Senior Contract Advisor

BC Ferries; Richmond; On-site; CAD 105,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

BC Ferries in Victoria or Richmond is seeking a Senior Contract Advisor to join the Fleet Project Management Office and help establish a Master Service Agreement framework for vessel maintenance, in-service support and marine services.

You will translate operational needs into clear RFx and contract content, support procurement and legal teams, and build governance tools to monitor performance and ensure compliant delivery across our marine partnerships.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years of experience in contract management, negotiation, procurement, and supplier performance management within marine, shipyard, heavy industry, construction, transportation, or capital projects environments.
• Experience developing and administering complete service contracts, including RFx processes, contract governance, change management, commercial evaluations, claims and supplier performance.
• Knowledge of vessel refits, maintenance programs, shipyard operations, OEM relationships, or similar technical service environments.
• Strong understanding of technical scopes, commercial terms, change orders, claims, schedule impacts, cost and risk considerations, and contract governance practices.
• Experience supporting vessel refit, maintenance, in-service support, shipyard execution models, and coordination with OEM and technical suppliers in a marine operating environment.
• Knowledge of safety, environmental, class, regulatory, and industry compliance requirements as they relate to marine contracts and operations.
• Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, documentation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation and governance activities for Master Service Agreements, including standards, processes, obligation tracking, recordkeeping, contract interpretation, and compliance monitoring.
• Support procurement, legal, engineering, technical services, finance, and operational teams in developing contract structures, statements of work, call-off mechanisms, and practical contract administration requirements.
• Develop MSA toolkits, templates, guidance materials, and resources to support consistent adoption and reduce one-off contracting exceptions.
• Monitor contract performance and effectiveness through measures such as cycle times, usage, exceptions, operational performance inputs, and supplier performance outcomes.
• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers including shipyards, OEMs, and marine service providers.
• Support change control, contract variations, claims readiness, issue resolution, and payment validation against agreed milestones and acceptance criteria.

Skills

Contract management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Documentation

Analytical

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain or Procurement

Job description

Job Description

SENIOR CONTRACT ADVISOR

Victoria or Richmond

18 Month Term Certain

At BC Ferries, we're more than a transportation provider, we connect communities, support local economies, and keep coastal British Columbia moving. We're looking for a strategic and collaborative Senior Contract Advisor to join our Fleet Project Management Office (FPMO) and play a key role in transforming how we manage vessel refits, maintenance services and supplier partnerships.

This is an exciting opportunity to help establish and implement a new Master Service Agreement (MSA) framework that will support the long-term delivery of vessel maintenance, in-service support, and marine services across our fleet.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Director, Fleet Project Management Office, the Senior Contract Advisor will be part of a team focused on establishing scalable and effective contracting models for vessel refit, in-service support, and vessel recycling services. This is an opportunity to contribute to high-impact marine operations by supporting procurement and RFx activities, helping develop practical contract governance processes, and working closely with internal and external partners to improve how complex marine service work is planned, contracted, administered, and delivered.

The Role

In this role, you will provide contract management and commercial support for Master Service Agreements involving shipyards, original equipment manufacturers, service providers, and vessel recycling partners. You will help translate operational and business requirements into clear RFx and contract content, support sourcing and negotiation activities, and establish the tools, processes, and governance needed to administer agreements effectively. Key responsibilities include:

• Lead implementation and governance activities for Master Service Agreements, including standards, processes, obligation tracking, recordkeeping, contract interpretation, and compliance monitoring.
• Support procurement, legal, engineering, technical services, finance, and operational teams in developing contract structures, statements of work, call-off mechanisms, and practical contract administration requirements.
• Develop MSA toolkits, templates, guidance materials, and resources to support consistent adoption and reduce one-off contracting exceptions.
• Monitor contract performance and effectiveness through measures such as cycle times, usage, exceptions, operational performance inputs, and supplier performance outcomes.
• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers including shipyards, OEMs, and marine service providers.
• Support change control, contract variations, claims readiness, issue resolution, and payment validation against agreed milestones and acceptance criteria.

What You Bring To The Team

You are a collaborative and commercially minded contract professional who understands the complexity of technical service environments and can bring structure, clarity, and sound judgement to contract administration and supplier relationships. You are comfortable working across multiple stakeholder groups, interpreting contractual obligations, and supporting practical solutions that balance operational needs, commercial risk, compliance, and delivery outcomes.

• A bachelor's degree in business administration, Supply Chain or Procurement, Engineering, Naval architecture, Marine Operations, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of experience in contract management, negotiation, procurement, and supplier performance management within marine, shipyard, heavy industry, construction, transportation, or capital projects environments.
• Experience developing and administering complete service contracts, including RFx processes, contract governance, change management, commercial evaluations, claims and supplier performance.
• Knowledge of vessel refits, maintenance programs, shipyard operations, OEM relationships, or similar technical service environments.
• Strong understanding of technical scopes, commercial terms, change orders, claims, schedule impacts, cost and risk considerations, and contract governance practices.
• Experience supporting vessel refit, maintenance, in-service support, shipyard execution models, and coordination with OEM and technical suppliers in a marine operating environment.
• Knowledge of safety, environmental, class, regulatory, and industry compliance requirements as they relate to marine contracts and operations.
• Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, documentation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Additional Information

The target salary range: $ 105,200 - $131,500 per annum. The starting salary is determined based on the successful candidate’s knowledge, experience and internal equity.

"We sail to serve and connect the people and the coast of BC."

At BC Ferries, our employees are our most important assets in delivering our commitment to customer safety, service and satisfaction. We support employment equity and diversity in the workplace, and we encourage applications from all qualified individuals including women, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), and others who reflect our ever-changing workplace.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.