Senior Contract Administrator

The Donald Project; Horsham; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

The Donald Project is seeking a Senior Contract Administrator for the Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project in Victoria. You will manage the full contract lifecycle, from pre-award tendering through post-award administration and close-out, ensuring compliance and optimal commercial outcomes.

You will work with project teams, contractors, and suppliers to deliver sound commercial results, reporting to the Contracts and Procurement Manager.

Qualifications

• Tertiary degree in law, commerce, engineering, quantity surveying, or related field.
• Proven experience in tendering and post-award contract administration on major projects.
• Strong procurement and contracting knowledge across EPC, construction, services, and supply contracts.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Pre-award: develop procurement plans and contracting strategies; pre-qualify suppliers; administer tenders; evaluate submissions; lead commercial negotiations; prepare contract docs.
• Post-award: assess variations and claims; certify payments; monitor contractor performance; manage contract close-out.

Skills

Tender management

Stakeholder engagement

Contract administration

Negotiation

Attention to detail

Education

Law / Commerce / Engineering degree

Job description

Manage the full contract lifecycle on a major new Victorian rare earth and mineral sands project.

About the role

The Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sands Project is a tier-1 rare earth and mineral sands resource located within the Wimmera district of western Victoria, near the towns of Minyip and Donald and 70 kilometres from the large regional city of Horsham. The operator of the Donald Project is Donald Project Pty Ltd, trading as Donald Mineral Sands (DMS), a joint venture between Astron Limited and Energy Fuels Inc. ASX-listed Astron has more than 30 years’ experience in mineral sands processing, technology, and downstream product development.

Astron is seeking a Senior Contract Administrator to join the Donald Project. This role covers the full contract lifecycle, from pre-award tendering and contract formation through to post-award contract administration and close-out. You will support strong commercial and contractual outcomes by managing tender processes, preparing contract documentation, and ensuring compliance with contractual obligations throughout project execution.

Reporting to the Contracts and Procurement Manager, you will work closely with the project, engineering, and construction teams, as well as contractors and suppliers, to deliver sound commercial outcomes for DMS.

In this role, you will

Pre-award

• Develop procurement plans and contracting strategies.
• Pre-qualify contractors and suppliers.
• Prepare and administer tender processes.
• Evaluate tender submissions and complete commercial assessments.
• Lead commercial negotiations and prepare contract award recommendations.
• Prepare and execute contract documentation.

Post-award

• Assess variations, claims, and extension of time requests.
• Assess progress payment claims and certify payments.
• Monitor and report on contractor performance.
• Manage contract close-out.

About you

Required experience

• A tertiary qualification in law, commerce, engineering, quantity surveying, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years’ demonstrated experience managing both pre-award tendering and post-award contract administration on major mining, resources, infrastructure, or construction projects.
• Experience preparing and evaluating tenders, negotiating commercial terms, and executing contracts.
• Sound knowledge of procurement and contracting methodologies, including engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), construction, services, and supply contracts.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• A collaborative, proactive approach with strong attention to detail and contract administration capability.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced project environment.

The details

This is a full-time, fixed-term role for a maximum of two years, based at the Donald Project site office approximately 14 kilometres east of Minyip, Victoria, with a competitive salary. The position will suit an experienced contracts professional who enjoys managing tenders, negotiating commercial terms, and working closely with project teams. The successful candidate will need to meet pre-employment medical and drug and alcohol requirements.

Ready to apply?

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, we’d like to hear from you. Please submit your application, including a current CV and cover letter. In your cover letter, briefly outline your relevant experience in tender management, commercial evaluation and negotiation, contract administration, and variation and claims management.