EPC Operations Commercial Manager

Description

Fermi America is seeking an EPC Operations Commercial Manager to serve as the subject matter expert for contracts and commercial alignment across Project Matador. This role sits at the intersection of Operations, Procurement, Project Controls, and Legal, and is accountable for ensuring that commercial positions, contract terms, and change management actions are consistent, defensible, and aligned across all functions.

The Commercial Manager serves as the primary bridge between Change Management within Project Controls and the Legal team, translating field and project events into properly documented commercial actions, and translating legal and contractual requirements into practical direction for the project team. The role supports the full lifecycle of EPC and major vendor agreements, from contract formation and negotiation support through administration, change management, claims avoidance, dispute support, and closeout.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Contracts and Commercial Subject Matter Expertise

• Serve as the recognized SME for EPC, construction, engineering, and major equipment contract terms and conditions across the Operations organization.
• Advise Operations, Procurement, and Project Controls on contractual rights, obligations, notice requirements, and remedies under executed agreements.
• Support contract formation: review draft agreements, exhibits, and commercial terms for consistency with Fermi contracting standards and project execution strategy.
• Maintain a working knowledge of all active agreements within the assigned portfolio, including pricing structures, milestone and payment terms, liability provisions, and schedule obligations.

Change Management and Legal Interface

• Act as the bridge between the Project Controls change management function and the Legal team, ensuring change orders, trends, and claims are contractually grounded before disposition.
• Review contractor and vendor change order submissions for entitlement, substantiation, and compliance with contract requirements, and prepare or coordinate formal disposition positions.
• Draft and manage formal commercial correspondence, including notices, hold and release letters, disputes, and reservation of rights, in coordination with Legal.
• Support claims avoidance and dispute resolution, including preparation of position documents, factual records, and commercial analysis for negotiations or escalation.
• Ensure contractual notice periods, cure periods, and response deadlines are tracked and met across the portfolio.

Procurement and Operations Support

• Support Procurement in commercial negotiations, bid evaluations, and terms alignment for new awards and amendments.
• Ensure flowdown of prime contract requirements into subcontracts and purchase orders where applicable.
• Support commercial recovery efforts, including identification, documentation, and pursuit of credits, backcharges, and overbilling corrections.
• Participate in vendor and contractor commercial meetings as the Owner commercial representative.
• Support lender, tenant, and internal diligence requests related to contract and commercial matters.

Governance and Reporting

• Maintain the commercial risk and issues register for the assigned portfolio and report status to Operations leadership.
• Develop and maintain commercial procedures, templates, and workflows in coordination with Legal, Procurement, and Project Controls.
• Provide clear, executive level summaries of commercial positions, exposures, and recommended actions for leadership decision making.
• Promote consistency and discipline in commercial documentation and records management across the project team.

Requirements

Required

• Bachelor's degree in construction science, construction management, engineering, business, law, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in the industry, with at least 2 years in a Commercial Lead or Commercial Manager role.
• Demonstrated expertise in EPC contract structures, change management, claims, and commercial correspondence.
• Experience working directly with legal counsel on contract interpretation, disputes, and formal notices.
• Strong drafting skills for commercial letters, position papers, and executive summaries.
• Ability to work across functions and influence outcomes with Procurement, Project Controls, Construction, and Legal stakeholders.

Preferred

• Owner side or EPC experience on major capital projects.
• Experience with power generation, high voltage electrical infrastructure, data center, or industrial project construction scopes.
• Familiarity with project controls systems and contract management platforms.
• Experience supporting project financing or lender diligence processes.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

This is a hybrid role supporting the project remotely, with travel of up to 50% to the corporate office in Dallas, Texas and the Project Matador campus in Amarillo, Texas. The role requires collaboration across corporate and site based teams and travel as needed to support negotiations and vendor engagements.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods working at a desk and on a computer.
• Ability to access and move about active construction sites, including walking on uneven terrain, and to wear required personal protective equipment when on site.
• Ability to travel by air and vehicle between work locations.