Contracts Manager- Offshore project

Title:

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Contracts Manager- Offshore project

Location: EPC Contractors office in Abu Dhabi

Job Purpose

The Contracts Manager is responsible for leading all contractual and commercial management activities associated with a major offshore oil and gas development project. The role ensures effective administration of engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commissioning, and consultancy contracts throughout the project lifecycle.

The position provides strategic contractual advice to Project Management and ensures that all contractual rights, obligations, risks, claims, variations, and commercial exposures are properly managed to protect project interests and achieve successful project outcomes.

The Contracts Manager acts as the primary PMC focal point for contract administration, change management, claims management, dispute avoidance, and commercial governance while ensuring compliance with contractual requirements, ADNOC procedures, and industry best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Contracts Leadership & Governance

• Provide leadership and direction for all project contractual and commercial matters.
• Develop and implement contract management strategies.
• Ensure contract administration activities align with project objectives.
• Advise Project Management on contractual obligations, entitlements, and risks.
• Support decision-making through commercial and contractual analysis.
• Promote consistency in contract administration practices across the project.
• Ensure compliance with ADNOC and project governance requirements.

Contract Administration

• Administer EPC, PMC, consultancy, and vendor contracts.
• Monitor compliance with contractual requirements.
• Review contract correspondence and formal notices.
• Ensure contractual obligations are fulfilled by all parties.
• Interpret contractual provisions and provide recommendations to project teams.
• Manage contractual communications with contractors and suppliers.
• Monitor contractor performance against contractual requirements.
• Support effective execution of all contractual deliverables.

Change Management & Variations

• Manage the contract change management process.
• Review variation requests and change proposals.
• Evaluate contractual entitlement associated with changes.
• Assess schedule and cost implications arising from variations.
• Review contractor submissions relating to change orders.
• Ensure changes are properly documented and approved.
• Maintain change registers and reporting systems.
• Support negotiation and settlement of variation orders.

Claims Management

• Lead review and assessment of contractor claims.
• Analyze entitlement, liability, and contractual merit of claims.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary reviews of claims submissions.
• Prepare contractual position papers and recommendations.
• Support negotiation and resolution of disputed matters.
• Maintain project claims registers.
• Ensure timely processing of contractual claims.
• Mitigate project exposure to commercial disputes.

Commercial Risk Management

• Identify contractual and commercial risks throughout project execution.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies.
• Advise Project Management regarding risk allocation.
• Participate in project risk review workshops.
• Monitor trends that may impact project commercial performance.
• Support proactive contract administration to avoid disputes.
• Recommend strategies to improve commercial outcomes.

Tendering & Procurement Support

• Support development of tendering and contracting strategies.
• Participate in tender evaluations.
• Review bid qualifications and commercial deviations.
• Assess contractual risks within proposed contracts.
• Support contract award recommendations.
• Participate in negotiation meetings with bidders and suppliers.
• Ensure consistency between contract requirements and commercial objectives.

Contractor Performance Management

• Monitor contractor contractual performance.
• Track contractor compliance with project obligations.
• Participate in contractor review meetings.
• Evaluate contractor performance against key performance indicators.
• Escalate significant contractual performance issues.
• Recommend corrective actions where necessary.
• Support implementation of performance improvement initiatives.

Cost & Financial Oversight

• Monitor commercial impacts affecting project costs.
• Review payment applications and commercial evaluations.
• Support verification of contractor invoices.
• Monitor forecast commitments and potential liabilities.
• Coordinate with Project Controls and Cost Management teams.
• Ensure commercial management aligns with approved budgets.

HSE & Quality Responsibilities

• Promote ADNOC HSE objectives.
• Ensure contractual provisions adequately address HSE and quality requirements.
• Support integration of HSE obligations into contractual documentation.
• Verify contractor compliance with relevant contractual quality provisions.
• Participate in project audits where contractual matters are involved.

Reporting & Performance Management

• Prepare commercial and contract management reports.
• Maintain contract status registers.
• Report on variation orders, claims, disputes, and risks.
• Provide commercial assessments to Project Management.
• Monitor trends impacting contractual performance.
• Prepare management presentations as required.

Stakeholder Management

• Interface with ADNOC representatives and Project Management.
• Coordinate with engineering, construction, procurement, project controls, and legal teams.
• Build productive working relationships with contractors and suppliers.
• Support management of external stakeholders affecting contract performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Law, Business Administration, or related discipline.
• Minimum 25 years of Oil & Gas industry experience.
• Minimum 10 years in Contracts Management roles on major capital projects.
• Minimum 5 years PMC experience managing EPC contracts.
• Extensive knowledge of EPC contract structures and administration.
• Strong understanding of claims management and dispute resolution processes.
• Excellent commercial, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Certifications

• PMP
• MRICS
• CCM (Certified Construction Manager)
• CIPS Professional Certification
• FIDIC Training & Certification
• Chartered Quantity Surveyor (Preferred)
• Contract & Commercial Management Certification