Contract Lead

About the role

Microsoft Cloud Operations and Innovation (CO+I) delivers over 200 Microsoft web portals, Live and Online Services worldwide, handling infrastructure, security, compliance, operations, globalization, and manageability. The team focuses on smart growth, high efficiency, and a trusted experience for customers and partners. Within CO+I, the Global Supply Chain team builds the supply chain to support the cloud’s rapid growth, managing multi‑billion, multi‑year datacenter construction and lease projects and partnering with the Operations team that runs cloud assets. As a Contract Lead for the Global Contracts Management team in Charlotte, NC, you will lead contract programs for build projects, ensuring successful execution, risk mitigation, and compliance while collaborating with cross‑functional teams, legal experts, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Perform RFP and sourcing for large contracts; conduct sourcing activities for professional services such as General Contractors, Architect Engineers, Commissioning Agents, Cost Management, Project Management, and others.
• Develop sourcing and negotiation strategies to meet project objectives; participate in supplier assessment and prepare contract award proposals.
• Ensure all contractual requirements are met according to terms and conditions; execute procurement contracting strategies for large, complex data center construction projects to achieve optimal cost and continuity of supply and services.
• Serve as first line of defense/communication with site stakeholders on commercial issues; execute project closeout requirements.
• Lead Change Order negotiations with input from key stakeholders; monitor and mitigate the impact of change orders and claims; attend change management meetings and report on open change orders.
• Facilitate equipment receipt, inspection, and sign‑off (OFCI); address quality‑related issues; partner with Labor Planning team on Field Service Representative constraints during commissioning; ensure GC schedules are coordinated with vendor labor constraints; monitor vendor activity for timely commissioning completion.
• Assume post‑award contract execution responsibilities; own commercial decision making on post‑award activities by influencing project stakeholders.
• Identify potential project/contract challenges and develop risk mitigation strategies; provide regular status reports on issues, risks, and mitigations to leadership.
• Prepare contractual notices using language from terms & conditions; address and resolve payment disputes submitted by suppliers.
• Facilitate negotiations with contractors and other parties to resolve disputes, providing regular updates to the client team.
• Collaborate with project stakeholders to review GC subcontractor procurement deliverables and finalize subcontractor award recommendations for each trade package.
• Create and drive MIS reports and metrics of the project for management awareness and action.
• Drive business engagement and partnership with cross‑functional teams including Planning, Strategic Sourcing, Cost Management, Engineering, Quality, Construction, and Project Managers.
• Drive commercial compliance and problem resolution with General Contractors, Subcontractors, and Suppliers.
• Partner with suppliers to identify and drive continuous improvement and risk‑management opportunities by evaluating procedural, operational, and/or environmental factors, analyzing root causes, sharing insights, and influencing adoption of needed improvements.
• Plan and manage executive sponsor meetings with key stakeholders for successful project execution.