Contracts Head (Oil & Gas)

Tata Projects; Mumbai; Hybrid; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Tata Projects is seeking a seasoned Contracts & Legal Leader to head governance, risk, and compliance across high-value EPC, oil & gas, and petrochemical projects in India. You will collaborate with Business, Projects, Finance, Legal, and Operations to align contracts with strategic objectives.

Responsibilities include establishing a contract governance framework, driving policy implementation, and guiding negotiations while ensuring statutory and tax compliance throughout the contract

Qualifications

• 15-20 years of experience in Contracts & legal Management.
• Leadership experience in large EPC/Oil & Gas/Petrochemical projects.
• Strong exposure to domestic and international contract frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive reviews of high-value contracts with Business, Projects, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Taxation, and Operations teams to align with objectives and risk appetite.
• Establish and drive a contract governance framework with monitoring of obligations, milestones, and compliance.
• Develop and continuously improve contract management policies, processes, templates, and best practices.
• Provide strategic guidance on contractual risk assessment, negotiation strategies, claims management, and dispute avoidance.
• Lead resolution of contract issues, disputes, and claims through stakeholder engagement and coordination with internal/external counsel.
• Drive training and knowledge-sharing on contract management, compliance, and risk mitigation practices.

Skills

Contract governance

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Negotiation

Training & capability building

Job description

Role & responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive reviews of all high-value, complex, and strategic contracts in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including Business, Projects, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Taxation, and Operations teams, to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and risk appetite.
  
• Establish and drive a robust contract governance framework through continuous monitoring of contractual obligations, deliverables, milestones, and compliance requirements throughout the contract lifecycle.
  
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve contract management and administration policies, processes, templates, and best practices in line with company standards, regulatory requirements, and industry benchmarks.
  
• Demonstrate strong understanding of legal, commercial, and taxation aspects of contracts, including statutory compliances, contractual liabilities, indemnities, warranties, liquidated damages, dispute resolution mechanisms, and associated legal implications impacting project execution and business operations.
  
• Ensure accurate maintenance, control, and archival of all contract-related documents, amendments, correspondences, approvals, notices, claims, and records to safeguard the organization's contractual interests and support audit requirements.
  
• Proactively identify, evaluate, and manage critical contractual provisions, including scope of work, delivery schedules, payment terms, change orders, penalties, liquidated damages, termination rights, force majeure clauses, performance guarantees, and breach-related obligations to mitigate commercial and operational risks.
  
• Monitor and interpret changes in applicable laws, regulations, tax statutes, industry standards, and contractual practices, ensuring timely incorporation of such changes into contracting strategies and business operations.
  
• Provide strategic guidance to project and business teams on contractual risk assessment, negotiation strategies, claims management, and dispute avoidance to protect the organization's commercial interests.
  
• Lead resolution of contractual issues, disputes, and claims through effective stakeholder engagement, negotiations, and coordination with internal and external legal counsel, where required.
  
• Drive awareness and capability building across the organization by conducting periodic training and knowledge-sharing sessions on contract management, compliance requirements, and contractual risk mitigation practices.

Preferred candidate profile

• 15-20 years of relevant experience in Contracts & legal Management.
• Minimum 8 years in a leadership role handling large EPC, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical projects.
• Strong exposure to both domestic and international contract frameworks.
• Experience in handling high-value project contracts and complex commercial negotiations.