Manager Contract Management

Job Overview:

Reporting to the Project Contracts Manager, the Contracts Manager will be the focal point for all contractual and commercial issues encountered during the execution phase of large-scale, complex engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) projects.  The role will assisting in protecting contractual entitlement, supporting profitable execution, and integrating the prime contract with the project’s hybrid commercial model, local execution, modularization, marine facilities, licensors, vendors, subcontractors and country-entry requirements. The project will provide Houston-led delivery with global engineering, procurement and fabrication interfaces and material in-country execution in Argentina.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Support the Project Contracts Manager to establish or refine a project’s contractual/commercial strategy and ensure continual implementation throughout project execution.  Act as deputy to the Project Contracts Manager

• During pre-award, assist in the review of proposed terms, commercial clarifications and qualifications for alignment with the execution strategy, scope, schedule, pricing basis, tax structure, entity strategy and approved risk position. Support the transition from tender/FEED activities to early works and full EPC, including contract handover, assumptions registers, open-item logs, deviations, approvals and preservation of bid entitlements

• Leads major or high-risk workstreams, integrates the overall commercial position and advises senior project leadership.

• Exercises independent judgement on complex, ambiguous or material issues and establishes strategy

• Upon project award, draft baseline contract requirements and disseminate within the project team

• Provide authoritative advice on contract interpretation, risk allocation, entitlement, negotiation strategy, claims, defenses and commercial resolution options 

• Lead significant client correspondence, negotiations, change proposals, claims and settlement workstreams within delegated authority

• Periodically conduct contractual awareness sessions with project team members to ensure a consistent understanding of contract requirements

• Identify critical or sensitive contractual issues and act as a conduit for Legal support to the project when required

• Prior to marine and hook-up operations, hold readiness reviews with Field Engineers to ensure contractual awareness especially with respect to waiting on weather criteria and Client instructions

• Establish an effective working relationship with Client team to ensure timely resolution of contractual issues

• Support the project team to establish the change management process, setting a culture of change identification

• Lead / participate in change management meetings to identify changes that may result in entitlement for compensation and / or schedule relief

• Prepare or support claims, defenses, counterclaims and commercial settlements, including clear factual chronologies and entitlement narratives

• Together with the Project Contracts Manger, evaluate cost and schedule impact of all identified changes both on an individual and cumulative basis.

• Support claim development that may transition into disputes with the Client, Suppliers, and/or Subcontractors

• Challenge the project team on scope growth, delay, owner-caused impacts, records, mitigation and recovery opportunities; ensure appropriate executive visibility

• Senior interface with Project Director, Contracts Director, Legal, Finance, client leadership, partners and executive governance

• Shapes negotiation and claims strategy and leads matters within delegated authority; escalates reserved decisions.

• Coordinate resolution of contractual issues within the project environment to the extent possible.  Brief Project Director and McDermott management on sensitive issues and support escalation of disputes when required

• Coordinate administration of all contractual correspondence with the Client including the timely release of notification required to ensure McDermott’s contractual rights are preserved

• Monitor key dates against dates defined in the main contract and any subcontracts and advise Project Contracts Manager / Project Manager / Project Director of the implications of delays, if any

• Assist in the preparation of project weekly and monthly progress reports for internal and external distribution as per internal and Contract requirements.  Assure the quality of monthly commercial reporting, exposure analysis, opportunity forecasting, decision papers and governance submissions

• Contribute to project risk and opportunity management processes.  Interface with Corporate Finance team to ensure contractual requirements are understood and all necessary insurances and guarantees are provided.  Submit and follow-up on applications for Completion Certificates.  Coordinate commercial close out of main contract including step down of bank guarantee and release of retentions.  Prepare a flow down clause plan highlighting the key obligations and liabilities which are required to be passed onto subcontractors / vendors.  In particular, ensure that back-to-back guarantees, warranties and insurances are obtained from subcontractors / vendors

• Assist Supply Chain Management team to coordinate the administration of contractual correspondence with all Vendors and Subcontractors

• Support package strategy, bidder qualifications, commercial evaluations, negotiations, award recommendations and contract formation for key equipment, module fabrication, logistics, marine and in-country packages

• Ensure material supplier and subcontractor events are captured promptly for upstream notice and recovery

• Ensure that the external changes (backcharges) are taken up timely with the Vendor and Subcontractors

• Lead contractual readiness for completion, acceptance, final account, security release and warranty handover

• Maintain audit-ready records in the approved document-management system and ensure correspondence and approvals are traceable

• Leads and assures the work of contract-management personnel; coaches the team and allocates priorities

• Exercises independent judgement on technically and commercially complex matters and recommends a preferred course with alternatives, consequences and approval requirements

• Escalates matters outside delegated authority, precedent-setting positions, material departures from approved risk appetite, probable disputes, significant cash exposure and issues requiring executive or legal privilege oversight

• Ensure negotiation positions and concessions are documented and approved before commitment

Essential Qualifications and Education: 

• Minimum 10+ years of project execution experience in the energy and / or construction industries (at least 5 of which will have been within a contracts or commercial management role)

• University degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or similar

• Leadership experience on complex contract-management, claims or commercial workstreams on major EPC / EPCI projects

• Proven experience advising senior project leadership, leading material negotiations and integrating cross-functional entitlement and risk positions Experience on major EPC projects is strongly preferred

• Strong drafting, negotiation, analytical and record-management skills

• Commercial awareness, sound judgement and disciplined protection of contractual rights

• Working knowledge of contract-management systems, document control platforms and Microsoft 365 tools.   

• High standards of ethics, confidentiality, compliance, inclusion, safety leadership and professional conduct.  English and Spanish fluency required

• Ability to translate complex contractual issues into practical project actions and clear executive advice.  Mobilization to the job site may be required

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