Project Contract Manager

WSP; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 174,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement savings

Parental leave

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Project Contract Manager to lead commercial governance on energy infrastructure programs in Houston. You will drive contract compliance, change management, and cost/schedule controls across pre‑award, construction, and closeout phases, partnering with project teams to protect outcomes.

The role requires strong experience in contract negotiations, risk management, and project controls, with a track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, legal studies or business management.
• 10+ years of experience supporting major infrastructure capital projects.
• Expertise in construction contract change management, claims analysis, and commercial negotiations.
• Strong background in project controls, cost forecasting, schedule analysis, and risk management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in controlling and mitigating project costs and risk exposure.
• Ability to uphold workplace safety policies.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial and project controls oversight on complex infrastructure projects from start‑up through execution, closeout, and dispute resolution.
• Support project managers in development of pricing for work product and management of risks and contingencies.
• Proactive project and contract change and claims management and resolution.
• Engage and advise WSP legal counsel as required.
• Provide input on project team staffing and contract setup aligned with client standards.
• Lead negotiation efforts for prime task orders and amendments.

Skills

Project controls

Cost forecasting

Schedule analysis

Risk management

Negotiations

Communication skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, legal studies or business management

MBA or MS in engineering, construction management, legal studies or business management

Licensed professional engineer (PE), architect (AIA) or attorney (State Bar)

Tools

Primavera P6

Power BI

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a Project Contract Manager to support one or more energy production and transmission infrastructure projects on which WSP plays a significant role. Based in the Commercial Management Group within WSP’s Program Management Business Line, the Project Contract Manager leads efforts to manage the flow of information, contract compliance, documentation, communications, and issue resolution throughout the pre- and post-award and construction phases of one or more major projects within the project portfolio being managed by WSP, in partnership with WSP’s project team.

Your Impact

In this role, you will work closely with the project management team, operations, legal, and finance to integrate standardized best practices for schedule, cost, and risk, and related contingency management into a strong commercial outcome across the project’s lifecycle. You will support the WSP project team by integrating commercial strategy with data‑driven project controls, as well as help the team proactively identify risk, manage performance, and protect schedule, quality and financial outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide commercial and project controls oversight on complex infrastructure projects from start‑up through execution, closeout, and dispute resolution.
• Support project managers and teams in development of pricing for work product, and in management of risks and contingencies, including avoidance of "scope creep".
• Proactive project and contract change and claims management and resolution.
• Engage and advise WSP legal counsel as required.
• Provide input/recommendations on project team staffing.
• Recommend, and support the project team in applying, strategies for proper project setup to align with client project control standards.
• Support task leads in development of SOW proposals.
• Lead negotiation efforts for prime task orders and amendments.
• Interpret client contracts to identify major contract requirements, insurance, mandatory required flow downs.
• Manage contract workflow and collaboration with Program leaders to ensure efficient contract execution and suggest and implement new / more efficient processes as needed.
• Support contract/subcontract development, execution and implementation by developing requests for proposals/qualifications, negotiation positions, documenting trade‑off decisions for leadership, tracking contractual deliverables, and process contract close‑out procedures.
• Develop subcontract scopes of work with task leads.
• In collaboration with Project Accounting and task leads, complete budget proposals.
• Project kick‑off meeting contribution; technical and commercial (internal and external).
• Maintain an audit file for each contract to include the original contract, all correspondence, changes/deviations/modifications, amendments, clarifications, payment schedules, and deliverables.
• Develop, monitor and manage WSP commercial metrics (e.g., earned value, cost tracking, schedule, cash flow, change orders, cost vs budget trends, etc.).
• Develop and maintain relationships with project‑level WSP Project Accountant and project control teams to provide the project team with sufficient support.

Who You Are

You are an experienced commercial leader with proven background in large‑scale project delivery, project controls, contract change management, and contractor claims management.You are a commercially‑driven professional who understands how project management, contracts, risk, and financial performance at the project level align with broader business objectives. You are collaborative, analytical, and confident operating in fast paced and complex delivery environments.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, legal studies or business management or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience supporting major infrastructure capital projects, including delivery of associated equipment and materials requiring long lead procurement.
• Demonstrated expertise in construction contract change management, claims analysis, and commercial negotiations.
• Strong background in project controls, cost forecasting, schedule analysis, and risk management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in controlling and mitigating projects costs and risk exposure.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex contractual or technical information.
• Detailed, organized, and able to manage multiple tasks in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP's health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.

Preferred Skillsets/Qualifications:

• Advanced degree such as an MBA or MS in engineering, construction management, legal studies or business management.
• Licensed professional engineer (PE), architect (AIA) or attorney (State Bar).
• Experience within owner, developer, general contractor, or commercial advisory environments.
• Substantive experience supporting delivery of major projects in the energy sector.
• Advanced proficiency in project controls and reporting tools (e.g., Primavera P6, Power BI, cost management systems).
• Experience developing and reviewing legal and contractual documents, including MOUs, IGAs, RFQs, SOQs, RFPs, proposals, and contractor correspondence.
• Experience supporting procurements, including development and review of letters, proposer inquiries, and formal response documents.
• Excellent leadership skills with the ability to interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to produce and present executive‑level cost, schedule, risk, contingency allocation, and performance reporting.
• Demonstrated experience advising and influencing senior leadership and clients.
• Professional presence and customer service mindset when interacting with contractors, consultants, leadership, and stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team while maintaining a strong sense of ownership over assigned tasks.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $174,400 - $259,100

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.