Senior Contracts Manager

Penta Search Group; Calgary; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Penta Search Group is seeking a Senior Contracts Manager in Calgary to provide strategic leadership and hands-on oversight of complex contracts across major projects. You will manage lump-sum, unit-price and cost-reimbursable agreements, safeguard commercial outcomes, and drive proactive risk and claims avoidance.

You will work with project and functional leaders to develop contracting strategies aligned with project execution and organizational objectives, ensuring governance and timely

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law or related discipline.
• At least 15 years of progressive contracts management experience on major EPC/LSTK projects.
• Strong knowledge of Canadian contract law and global commercial principles.
• Experience administering lump-sum, unit-price and cost-reimbursable agreements.
• Hands-on contract management in home-office and project-site settings.
• Strong negotiation, stakeholder engagement and leadership skills.
• Extensive experience in claims prevention, risk mitigation and dispute resolution.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day administration of large-scale contracts from formation through close-out, ensuring compliance.
• Oversee module contracts including unit-price and reimbursable arrangements.
• Develop contracting strategies to optimize commercial value and deliver project outcomes.
• Identify contractual risks early and lead claims-avoidance measures.
• Negotiate complex terms; prepare flow-downs and obtain required approvals.
• Ensure alignment of downstream commitments with prime contract obligations.
• Monitor contractor performance, schedule compliance, and change control.
• Provide executive-level reporting on contract status and risk.
• Mentor contracts personnel and promote consistent contract-management practices.

Skills

Contract management

Leadership

Negotiation

Risk management

Cross-functional coordination

Governance

Change control

Financial acumen

Project management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Law

Tools

Contract management software

Job description

The Senior Contracts Manager provides strategic leadership and hands-on oversight of complex, high-value contracts across major projects. Responsible for contract formation, administration and close-out, the role manages lump-sum, unit-price and cost-reimbursable agreements, safeguards commercial outcomes, ensures contractual compliance and drives proactive risk and claims avoidance. The position works closely with project and functional leaders to develop contracting strategies aligned with project execution and organizational objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contract Lifecycle Management— Lead day-to-day administration of multiple large-scale contracts from formation through close-out, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, client requirements and applicable law.
• Project and Module Contracts— Oversee major offsite and onsite module contracts, including unit-price and reimbursable arrangements, in alignment with project execution plans.
• Commercial Strategy— Develop and implement contracting strategies that optimize commercial value, mitigate exposure and support successful project delivery.
• Risk, Claims and Disputes— Identify contractual risks early, establish claims-avoidance measures and lead commercially equitable dispute and claims resolution.
• Contract Negotiation and Formation— Negotiate complex commercial terms and conditions; prepare contractual flow-downs and special conditions; coordinate required legal approvals.
• Prime Contract Alignment— Protect client and project commercial interests by ensuring downstream commitments align with prime contract obligations.
• Contractor Performance and Change Control— Monitor contractor performance, schedule compliance, change management and invoice accuracy to maintain contractual and financial integrity.
• Cross-Functional Coordination— Partner with project management, legal, engineering, construction, project controls, procurement and finance teams throughout execution.
• Governance and Reporting— Provide timely, executive-level reporting on contract status, commercial performance, material risks and emerging issues.
• Team Leadership— Mentor contracts personnel, provide technical guidance and support training in consistent contract-management practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law or a related discipline.
• Experience: At least 15 years of progressive contracts management experience, including leadership on major Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) or Lump Sum Turnkey (LSTK) projects.
• Legal and Commercial Knowledge: Strong knowledge of Canadian contract law, global commercial principles and the financial implications of contractual decisions.
• Contract Models: Demonstrated expertise administering lump-sum, unit-price and cost-reimbursable agreements across complex, multi-contract portfolios.
• Delivery Environments: Proven hands-on contract management experience in both home-office and project-site settings.
• Leadership and Negotiation: Strong negotiation, stakeholder engagement, strategic judgment and team leadership skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.
• Claims Management: Extensive experience in claims prevention, risk mitigation and dispute resolution.