Contracts Manager

Green Umbrella Recruitment; Zeerust; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Green Umbrella Recruitment is seeking an experienced Contracts Manager for a high-stakes energy/infrastructure project in South Africa. The candidate will lead all contractual and commercial matters around the EPC Contract, PPA, and related agreements, acting as the principal focal point for the Project Company.

The role requires 10–15 years of EPC contract experience on utility-scale power, renewables or major infrastructure, with familiarity in international contract forms and strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Law, Construction Management, Commercial Management or related discipline.
• 10–15 years of relevant experience managing EPC contracts on utility-scale power, renewable energy or major infrastructure projects.
• Experience with utility-scale Solar PV and/or Battery Energy Storage System projects is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of EPC contractual structures and international contracting practices; familiarity with FIDIC or similar international forms of contract is advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience managing contractor claims, EOT submissions, variations/change orders and contractual disputes, including experience administering Power Purchase Agreements or other major offtake agreements.
• Working knowledge of project insurance programs for construction and operational assets.
• Strong commercial and contractual judgment with an owner/SPV mindset.
• Excellent contract interpretation and risk-assessment capability.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Project Company's principal focal point for administration of the EPC Contract, the PPA and other major project agreements.
• Develop and maintain a detailed understanding of all EPC contractual obligations, milestones, guarantees, deliverables, notice requirements and commercial mechanisms.
• Monitor the EPC Contractor's compliance throughout engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, testing and project completion, tracking key milestones.
• Maintain a contractual obligations register identifying obligations, responsible parties, notice periods, deadlines and current status.
• Identify potential EPC non-compliance, delay, default and contractual exposure and advise project management on mitigation measures.
• Manage the variation/change order process end-to-end; maintain a Variation/Change Order register.
• Assess, on a case-by-case basis, entitlement and advise before the Project Company responds.
• Establish and maintain a proactive claims-avoidance strategy.
• Review and assess contractor claims relating to EOT, additional cost, variations, disruption and force majeure.
• Identify circumstances giving rise to Project Company claims and coordinate calculation of damages and compensation.
• Develop and maintain an understanding of the PPA obligations and monitor milestones, performance obligations and payment mechanisms.
• Prepare contractual notices and formal correspondence to EPC Contractor and Offtaker.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Law, Construction Management, Commercial Management or related discipline

Job description

Zeerust, South Africa | Posted on 09/08/2026

• Work Experience Minimum 10-15 years of relevant experience, including significant experience managing EPC contracts on utility-scale power, renewable energy or major infrastructure projects
• Job Opening Status Open
• Industry Energy and Utilities
• Degree Bachelor's
• Job Role Contracts Manager
• State/Province Northern Cape
• Country South Africa

Job Description

Job Location- Botswana

Job Summary:

• We are seeking an experienced Contracts Manager to lead and manage allcontractual and commercial matters associated with the development andexecution of the Project, with particular focus on the EPC Contract, the PowerPurchase Agreement (PPA), the Project's insurance program and other majorproject agreements. The successful candidate will act as the Project Company'sprincipal contractual and commercial focal point, protecting the ProjectCompany's contractual position, minimizing exposure to contractor claims anddelays, ensuring full compliance with contractual obligations, and proactivelypursuing the Project Company's contractual entitlements. The role combinesstrong contract administration and claims-management capability with aproactive, owner-side commercial mindset to support successful projectdelivery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the Project Company'sprincipal focal point for administration of the EPC Contract, the PPA and othermajor project agreements.
• Develop and maintain a detailedunderstanding of all EPC contractual obligations, milestones, guarantees,deliverables, notice requirements and commercial mechanisms.
• Monitor the EPC Contractor'scompliance throughout engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning,testing and project completion, tracking key milestones including Notice toProceed, energization, commissioning, reliability testing, Provisional Acceptance,Commercial Operation Date and Final Acceptance.
• Maintain a contractualobligations register identifying obligations, responsible parties, noticeperiods, deadlines and current status.
• Identify potential EPCnon-compliance, delay, default and contractual exposure at an early stage andadvise project management on mitigation measures; preserve the Project Company's rights through timely notices,reservations of rights and formal contractual correspondence.
• Manage the variation/change orderprocess end-to-end: review Contractor-submitted variation proposals and quotations,verify the contractual basis and pricing methodology, negotiate valuation, andprocess approvals through the Project Company's authorization levels; maintaina Variation/Change Order register.
• Assess, on a case-by-case basis,whether the EPC Contractor or other project counterparties are contractuallyentitled to take a particular action, issue an instruction, claim relief,invoke a specific contractual mechanism or make a given change, and advise theProject Director and Execution Project Director accordingly before the ProjectCompany responds.
• Establish and maintain aproactive claims-avoidance strategy; identify potential claims before theycrystallize and coordinate mitigation actions with the project team.
• Review and assess contractorclaims relating to Extension of Time (EOT), additional cost, variations,disruption, acceleration, changes in law, force majeure, site conditions,employer-caused delay and other contractual entitlements; recommend acceptance,rejection, negotiation or settlement positions, including assessment ofcontractual time bars and substantiation requirements.
• Identify circumstances givingrise to Project Company claims and proactively pursue contractual entitlementsagainst contractors; coordinate calculation of damages, delay costs, LiquidatedDamages and other contractual compensation.
• Develop and maintain a thoroughunderstanding of the PPA and the obligations of the Project Company and theOfftaker; monitor compliance with PPA milestones, performance obligations,payment mechanisms, reporting, force majeure, default and terminationprovisions.
• Prepare contractual notices andformal correspondence to the EPC Contractor, the Offtaker and othercounterparties in accordance with the applicable
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, QuantitySurveying, Law, Construction Management, Commercial Management or a relateddiscipline; a professional qualification in contracts, commercial management,construction law or quantity surveying is advantageous.
• Minimum 10-15 years of relevant experience,including significant experience managing EPC contracts on utility-scale power,renewable energy or major infrastructure projects; previous experience withutility-scale Solar PV and/or Battery Energy Storage System projects is highlydesirable.
• Strong knowledge of EPC contractual structuresand international contracting practices; familiarity with FIDIC or similarinternational forms of contract is advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience managing contractorclaims, EOT submissions, variations/change orders and contractual disputes,including experience administering Power Purchase Agreements or other majorofftake agreements.
• Working knowledge of project insurance programsfor construction and operational assets (Construction All Risks, Delay inStart-Up, Third-Party Liability, Operational All Risks), includingpolicy-wording review and coordination with brokers and insurers.
• Strong commercial and contractual judgment withan owner/SPV mindset; ability to identify contractual risks and entitlementopportunities before they become formal disputes.
• Excellent contract interpretation andrisk-assessment capability, with the ability to determine, on a reasonedcontractual basis, whether a contractor is entitled to take a particular actionor invoke a specific contractual mechanism.
• Excellent written contractual correspondenceand notice-drafting capability; strong attention to contractual deadlines,notice requirements, records and time bars.