Manager Contract Management

Lutech Resources•Houston, TX

About The Position

Reporting to the Project Contracts Manager, the Contracts Manager is the focal point for contractual and commercial issues during execution of large-scale, complex engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) projects. The role supports the protection of contractual entitlement and profitable project execution while integrating the prime contract with the project’s commercial model, local execution, modularization, marine facilities, licensors, vendors, subcontractors, and country-entry requirements. Delivery is Houston-led, with global engineering, procurement, and fabrication interfaces and substantial in-country execution in Argentina. The role supports and may act as deputy to the Project Contracts Manager, leads significant or high-risk contractual workstreams, advises senior project leadership, and exercises independent judgment on complex matters. It provides authoritative guidance on contract interpretation, risk allocation, entitlement, negotiations, claims, defenses, and commercial resolutions. The Contracts Manager also leads contract administration, change management, claims and closeout activities; supports subcontract and vendor commercial matters; and leads, coaches, and prioritizes the work of contract-management personnel.

Requirements

At least 10 years of project execution experience in the energy and/or construction industries.
At least 5 years of experience in a contracts or commercial management role.
University degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a similar field.
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.
Strong drafting, negotiation, analytical, and record-management skills.
Commercial awareness, sound judgment, and disciplined protection of contractual rights.
Working knowledge of contract-management systems, document-control platforms, and Microsoft 365 tools.
Fluency in English and Spanish.
Ability to translate complex contractual issues into practical project actions and clear executive advice.
High standards of ethics, confidentiality, compliance, inclusion, safety leadership, and professional conduct.

Nice To Haves

Experience on major EPC projects is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Support the Project Contracts Manager in establishing or refining the project’s contractual and commercial strategy and ensuring its implementation throughout execution.
Act as deputy to the Project Contracts Manager.
During pre-award, review proposed terms, commercial clarifications, and qualifications for alignment with execution strategy, scope, schedule, pricing basis, tax structure, entity strategy, and approved risk position.
Support transition from tender and FEED activities to early works and full EPC, including contract handover, assumptions registers, open-item logs, deviations, approvals, and preservation of bid entitlements.
Lead major or high-risk workstreams, integrate the overall commercial position, advise senior project leadership, and establish strategy for complex or material issues.
Upon award, draft baseline contract requirements and disseminate them 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.
Conduct periodic contractual awareness sessions for project team members.
Identify critical or sensitive contractual issues and connect the project with Legal support when required.
Before marine and hook-up operations, hold readiness reviews with Field Engineers to reinforce contractual awareness, particularly regarding waiting-on-weather criteria and Client instructions.
Establish an effective working relationship with the Client team to support timely resolution of contractual issues.
Help establish the project change-management process and promote a culture of change identification; lead or participate in change-management meetings to identify changes that may support compensation or schedule relief.
Prepare or support claims, defenses, counterclaims, and commercial settlements, including factual chronologies and entitlement narratives.
With the Project Contracts Manager, evaluate cost and schedule impacts of identified changes individually and cumulatively, and support claims that may develop into disputes with the Client, Suppliers, or Subcontractors.
Challenge the project team on scope growth, delay, owner-caused impacts, records, mitigation, and recovery opportunities, and ensure appropriate executive visibility.
Serve as a senior interface with the Project Director, Contracts Director, Legal, Finance, client leadership, partners, and executive governance.
Shape negotiation and claims strategy, lead matters within delegated authority, and escalate reserved decisions and sensitive issues as required.
Coordinate resolution of contractual issues within the project where possible; brief the Project Director and McDermott management on sensitive issues and support dispute escalation when required.
Coordinate administration of contractual correspondence with the Client, including timely notices needed to preserve McDermott’s contractual rights.
Monitor key dates in the main contract and subcontracts and advise the Project Contracts Manager, Project Manager, and Project Director of any implications of delay.
Assist with weekly and monthly project progress reports for internal and external distribution, and assure the quality of monthly commercial reporting, exposure analyses, opportunity forecasts, decision papers, and governance submissions.
Contribute to project risk and opportunity management processes.
Interface with Corporate Finance to ensure contractual requirements are understood and required insurances and guarantees are provided.
Submit and follow up on applications for Completion Certificates; coordinate main-contract commercial closeout, including bank-guarantee step-down and retention release.
Prepare a flow-down clause plan identifying obligations and liabilities to pass to subcontractors and vendors, and ensure back-to-back guarantees, warranties, and insurances are obtained.
Assist Supply Chain Management with administration of vendor and subcontractor correspondence, package strategy, bidder qualifications, commercial evaluations, negotiations, award recommendations, and contract formation for key equipment, module fabrication, logistics, marine, and in-country packages.
Ensure supplier and subcontractor events are promptly captured for upstream notice and recovery, and that external changes or backcharges are pursued with vendors and subcontractors in a timely manner.
Lead contractual readiness for completion, acceptance, final account, security release, and warranty handover.
Maintain audit-ready records in the approved document-management system and ensure correspondence and approvals are traceable.
Lead and assure the work of contract-management personnel, coach the team, and allocate priorities.
Recommend preferred courses of action on technically and commercially complex matters, including alternatives, consequences, and approval requirements.
Escalate 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.