Senior Manager, Contracts - Design & Engineering

SeaWorld•Orlando, FL

About The Position

United Parks & Resorts is hiring a Senior Manager, Contracts for Design & Engineering to lead the contracting process for projects supporting new attractions and themed entertainment. The role develops requests for proposal (RFP) packages and negotiates terms for scopes of work involving creative development, architectural design, construction general contracting, ride engineering and development, scenic design, production and installation, media development, and related work. As part of the corporate project delivery team, this position supports park Design and Engineering departments by developing scopes, driving procurement processes and schedules, resolving bottlenecks and administrative challenges, and ensuring compliance with project and company objectives. It serves as the key interface with Legal on contract types, terms, and conditions and extends project management through problem resolution, stakeholder coordination, procurement deliverables tracking, and contract alignment with project objectives. The role reports to the Vice President, Project Delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
At least 8 years of professional experience in contract management.
Expert understanding of legal and commercial terms, including contract types and their appropriate use.
Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to present clear, compelling, comprehensive arguments and align on common ground.
Effective prioritization and time-management skills.
Ability to foster trust through transparency and reliability.
Ability to remain resilient and calm under pressure while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, frequently changing, resource-constrained environment.
Understanding of design, fabrication, installation, construction, engineering, manufacturing, or production contracts, including integration between phases and contract types.
Evidence of inspiring accountability, collaboration, and excellence.
High proficiency with Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree related to engineering, architecture, construction management, project management, or business administration.
Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM) or Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) certification.
Experience in themed entertainment, construction, museums, or hospitality.
Intermediate SAP proficiency.

Responsibilities

Author comprehensive, clear scopes of work that minimize scope gaps and exposure to claims.
Manage new supplier registration approvals in accordance with Supply Chain Management process requirements.
Manage the RFP process and remove obstacles to supplier selection and contract issuance.
Coordinate team expertise to develop conformed bid tabulations for evaluations.
Assess supplier capacity, capability, and solvency risk.
Participate in negotiating final contracts.
Ensure contracts define scope, deliverables, schedules, fees, payment terms, intellectual property rights, insurance, indemnification, warranties, termination provisions, and other key commercial terms.
Manage internal legal review of contracts, advise on risk, and recommend final contract language and terms.
Work with Project Managers to assess fair and approved pricing for contracting scopes.
Document contractual exclusions or assumptions with Project Managers and memorialize them in executed contracts.
Advise Project Managers on contracting-related project risks and recommend mitigations and contingencies for forecasts.
Partner with Finance and Project Teams to align contractual commitments and current trends with forecasts and approved project scopes.
Support Project Management with status reporting, communications, and escalation of procurement issues requiring executive attention.
Ensure changes in scope, schedule, or deliverables are properly approved and documented in contracts and project plans.
Coordinate with Finance and Supply Chain Management to resolve invoice nonconformance or funding deficiencies and ensure suppliers are paid on time.
Develop and maintain contract templates, standards, and processes.
Establish and maintain a contract database, file structure, and document storage.
Develop and maintain key industry relationships.