Manager, Contracts

About the Role
The Contract Manager is responsible for leading the development, tendering, award, administration, and close-out of all project-related contracts required to support successful project delivery. This role provides commercial and contractual leadership across the full contract lifecycle, ensuring the effective execution of contracting strategies, commercial governance, contract administration, change management, claims management, and contractor performance management in accordance with project and client requirements.
This position is responsible for managing contracts placed by the project on either the company paper or Customer paper, including engineering, procurement, construction, fabrication, specialist services, and other third-party agreements. Note that this role does not include ownership or administration of the prime contract between the company and the Customer.

Primary Responsibilities

• Demonstrate visible HSSE leadership and promote a culture of safety, integrity, compliance, and ethical business conduct.
• Lead the development and execution of the project's contracting and commercial strategy.
• Establish and maintain contract management processes, procedures, governance, and commercial controls.
• Provide contractual and commercial leadership to the project management team throughout all project phases.
• Ensure all contracting activities support project objectives regarding cost, schedule, quality, risk, and delivery.
• Lead tendering, evaluation, negotiation, award, and administration of major contracts and service agreements.
• Protect the project's commercial interests through effective management of contractual obligations, risks, claims, and changes.
• Support project leadership in commercial decision-making and contractor engagement.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, client requirements, local regulations, and applicable governance frameworks.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with contractors, suppliers, client representatives, project teams, and key stakeholders.

Key Accountabilities
Contracting Strategy and Tendering

• Develop and implement project contracting plans and execution strategies.
• Identify optimum contract models and compensation mechanisms to support project delivery objectives.
• Lead sourcing and contracting activities for engineering, construction, fabrication, specialist services, equipment, and other project requirements.
• Prepare, review, and issue Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation and associated commercial requirements.
• Coordinate tender evaluations and ensure robust commercial assessment of bidders.
• Lead commercial clarifications, negotiations, and contract award recommendations.
• Support project leadership in contractor selection and commercial decision-making.

Contract Administration

• Administer contracts throughout the full contract lifecycle from award through completion and close-out.
• Ensure contractual obligations and deliverables are clearly defined, monitored, and effectively managed.
• Maintain contract registers, obligations registers, commercial correspondence logs, and supporting documentation.
• Provide interpretation and guidance on contractual terms and conditions to project teams and stakeholders.
• Ensure contractual compliance by both the project and contractors.

Commercial Management

• Manage contractual and commercial risks through identification, assessment, mitigation, and ongoing monitoring.
• Lead the management of contract changes, variations, compensation events, amendments, and supplemental agreements.
• Review and assess contractor commercial submissions, invoices, payment applications, and entitlement claims.
• Support cost control and project controls teams in managing commercial commitments and forecasting.
• Provide commercial input into budget reviews, project forecasts, and business reporting requirements.

Claims and Dispute Management

• Lead the preparation, assessment, defence, negotiation, and resolution of contractual claims.
• Develop strategies to minimize commercial exposure and avoid disputes where possible.
• Support dispute resolution processes and provide commercial recommendations to project leadership.
• Maintain appropriate records to support contractual positions and commercial decisions.

Contractor Performance and Governance

• Monitor contractor compliance with contractual obligations and project requirements.
• Participate in contractor performance reviews and commercial audits.
• Promote continuous improvement in contracting processes and commercial governance.
• Prepare contractual and commercial reports for project and business leadership.
• Support contract close-out activities, final account negotiations, and lessons learned reviews.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Law, Business, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• Professional qualification in Commercial Management, Contract Management, Quantity Surveying, Procurement, or Law is preferred.
• Membership of a recognised professional institution is desirable.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 15 years of experience in contract management, commercial management, procurement, or project services within the Oil & Gas, Energy, Petrochemical, Infrastructure, or Industrial sectors.
• Demonstrable experience managing high-value engineering, construction, fabrication, and service contracts on major capital projects.
• Experience supporting the full contract lifecycle from strategy development through contract close-out.
• Proven experience leading commercial negotiations, tender evaluations, and contractor selection processes.
• Strong experience managing contract changes, variations, claims, and dispute resolution activities.
• Experience working within EPC, EPCM, PMC, or Owner's Team project delivery environments.
• Experience managing multiple contractors and complex stakeholder interfaces on large-scale projects.
• Experience working on international projects and within multicultural delivery teams.
• Previous Middle East experience is preferred.
• Iraq project experience or experience operating within challenging international environments is highly desirable.

Knowledge and Competencies

• Strong understanding of contract law and commercial management principles.
• Extensive knowledge of international forms of contract, including EPC, EPCM, reimbursable, lump-sum, unit-rate, and target-cost contracting models.
• Strong understanding of project risk management and commercial governance practices.
• Ability to evaluate contractual risk and develop mitigation strategies.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced project environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High level of commercial acumen and business judgement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and contract management systems.

Key Success Measures

• Safe execution of all contracting and commercial activities.
• Timely award and administration of project contracts.
• Effective management of contractual risk and commercial exposure.
• Successful resolution of contract changes and claims.
• Compliance with project governance and contractual requirements.
• Achievement of project cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
• Strong contractor and stakeholder relationships that support successful project delivery.

Moving Forward Together
We want our people to be energized and empowered to drive sustainable impact. Our focus is on a values-inspired culture that unlocks brilliance through belonging, connection, and innovation. We're building a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace, creating a space where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, and are heard.
We're reskilling our people, leveraging transferable skills, and supporting the transition of our workforce to become experts in today's low carbon energy infrastructure and technology. Whatever your ambition, there's a path for you here.
And there's no barrier to your potential career success. Join us to broaden your horizons, explore diverse opportunities, and be part of delivering sustainable change.