Senior Contract Manager

About the Role

As a member of the Global Capital Sourcing team, the Senior Contracts & Claims Manager is responsible for the commercial management of a variety of projects within large and medium green or brown field CAPEX schemes (minimum project size/spend of 5 million USD). The role aims to protect the company’s rights and entitlements as provided in contracts, ensure contractors’ obligations are fulfilled, optimize value-for-money, reduce contract risks, achieve the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and support on-time, on-schedule, on-quality, and in-cost project deliveries to drive the company’s growth investments.

The position mitigates risks related to contract creation and execution, identifies cost-benefit solutions for complex contractual matters, and leads negotiations with external stakeholders and consultants. The role acts as a commercial expert, collaborating closely with the Global Engineering team (SGIE), local project teams, and other internal or external stakeholders to ensure a unified company approach to suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of contracts to secure the company’s contractual rights and entitlements.
• Report contracting plan status and variations to the Project & Procurement team on a periodic basis.
• Manage the contracting plan during project execution, commissioning, and evaluation stages, including contractor cost in cooperation with Cost Control.
• Prepare summaries of key contractual points, including deviations from norms and identified risks, for easy identification and resolution.
• Negotiate and agree on contract extensions and change requests.
• Coordinate activities such as change orders, delay management, conflict resolution, and preparation for potential litigation, arbitration, or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), ensuring proper documentation and timely responses to contractors.
• Monitor and safeguard the company’s legal rights as per contract provisions.
• Manage warranty and performance guarantees of project assets.
• Ensure all company requirements are met during contract reviews.
• Coordinate the involvement of legal counsel (internal or external) as required.
• Support arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures.
• Oversee, manage, and support project commercial teams to optimize project returns.

Claim Management

• Identify opportunities for outgoing claims, develop claim strategies, and support the preparation of notifications, correspondence, negotiations, and settlements.
• Analyze incoming claims, develop defense strategies, and prepare responses, negotiations, and settlements.
• Collect and register all claim-related documentation in the company’s claim repository.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Manage escalation of issues and claims with suppliers.
• Develop supplier relationships according to segment expectations.
• Support supplier relationship management to ensure reliable, high-quality supply.
• Monitor supplier performance, compliance, and accountability through scorecards and metrics.
• Participate in periodic commercial audits of main contractors.

Stakeholder Management

• Identify and engage with internal stakeholders, including Project Management, Global SGIE, Global Procurement, and Corporate Functions (primarily Legal and Finance).
• Clarify stakeholder requirements and drive proactive communications.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Degree (required): A higher commercial background equivalent to a Bachelor’s (BSc/BA), preferably a Master’s degree (MSc/MBA) or equivalent, with a strong technical understanding.
• Field of Study: Purchasing, Engineering, Legal, Quantity Surveying, or Cost Consulting.
• Preferred certifications: ACCA, GPHR, CIPS, PgMP, AACE, ACOSTE, MRICS, MCIOB, or MCIArb.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience with major contractors or consultants in roles involving project change procedures, cost management, claims, variations, negotiation, and dispute settlement.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing contract strategies that yield measurable business results.
• Experience overseeing, sourcing from, or working for EPCMV/EPC contractors.
• Experience operating at a senior level on major projects or in a Commercial/Claims Manager role within a large construction company.
• Experience in a regulated industry (e.g., pharmaceutical, food) is advantageous.
• Ability to work cross-functionally in project management.

Skills

• Business and financial acumen.
• Contracting strategy and execution, strategic sourcing expertise, and procurement knowledge for large CAPEX projects.
• Strong understanding of construction technology, sequencing, and practices.
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Experience developing and implementing sourcing strategies that deliver measurable results.
• Skills in procurement processes, including commodity management, supplier management, negotiations, contract management, and e-procurement systems.
• Research, analysis, and summary recommendation skills.
• Strong negotiating and influencing skills at an international level.
• Experience managing global relationships, both internal and external.
• Experience with international commercial contracts and agreements.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build business relationships and work in multifunctional teams.

Pay

The hiring rate for this position is $75 to $80.81 per hour. The base pay offered will consider internal equity and may vary based on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.