Senior Contract & Claim Manager

Title: Senior Contract & Claim Manager

Summary: The Senior Contract & Claim Manager is responsible for leading contract administration, claims management, commercial risk management, and strategic contract support for complex energy, power generation, and industrial projects throughout the Americas region. This role serves as a key advisor to project teams and leadership, ensuring contractual compliance, protecting commercial interests, mitigating risk, and maximizing project profitability.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Manage the full contract lifecycle from project award through project closeout.
Review, interpret, and administer customer contracts, subcontract agreements, supplier contracts, and commercial terms and conditions.
Ensure contractual obligations, milestones, notice requirements, and deliverables are properly documented and executed.
Provide contractual guidance and support to project teams throughout project execution.
Maintain comprehensive contract documentation and records.
Lead the preparation, evaluation, submission, negotiation, and resolution of contractual claims.
Develop and defend outgoing claims related to scope changes, delays, disruptions, schedule impacts, productivity losses, and other entitlement events.
Analyze and respond to incoming claims from customers, suppliers, subcontractors, and other project stakeholders.
Gather supporting documentation and develop claim strategies based on contractual rights and project records.
Support dispute resolution efforts and settlement negotiations.
Support the development, negotiation and execution of contract amendments, change orders, and commercial modifications.
Evaluate impacts to project scope, schedule, costs, risks, and resources.
Collaborate with project teams to ensure proper documentation and approval of changes.
Monitor and track change order opportunities throughout project execution.
Identify, evaluate, and mitigate contractual, commercial, and operational risks.
Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies that protect project profitability and execution performance.
Support project teams in managing contractual exposures and commercial opportunities.
Provide strategic recommendations to management regarding contract performance and risk management.
Participate in project reviews and support decision-making processes.
Support supplier and subcontractor contract negotiations and administration.
Monitor supplier contractual compliance, performance obligations, and commercial commitments.
Assist in resolving supplier disputes and commercial issues.
Evaluate contractual risks associated with supply agreements and procurement activities.
Lead commercial negotiations and settlement discussions with customers, suppliers, and business partners.
Prepare settlement agreements and supporting documentation.
Balance legal, commercial, financial, and operational considerations to achieve successful business outcomes.
Work closely with internal and external legal counsel when necessary.
Support project leadership with contract interpretation, negotiations, and commercial strategy development.
Identify opportunities to improve commercial performance and project outcomes.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to contracts, claims management, and project execution processes.
Support lessons learned initiatives and implementation of best practices across the organization.

Required Education:

Master's degree in Commercial Management, Contract Management, Project Management, Finance, or a related discipline

Required Experience:

Minimum 10 years of experience in contract management, claims management, commercial management, project management, or related roles.
Experience supporting large-scale energy, power generation, EPC, industrial, infrastructure, or construction projects.
Demonstrated success managing complex contracts, claims, change orders, and commercial negotiations.
Experience administering high-value customer and supplier agreements.
Experience working in multinational and cross-functional project environments.

Preferred Experience:

Experience with power generation, energy, marine, industrial service, or infrastructure projects.
Experience with FIDIC, EPC, EPCM, service agreements, or major capital projects.
Experience supporting projects across multiple jurisdictions.
Experience working with both legal and operational project teams.

Required 3rd party Certifications/Qualifications: Specific requirements for ISO and other compliance/regulatory agencies.

Physical Requirements:

Position is based in Houston, Texas and requires regular office attendance.
Travel throughout the Americas region is required to support customer meetings, negotiations, project reviews, claims discussions, and site visits.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require.
Ability to attend meetings at project sites, customer facilities, industrial plants, construction sites, and supplier locations.
Ability to sit for extended periods while preparing contracts, claims analyses, reports, and presentations.
Ability to conduct presentations and participate in negotiations with internal and external stakeholders.

While primarily an office-based role, occasional visits to customer facilities, power plants, industrial sites, manufacturing facilities, and construction projects may be required. During these visits, the employee may be exposed to:

Industrial and construction environments
Active maintenance and operational activities
Moving equipment and machinery
Noise requiring hearing protection
Elevated work areas and confined industrial spaces
Varying weather conditions and outdoor environments

Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn when visiting operational or project sites.
Although primarily a commercial role, the Senior Contract & Claim Manager is expected to support and promote a strong Health, Safety, Environmental, and Quality (HSEQ) culture by:

Complying with all company safety policies and procedures.
Ensuring contractual requirements related to safety, environmental compliance, and quality are properly addressed and managed.
Supporting project teams in understanding contractual HSEQ obligations.
Promoting ethical business practices, regulatory compliance, and risk awareness.
Serving as a role model for professionalism, integrity, and continuous improvement.

Competencies:
Contract & Commercial Management

Expert knowledge of commercial contract administration and contract interpretation.
Strong understanding of claims management principles and dispute resolution strategies.
Advanced negotiation and settlement agreement development skills.
Ability to identify contractual risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
Knowledge of project execution, procurement, scheduling, and commercial controls.

Financial & Analytical Skills

Ability to analyze project financial impacts, delay claims, disruption claims, and commercial exposures.
Understanding of project budgets, cost reporting, change management, and profitability analysis.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Ability to evaluate risks and make sound commercial recommendations.

Leadership & Communication

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Strong presentation and stakeholder management capabilities.
Ability to influence decision-making at all organizational levels.
Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and relationship management skills.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive consensus.

Technical Knowledge

General understanding of engineering, construction, industrial, or energy project execution.
Familiarity with project schedules, technical specifications, quality requirements, and procurement processes.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Experience with project management tools.

Language Requirements

Fluent English required.
Spanish proficiency strongly preferred.