Manager Contract Management

McDermott; Sabine Pass (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

McDermott in Sabine Pass, Texas, seeks a Contracts Manager to lead contractual and commercial activities on large-scale EPCI projects. Reporting to the Project Director, you will draft baseline contract requirements, manage negotiations, and coordinate with Legal, Finance, and client teams to protect McDermott’s contractual rights.

You will supervise key workstreams, advise senior leadership, monitor critical dates, and drive change management while maintaining strategic risk allocation and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of project execution experience in energy/construction.
• University degree in Engineering or Construction Management.
• Leadership on complex contract-management and commercial workstreams.
• Experience advising senior project leadership and negotiating material terms.
• Mobilization to the job site may be required.

Responsibilities

• Establish or refine project contractual/commercial strategy and implement throughout execution.
• Lead major workstreams and advise senior project leadership.
• Draft baseline contract requirements after award and disseminate within the project team.
• Provide advice on contract interpretation, risk allocation, entitlement and settlement options.
• Lead client negotiations, change proposals, and settlement workstreams within delegated authority.
• Coordinate contractual correspondence to preserve McDermott’s rights; monitor key dates and reporting requirements.
• Assist in risk and opportunity management; coordinate with Legal, Finance, and client teams.

Skills

Contract management

Negotiation

Leadership

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Contract-management systems

Document control platforms

Microsoft 365

Job description

Our ingenuity fuels daily life. Together, we’ve forged some of the most trusted partnerships across the energy value chain to make what was once just an idea a reality: laying subsea infrastructure thousands of feet below sea level, installing platforms hundreds of miles from shore, using our expertise to design and build offshore wind infrastructure, and reshaping the onshore landscape to deliver the energy products the world needs safely and sustainably.

For more than 100 years, we've been making the impossible possible. Today, we're driving the energy transition with more than 30,000 of the brightest minds across 54 countries.

Job Description

Job Overview:

Reporting to the Project Director, the Contracts Manager will be the focal point for all contractual and commercial issues encountered during the execution phase of large-scale, complex engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) projects. The role will assist in protecting contractual entitlement and supporting profitable execution of the project.

Responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

Support the Project Contracts Manager to establish or refine a project’s contractual/commercial strategy and ensure continual implementation throughout project execution.Act as deputy to the Project Contracts Manager

Leads major or high-risk workstreams, integrates the overall commercial position and advises senior project leadership

Exercises independent judgement on complex, ambiguous or material issues and establishes strategy

Upon project award, draft baseline contract requirements and disseminate within the project team

Provide authoritative advice on contract interpretation, risk allocation, entitlement, negotiation strategy, claims, defenses and commercial resolution options

Lead significant client correspondence, negotiations, change proposals, claims and settlement workstreams within delegated authority

Periodically conduct contractual awareness sessions with project team members to ensure a consistent understanding of contract requirements

Identify critical or sensitive contractual issues and act as a conduit for Legal support to the project when required

Prior to marine and hook-up operations, hold readiness reviews with Field Engineers to ensure contractual awareness especially with respect to waiting on weather criteria and Client instructions

Act as the initial point of contact with the Client for all contractual issues that arise during project execution

Establish an effective working relationship with counterpart from Client team to ensure timely resolution of contractual issues

Support the project team to establish the change management process, setting a culture of change identification

Lead / participate in change management meetings to identify changes that may result in entitlement for compensation and / or schedule relief

Together with the Project Contracts Manger, evaluate cost and schedule impact of all identified changes both on an individual and cumulative basis

Challenge the project team on scope growth, delay, owner-caused impacts, records, mitigation and recovery opportunities; ensure appropriate executive visibility

Senior interface with Project Director, Contracts Director, Legal, Finance, client leadership, partners and executive governance

Engage with the Client on a continual basis to discuss contractual issues including outstanding and pending change orders.Lead negotiations with Client and work towards timely resolution of change orders and contract amendments

Shapes negotiation and claims strategy and leads matters within delegated authority; escalates reserved decisions

Coordinate resolution of contractual issues within the project environment to the extent possible.Brief Project Director and McDermott management on sensitive issues and support escalation of disputes when required

Coordinate administration of all contractual correspondence with the Client including the timely release of notification required to ensure McDermott’s contractual rights are preserved

Monitor key dates against dates defined in the main contract and any subcontracts and advise Project Contracts Manager / Project Manager / Project Director of the implications of delays, if any

Assist in the preparation of project weekly and monthly progress reports for internal and external distribution as per internal and Contract requirementsAssure the quality of monthly commercial reporting, exposure analysis, opportunity forecasting, decision papers and governance submissions

Contribute to project risk and opportunity management processes.Interface with Corporate Finance team to ensure contractual requirements are understood and all necessary insurances and guarantees are provided.Submit and follow-up on applications for Completion Certificates.Coordinate commercial close out of main contract including step down of bank guarantee and release of retentions.Prepare a flow down clause plan highlighting the key obligations and liabilities which are required to be passed onto subcontractors / vendors.In particular, ensure that back-to-back guarantees, warranties and insurances are obtained from subcontractors / vendors

Assist Supply Chain Management team to coordinate the administration of contractual correspondence with all Vendors and Subcontractors

Ensure that the external changes (backcharges) are taken up timely with the Vendor and Subcontractors

Lead contractual readiness for completion, acceptance, final account, security release and warranty handover

Leads and assures the work of contract-management personnel; coaches the team and allocates priorities

Exercises independent judgement on technically and commercially complex matters and recommends a preferred course with alternatives, consequences and approval requirements

Escalates matters outside delegated authority, precedent-setting positions, material departures from approved risk appetite, probable disputes, significant cash exposure and issues requiring executive or legal privilege oversight

Ensure negotiation positions and concessions are documented and approved before commitment

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications and Education:

• Minimum 10+ years of project execution experience in the energy and / or construction industries (at least 5 of which will have been within a contracts or commercial management role)
• University degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or similar
• Leadership experience on complex contract-management, claims or commercial workstreams on major EPC / EPCI projects
• Proven experience advising senior project leadership, leading material negotiations and integrating cross-functional entitlement and risk positions
• Experience on major EPC projects is strongly preferred
• Strong drafting, negotiation, analytical and record-management skills
• Commercial awareness, sound judgement and disciplined protection of contractual rights
• Working knowledge of contract-management systems, document control platforms and Microsoft 365 tools
• High standards of ethics, confidentiality, compliance, inclusion, safety leadership and professional conduct
• Mobilization to the job site may be required