Senior Contract Administrator

Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO); Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care benefits

Defined benefit pension plan

Hybrid work model

Job summary

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is hiring a Senior Contract Administrator to support contract owners in managing a portfolio of contracts across engineering, consultancy and corporate services. This role involves pre- and post-award activities, change management, and performance monitoring.

Based in Toronto or Ignace, the position operates within a hybrid work model (3 days in office) and requires ability to work with cross-functional teams, ensure compliance with NWMO policies,

Qualifications

• 4-year university degree in Engineering or Business Administration or a technical discipline.
• 6 years of experience in large-scale contract management and administration.
• Knowledge of contracting strategies, procurement types, and contract terms.
• Experience in contract negotiations, change management, and disputes resolution.
• Experience in coordinating change management and overseeing contract processes.
• Strong communication and documentation skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office; Power BI experience is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Administer contracts of varying complexity across multiple disciplines (Engineering, Consultancy, Corporate services).
• Support pre-award activities: draft contract terms, bid reviews, and final documentation.
• Perform post-award administration: schedule and run contract meetings, ensure alignment with scope and terms, monitor performance metrics and escalate variances.
• Support change management and P.O. amendments for cost, scope, and schedule changes.
• Assist in negotiation of claims and disputes with awareness of roles of Purchasing and Legal departments.
• Review monthly progress reports and invoices; provide recommendations for approvals.
• Support close-out of contracts and POs; provide guidance on best practices and system compliance.

Skills

Contract management

Negotiation

Vendor management

MS Office

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business Administration

Tools

Power BI

MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Job description

Founded in 2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is a not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada’s intermediate- and high- level radioactive waste, in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come.

The NWMO has been guided for more than 20 years by a dedicated team of world-class scientists, engineers and Indigenous Knowledge Holders who are developing innovative and collaborative solutions for nuclear waste management. In 2024, the NWMO selected Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace as the hosts for the site for a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel.

This decision means our office and staff will, in the future, be relocating to Ignace, Ont., and the deep geological repository will be situated in the area near Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace. Infrastructure planning and development are underway to support this transition and ensure that both the community and our employees are well served and supported, now and in the future.

Senior Contract Administrator

Fulltime – One (1) Position Available

Position Location:

Toronto Head Office – 30 Adelaide St, East

OR Ignace, Ontario – 304 Main Street

Reporting to the Manager, Contracts Management & Administration, and working in a matrix organization with a multidisciplinary team, the successful candidate will carry outthe responsibility of supporting the Contract Owners with the management and administration of multiple contracts in a variety of sizes, scopes, and complexities, ensuring all contracting-related activities (from identification of need through to service execution, administration, and close out), are carried out in alignment with NWMO Policies and Procedures.

This role will include the full spectrum of contracts management, including business analysis, contracts administration, negotiations, contracts change management, and support the resolution of contractual disputes. This role will require significant cross departmental teamwork and collaboration with Contract Owners in the various NWMO Business Units. This role will, in addition to administering assigned contracts, provide contract management support, oversight and guidance to other Contract Administrators across the organization.

• Day-to-day administration of assigned contracts, which will be of varying levels of complexity and from a variety of disciplines (e.g. Engineering, Consultancy and Corporate services contracts).
• Support contract ‘pre-award’ activities such as the development of contract terms for effective management of contractual work, participating in bid review processes, and reviewing final contract documentation for completion prior to issuance.
• Performs post-award contract Administration activities on behalf of the NWMO Contract Owner such as:
  • Set-up and conduct of different types of Contract meetings throughout the execution of the work
  • Provide support in ensuring contracts are executed in alignment with the approved Scope of Work and Contract Terms and Conditions
  • Monitoring of contractor performance metrics as defined in the Contract, and escalating variances to the Contract Owner to ensure corrective actions can be taken; provide support with the completion of corrective actions
  • Support the Contract Owner with contract change management processes and contract / Purchase Order amendment processes to obtain approval for any changes to the cost, scope, and schedule of a contract
  • Support with the negotiation of claims and disputes as required, being mindful of the roles and responsibilities of the Purchasing and Legal Departments according to Organization Authority Register (OAR)
  • Conduct the review of monthly progress reports and submitted invoices from the vendors and make recommendations to the Contract Owner on approach and approvals
  • Support in the Contracts and Purchase Orders close-out process

• Provide support and advice on Contract Administration best practices and guidance to the Contract Owner, support staff, and other NWMO contract administrators to obtain compliance with NWMO contract administration processes, systems and tools (job aids, etc.),
• Track progress of contract deliverable submittals and monitors schedule performance on behalf of the Contract Owner. Reviews and monitors vendor reporting requirements as defined in the contract documents.
• Ensures the execution of contracts complies with the NWMO’s contract administration management procedure, and other NWMO Policies & Procedures as required.
• Supports the Contract Owners by providing accrual, forecasting and variance reporting for the assigned contracts.
• Supports the Contract Owner by identifying areas of improvement to enhance vendor performance, including but not limited the monitoring of contract changes, validation of payment requests, tracking of contract submittals, vendor reporting, and other deliverables related to the day-to-day management of contracts, and provide input to the NWMO’s continuous learning and improvement system.
• Set-up and maintain adequate contract filings using the established NWMO methodology.
• Other duties as required

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experience; however, those with lesser experience should not hesitate to apply.

• A 4-year University education degree, preferably in Engineering or Business Administration or a technical discipline.
• 6 years of experience in large-scale contract management and administration, ideally in one or more of the following sectors: Consultancy, Mining, Regulatory Compliance, Corporate Services, and/or Engineering.
• Knowledge of a variety of contracting strategies and procurement types, as well as contractual terms and conditions.
• Knowledge of contracting law, contract language, and legal clauses.
• Experience participating in large contract negotiations, development of contracts compensation models, and dispute resolutions.
• Experience in supporting, coordinating and overseeing change management execution.
• Experience in project oversight, deep understanding of the business drivers for key performance indicators in the Engineering, Consultancy, and Corporate Services (Health, Safety, Security, Environment, Cost, Schedule, and Quality).
• Experience with contract cost forecasting, and accruals.
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail, accuracy and documentation.
• Must be capable of working under tight deadlines.
• Commitment to ethical business conduct and a demonstrated ability to be trusted with sensitive information.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams). Experience with Power BI and other contract/project management software would be considered an asset.

The following skills and experience are considered assets:

• Experience managing contracts in Collaborative Contracting Models.
• Experience in nuclear energy, mining, drilling, engineering, or the broader energy sector.
• Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) / Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designations.
• Education in Quantity Surveying, Project Management and/or Contract Law.

Must be eligible to work in Canada and must be able to meet security clearance requirements.

NWMO currently operates in a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office (Tuesdays being universal) and 2 days working from home.

Candidates residing in the Greater Toronto Area: Office Location – 30 Adelaide St. East until their role is required to relocate.

We offer a competitive base salary, health care benefits and a defined benefit pension plan.

The NWMO is committed to contributing to Reconciliation in all its work by co-creating a shared future built on rights, equity and well-being. As an employment equity employer, NWMO actively seeks Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, women, people with disabilities, and additional diverse identities for our workforce. The NWMO will provide accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you require accommodation, please contact us.

The NWMO is committed to a fair, transparent, and efficient recruitment process. While we sincerely appreciate every expression of interest, only those candidates selected to continue in the recruitment process will be contacted directly.