Senior Contracts Manager - Legal/Law - 4 days a week on site - 12 month FTC in Crawley

The Senior Contracts Manager will lead contract management of complex, major systems agreements within the transportation technology sector. The Senior Contract Manager proactively anticipates, identifies, analyses and informs management of the legal, financial and performance risks that can impact success, ensuring our client minimises its contractual risk, continues to manage its contractual obligations (internal and external) and management is kept informed of performance. The role is expected to provide proactive strategic and day-to-day leadership and typically exercises significant decision-making authority under limited supervision and direction. This role requires substantial experience, legal knowledge, and high-level stakeholder management.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides expert advice on contractual risks, legal requirements and compliance standards.
• Develops contractual strategies and drives growth by streamlining processes, reducing risk, and optimising commercial strategies.
• Leads contractual responsibility for assigned complex, major systems contracts for transit systems consisting of hardware, software, installation, related banking and retail, and other services for large local government public transit customers, from initial proposal through performance and including closeout.
• Monitors the status of all contract deliverables for compliance with contract requirements.
• Responsible for project change management and coordination of contractual activities; collaborates with Project Manager to develop effective strategies and recommendations to management for resolution of contractual issues; co-ordinates submission and negotiation of complex, high dollar value contract proposals, including change orders.
• Resolves issues regarding contractual performance, including claims, changes, and terminations with little intervention from senior leadership.
• Interacts with, briefs, and makes recommendations to management regarding the progress and impact of potential contract and subcontract-related activities on the project, prepares contract and subcontract reviews and reports on issues.
• Reviews, drafts and negotiates contractual agreements; edits terms and conditions and flow-down requirements to subcontracts based on prime contracts consistent with policies.
• Manages variations from receipt to closure including approving and signing of responses and price builds; attending kick off meetings and bid reviews.
• Leads contractual responsibility for assigned major proposals and related strategic agreements, reviews requests for proposals (RFPs) and other proposals, identifies risks, mitigates unacceptable terms and completes overall risks assessment in support of bid-no-bid determination.
• Ensures that if the customer does not perform its obligations under a contract, those issues are monitored and manages these non-conformances to ensure that our client is appropriately compensated for any associated impact.
• Manages, negotiates and mitigates the damaging effect of claims made on them by customers, sub-contractors and/or suppliers.
• Monitors and reviews internal processes to ensure that they remain robust and updated in accordance with client policy and business requirements, considers ways in which new forms of contract may be employed to improve timeliness or efficiency or reduce the risk.
• Liaises closely with Business Development and shares market intelligence for the benefit of our client; fosters and develops relationships with key customers/potential customers to ensure that our client is involved as early as possible in any opportunity.
• As required, supervises junior team members or directs the work of others within the Contracts function.
• Ensures compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements, working alongside the legal department.
• Contributes to the development and execution of strategic objectives.
• Complies with values and adherence to all company policy and procedures, in particular the code of conduct, quality, security and occupational health, safety and environmental policies and procedures.

In addition to the duties and responsibilities listed, the job holder is required to perform other duties assigned by their manager from time-to-time, as may be reasonably required of them.

Minimum Job Requirements:

Skills knowledge and experience:

• Essential: Demonstrated leadership experience in commercial contract management for high value contracts which include development, service agreements, prime/sub-contract formation, hardware and software installation and maintenance agreements for both commercial and government agency customers.
• Solid experience in legal drafting and contract formation and delivery.
• Strong background in claims management, dispute resolution, and negotiating complex terms and conditions.
• Strong commercial awareness. Ability to apply strong business and contractual judgment to deliver practical, risk balanced commercial solutions.
• Strong ability to prioritise assignments and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment without supervision.
• In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Desirable:

• Understands and has experience of European and public sector procurement legislation.
• A general understanding of the technologies used in ticketing or transport systems (helpful but not essential).
• Driving license.

Education and qualifications:

• Essential: Degree in a relevant technical, legal or business discipline and/or equivalent level of experience.
• Desirable: Legal qualification and/or professional procurement/contract management qualification.