German and French Speaking Contract Manager

Black Pen Recruitment; Durban; Hybrid; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology provider is seeking a Contract Manager in Durban. This role is hybrid and requires fluency in German and French along with over 3 years of experience in managing large service implementations. You will coordinate complex projects and ensure high-quality outcomes for clients. Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently are essential. Join a company committed to sustainable practices and digital transformation.

Qualifications

• More than 3 years of experience in handling large service implementations.
• Good and confident communication; high social competence.
• Customer-oriented thinking and acting.

Responsibilities

• Manage contract implementations and coordinate customer requirements.
• Create contracts and positions in SAP.
• Ensure spare parts planning and inventory.

Skills

Fluent in German

Fluent in French

Teamwork

Good communication

Independent working style

Customer-oriented thinking

Very good Excel skills

High resilience

Education

Completed technical training

Tools

SAP

Job description

Our client is a leading independent technology and services provider, trusted by large corporate and public sector organisations. They are a responsible business that believes in winning together for people and our planet. Our client helps our customers to Source, Transform and Manage their technology infrastructure to deliver digital transformation, enabling people and their business. Our client is a public company quoted on the London FTSE and employs over 20,000 people worldwide.

Role Overview

The Contract Manager is responsible for ensuring and managing large maintenance service implementations. This involves managing complex technological and commercial aspects and coordinating with the relevant interfaces. Generally, the Contract Manager also serves as a technical contact for the Contract Specialist.

Job Type: Full Time

Location: South Africa

Work Place: Hybrid

Requirements

• Completed technical training.
• Fluent in German and French
• More than 3 years of experience in handling large service implementations.
• Conducting complex service implementations in close collaboration with the technical contacts at the customer.
• Teamwork and active maintenance of open and constructive working relationships.
• Good and confident communication; high social competence.
• Confident appearance towards customers and manufacturers.
• Predominantly independent working style.
• Customer-oriented thinking and acting.
• Very good manufacturer knowledge.
• High cost awareness / commercial knowledge.
• Ability to self-organize and work on a project basis.
• Very good Excel skills.
• Good English skills.
• High resilience.

Desirable

• Good SAP knowledge.
• Knowledge of the CC value chain "Group Field Services".
• Has already worked in a branch office.
• Business/economics education (FH, UNI, BA).
• Comes directly from companies at the same value chain level or from a manufacturer.
• Basic controlling knowledge.

Critical Success Factors

• Predominantly independent and proactive work.
• The quality of the implementation process, especially towards the customer, must be the focus of daily work.
• Escalation instance for management, internal/external customers.
• Customer orientation / business partner.Good self-organization and setting of priorities.
• Absolute integrity.

Key Contacts

Internal: 70-80%

• Service Account Management, Service Management.
• Contract Management, Inventory Management, Product Team, Cost Desk, THD, Contract Controlling Team, Inside Sales, and SLA invoicing team.

External: 20-30%

• End customer
• Manufacturer

Responsibilities (includes % of time)

Management of Contract Implementation: 60% to 80%

• Reviewing the prerequisites for contract fulfillment together with the Account Manager / Service Account Manager / Service Manager. This includes document review (offer, order, calculation, special agreements) and plausibility check (service delivery, costs, processes, equipment lists) and potentially requesting all missing contract-relevant information.
• Coordinating customer requirements during contract implementation with the external customer, including on-site visits.
• Interface management with central services in Kerpen.
• Contract Management (reinsurance).
• Central Repair Center (Service Center).
• Spare Part Management.
• Product Team.
• THDs.
• Ensuring spare parts planning and inventory.

Contract administration:

• Creating contracts and positions in SAP.
• Assigning equipment to logical configurations and integrating them into the respective contract positions.
• Preparing the maintenance of processing instructions.
• Consolidating service contracts if necessary / proposing and utilizing synergy potentials in spare parts inventory.
• Determining invoice values and forwarding them to the SLA invoicing team.
• Preparing requirements for implementing the reporting requirements of the contract customer if they deviate from the standard for central processing.
• Managing dynamic maintenance contracts, including cyclical increases/decreases or the entire maintenance inventory with the customer / service management / inside sales.
• Incident resolution (customer escalations).

Project Work and Complementary Tasks: 10% to 20%

• Taking on individual project leads at the national and European level (new maintenance requirement tool, CISCO harmonization project, SharePoint project, etc.).
• Taking on special tasks within the team, such as specific in-depth manufacturer knowledge and/or process knowledge.
• Active interface management (e.g., with inside sales, contract management, inventory, THD, charging, etc.).

Communication and Networking: 10% to 20%

• Active and sustainable communication with adjacent interfaces (SAM, invoicing, CM team, cost desk, inventory, THD, inside sales, etc.).
• Building and maintaining networks with the aforementioned relevant interfaces to ensure smooth process flow.