposals). The Specialist provides legal and compliance technical guidance, helps mitigate legal and procurement risk, and contributes to the development of LC&C intellectual capital. This role partners with corporate legal, INFOSEC, client teams, proposal teams, and cross‑functional stakeholders to ensure legal, contractual, and regulatory requirements are understood and adhered to throughout the contract lifecycle. Key Responsibilities: Manage ongoing L&C‑focused projects and deliverables (e.g., reviewing, drafting and negotiating contractual provisions, amendments, contract redlines, compliance checklists, risk matrices), ensuring milestones and timelines are met. Provide technical guidance and expertise on delegated tasks, escalating complex or high‑risk issues to senior LC&C Workflow Manager. Apply a strong understanding of government contract lifecycles, applicable regulations, and policies (including state procurement rules, Medicaid program requirements, and federal guidance as relevant) to ensure compliant execution. Navigate LC&C requirements to mitigate risk and promote best practices; drive smooth execution of the contract life cycle from RFP to close out and contribute to overall LC&C team objectives. Actively participate in client calls and meetings to clarify requirements, provide status updates, and advise on legal/contractual implications. Build trust and rapport with all internal stakeholders and external clients by listening to needs, providing clear guidance, and following through on commitments. Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal colleagues to facilitate timely resolution of LC&C issues. Capture lessons learned and contribute to intellectual capital that improves consistency, efficiency, and risk management across engagements. Manage multiple, large projects concurrently in a fast‑paced environment while prioritizing tasks under pressure. Identify, analyze, and resolve legal, contractual, and compliance issues in a timely manner consistent with applicable policy and regulation. Communicate delays, risk items, and proposed mitigations promptly to senior team members; help develop solutions to reduce schedule or compliance risk. Work closely with proposal teams and internal stakeholders to ensure necessary LC&C reviews are completed for bid submissions and pricing/contract strategy. Engage with technical teams to identify and assess potential L&C risks associated with proposed scope of work. Provide support for negotiations on proposals, contracts, subcontracts, and other legal documents as assigned. Support development and execution of compliance reviews, risk assessments, and corrective action plans tied to contract performance and regulatory requirements. Maintain familiarity with laws, policies, and procedures governing public‑sector procurement and Medicaid program compliance. Track and maintain audit‑ready documentation for contract files and compliance reviews. What you need to have: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Public Administration, or equivalent. 3–6 years of experience in government contracting, healthcare (State Medicaid), procurement, or compliance roles (in‑house, consulting, or law firm experience). Practical experience drafting and negotiating contracts, amendments, NDAs, statements of work, and subcontracts in a public‑sector environment. Working knowledge of state procurement rules, Medicaid program fundamentals, and common regulatory drivers impacting State Health contracting. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Strong contract drafting, document review, and legal analysis skills. Comfortable interpreting and applying complex regulations and policies to operational questions. Demonstrated ability to multi‑task, manage deadlines, and produce high‑quality work under pressure. Effective communicator: concise written legal advice and clear verbal explanations for non‑legal stakeholders. Relationship‑oriented team player with proven ability to collaborate across departments and build trust with program and client teams. Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite; experience with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools or proposal platforms a plus. What makes you stand out: Paralegal certificate, Certified Paralegal (CP), Project Management Professional (PMP). Experience supporting Medicaid/state health contracts or other public sector health programs. Familiarity with CMS guidance, 42 CFR sections relevant to Medicaid, and state procurement code. Prior exposure to proposal lifecycle and capture activities in public‑sector bidding processes Why join our team: We help you be your best through professional development opportunities, interesting work and supportive leaders. We foster a vibrant and inclusive culture where you can work with talented colleagues to create new solutions and have impact for colleagues, clients and communities. Our scale enables us to provide a range of career opportunities, as well as benefits and rewards to enhance your well‑being. The applicable base salary range for this role is $79,500 to $159,500. We are excited to offer a competitive total rewards package which includes health and welfare benefits, tuition assistance, 401(k) savings and other retirement programs as well as employee assistance programs. We are committed to a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment, welcoming individuals of all ages, backgrounds, disabilities, ethnic origins, family duties, gender orientations and expressions, marital statuses, nationalities, parental statuses, social statuses, political affiliations, religions, beliefs, sexes/genders, sexual orientations, skin colors, senior/veteran status, and other protected characteristics. #J-18808-Ljbffr US048 Mercer Health & Benefits LLC