Contracts Manager
full-time
JOB PURPOSE
The Contracts Manager is responsible for the effective management, administration, interpretation, and governance of key contracts across multi-party renewable energy projects, including EPC, O&M, PPA, land lease, Long-Term Service Agreements, consultancy agreements, and other project-related agreements.
The role is accountable for ensuring that contractual obligations are identified, monitored, managed, and enforced in accordance with the relevant project agreements. The Contracts Manager will provide contractual and commercial support to project, operations, finance, legal, procurement, and asset management teams, while proactively identifying contractual risks, managing claims and variations, supporting dispute resolution processes, and ensuring that all notices, approvals, payment milestones, procurement activities, and stakeholder communications are handled in line with applicable contractual provisions and internal governance requirements.
The Contracts Manager will also be required to manage contract-related workstreams from inception to close-out, support procurement and negotiation processes, oversee contract compliance, and contribute to the continuous improvement of contract management practices, tools, trackers, and reporting across ENGIE Southern Africa's renewable energy portfolio.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Commercial Correspondence and Contract Notices
Draft, review, issue, and manage formal contractual correspondence and notices under various project agreements.
Ensure that all notices are issued within the required contractual timelines and in accordance with prescribed notice provisions.
Maintain accurate notice registers for correspondence issued to and received from project stakeholders, contractors, consultants, lenders, authorities, and other third parties.
Ensure that all contractual correspondence, notices, approvals, and project-related records are properly stored and maintained on SharePoint or other approved document management platforms.
Support project teams in determining when formal contractual notices are required and advise on appropriate wording, timing, and contractual basis.
Review correspondence received from contractors, consultants, service providers, and stakeholders, and coordinate appropriate responses with internal subject matter experts and legal teams where required.
Contract Management and Compliance
Manage the administration and implementation of EPC, O&M, PPA, land lease, LTSA, service level, consultancy, and other project-related agreements.
Ensure that project obligations under the relevant contracts are identified, tracked, monitored, and reported to the appropriate internal teams.
Develop, maintain, and update obligations trackers for operational and construction projects.
Present and explain key contractual obligations, risks, and compliance requirements to project teams, operations teams, asset management teams, and other relevant stakeholders.
Monitor contractor and service provider compliance with contractual obligations, performance requirements, reporting obligations, warranties, guarantees, insurance requirements, payment obligations, and other deliverables.
Support the implementation of contract management processes, systems, templates, registers, and procedures to improve contract governance and consistency across projects.
Provide guidance to internal stakeholders on contract interpretation, contractual rights and remedies, and the practical application of contract provisions.
Ensure that contract amendments, waivers, extensions, renewals, and variations are properly reviewed, documented, approved, and executed in accordance with internal governance requirements.
Claims, Variations and Dispute Management
Manage and coordinate the assessment, review, and administration of claims, variation orders, compensation events, delay events, extensions of time, payment claims, and other contractual entitlements.
Review claims and variations submitted by contractors, consultants, or service providers and coordinate the technical, financial, legal, and commercial assessment of such claims.
Prepare contractual assessments, recommendation notes, management summaries, and supporting documentation for claims, disputes, and variation-related matters.
Assist in resolving contractual disagreements and disputes through early engagement, structured correspondence, negotiation, and escalation where required.
Support legal counsel and internal stakeholders in the preparation of dispute resolution processes, including adjudication, mediation, arbitration, litigation, liquidation-related matters, and settlement negotiations.
Maintain accurate records of claims, disputes, variations, commercial risks, and related correspondence.
Assist in developing risk mitigation strategies to reduce contractual exposure and protect ENGIE's commercial and legal position.
Cost Management and Commercial Administration
Oversee the commercial administration of contracts, including payment milestones, cost certificates, purchase orders, invoices, variation orders, and budget tracking.
Review and assess invoices, payment claims, cost certificates, and supporting documentation against contractual requirements and approved budgets.
Coordinate with Project Finance, Finance, Procurement, Asset Management, and project teams regarding payment approvals, cost allocations, budget tracking, and commercial reporting.
Support the preparation and administration of monthly cost certificates and other contractual payment deliverables.
Monitor the cost allocation to consultants, contractors, service providers, and third parties against approved budgets and contractual commitments.
Provide input into annual budget processes, contract forecasts, accruals, and commercial planning.
Conduct commercial analysis, pricing comparisons, contract benchmarking, and cost assessments as required for procurement, contract renewals, negotiations, variations, and management reporting.
Ensure that procurement-related activities are conducted in line with ENGIE South Africa's Procurement Policy and applicable governance requirements.
Procurement, Contract Negotiation and Third-Party Engagement
Support procurement processes from request for information, request for proposal, evaluation, negotiation, award, contract execution, implementation, and close-out.
Assist in the preparation and review of procurement scopes, commercial terms, contractual requirements, evaluation criteria, and tender documentation.
Participate in negotiations with contractors, consultants, service providers, suppliers, and other third parties.
Review and compare contractual terms, pricing submissions, commercial proposals, and risk allocations during procurement and contract renewal processes.
Support the appointment and management of external consultants, including Independent Engineers, Owner's Engineers, Lenders' Technical Advisors, legal counsel, and other technical or commercial advisors.
Ensure that contract award recommendations, approvals, and supporting documents are prepared in accordance with internal governance processes.
Manage contract close-out activities, including final account preparation, final completion requirements, release of securities, handover documentation, and record keeping.
Reporting and Governance
Prepare, review, consolidate, and provide input into contract management reports relating to construction, operations, procurement, claims, variations, contractual risk, and project obligations.
Prepare contract-related updates for management, EXCO, Board, lenders, shareholders, and other stakeholders as required.
Maintain contract registers, notice registers, claims registers, variation registers, obligations trackers, guarantee registers, and other relevant contract management tools.
Support internal governance processes, including approval memos, Board notes, lender consent requests, shareholder approvals, and round robin approvals where required.
Ensure that contract management activities are aligned with internal policies, delegated authority frameworks, procurement requirements, and applicable governance standards.
Identify contractual, commercial, operational, and legal risks and escalate material matters to senior management and relevant internal stakeholders.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of contract management processes, reporting templates, standard operating procedures, and internal controls.
Stakeholder Management and Communication
Act as a key contractual interface between ENGIE internal teams and external stakeholders.
Work closely with Project Teams, Asset Management, Operations, Finance, Procurement, Legal, HR, Compliance, and senior management.
Engage with contractors, O&M operators, EPC contractors, consultants, suppliers, landowners, lenders, government bodies, and other project stakeholders.
Provide clear, practical, and commercially sound contractual advice to internal stakeholders.
Facilitate alignment between technical, commercial, legal, financial, and operational teams on contract-related matters.
Coordinate and attend key project, operational, commercial, and contract management meetings.
Ensure that meeting actions, contractual decisions, commercial positions, and follow-up items are properly recorded and tracked.
Team Support and Oversight
Provide guidance, support, and oversight to Contracts Administrators or junior contract management team members where applicable.
Review work prepared by Contracts Administrators, including notices, registers, minutes, trackers, reports, purchase order requests, invoice checks, and contract records.
Support the development of contract administration capabilities within the team.
Promote consistent contract management practices across all projects and contracts.
Assist in allocating contract management tasks, monitoring deliverables, and ensuring timely completion of team outputs.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Internal Communication
The Contracts Manager will be required to engage regularly with:
Project Teams
Operations and Maintenance Teams
Asset Management
Finance Department
Procurement Department
Legal Department
Compliance and Governance Teams
HR Department, where required
Senior Management
EXCO and Board stakeholders, where required
All levels of staff involved in financial close, construction, operations, procurement, disputes, contract implementation, and project close-out
External Communication
The Contracts Manager will be required to engage with:
Single Buyer Office
Independent Power Producers Office
NTCSA / Eskom-related stakeholders, where applicable
External lawyers
Lenders and lender representatives
Independent Engineers
Owner's Engineers
Lenders' Technical Advisors
EPC Contractors
O&M Contractors
Suppliers and consultants
Landowners
Government departments and regulatory bodies, where applicable
Other project stakeholders and service providers
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, Law, Commercial Management, Project Management, or related qualification.
A postgraduate qualification in commercial law, construction law, project management, contract management, or business management would be advantageous.
7 to 10 years' relevant experience in contract management, construction contracts, infrastructure projects, energy projects, or renewable energy projects.
Experience in managing, administering, interpreting, and negotiating EPC, O&M, NEC, FIDIC, PPA, LTSA, consultancy, and service agreements.
Strong experience in claims, variations, payment mechanisms, contractual notices, dispute resolution support, commercial correspondence, and contract compliance.
Experience in renewable energy, infrastructure, construction, or independent power producer environments would be preferred.
Experience working with lenders, external legal counsel, contractors, consultants, and project stakeholders would be advantageous.
Experience managing procurement processes, commercial evaluations, contract negotiations, and governance approvals would be beneficial.
Experience supervising or guiding junior contract management or contract administration personnel would be advantageous.
SKILLS & BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES
Strong contract interpretation and contract management skills.
Strong commercial and legal drafting skills.
Strong understanding of construction, project, and operations contracts.
Good understanding of NEC, FIDIC, EPC, O&M, PPA, LTSA, and service agreement structures.
Strong commercial acumen and ability to assess contractual and financial risk.
Ability to manage claims, variations, disputes, notices, and contractual correspondence.
Good understanding of procurement processes, governance requirements, policies, procedures, and delegated authority frameworks.
Strong records and information management skills.
Strong reporting, analytical, and presentation skills.
Ability to prepare management notes, Board notes, recommendations, contractual summaries, and commercial assessments.
Understanding of financial accounting principles, budgets, invoices, payment certificates, and cost management.
Excellent attention to detail.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to engage confidently with internal and external stakeholders at different levels.
Ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, and multiple contracts across several projects.
Strong negotiation and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgement.
Team-oriented, collaborative, and capable of supporting cross-functional teams.
Self-motivated, disciplined, and accountable.
High level of professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, and ethical conduct.
Ability to identify risks early and escalate material issues appropriately.