Principal Contract Manager

Responsibilities:

• Lead supplier relationship management for critical system integration partners.
• Advise senior leadership on contracting strategy and negotiations.
• Negotiate complex contract issues independently.
• Identify, analyze, and improve existing business processes or create new ones to meet departmental goals.
• Act as primary liaison to Legal and Risk departments.
• Provide guidance, mentorship, and training to contract management staff.
• Develop and deliver contract management training to stakeholders.
• Track program contracts and associated obligations.
• Analyze contracts for potential compliance issues and resolve discrepancies.
• Conduct audits and inspections to verify compliance.
• Communicate compliance requirements to stakeholders and provide training.
• Prepare reports on contract compliance activities and outcomes.

• Bachelor s degree or equivalent experience.
• 9+ years of direct experience in contract management, compliance, and sourcing strategies for large-scale digital transformations.
• Proven ability to manage complex contracts, minimize value leakage, and collaborate with system integrators.
• Experience with contract negotiation, administration, and change order management.
• Strong ability to manage conflict constructively and align with business objectives.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and contract management systems (SRM, Ariba, SAP).

• Ability to develop reports, models, and simulations.
• Strong analytical, critical, and technical thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to prioritize workload independently and work under tight deadlines.

• Master s degree in a related discipline.
• Certifications such as PMP, PgMP, or Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt).
• Experience with QA/QC of contract documents, process improvement, utility industry, or pipeline construction projects.