Dy. Manager - Contract Administration

Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases (CE&IG) is a leading provider of cryogenic pumps, heat exchangers, process systems, turboexpanders, services, and solutions for the LH2, LNG and industrial gases industries. We are a subsidiary of Nikkiso Company Ltd, a leading industrial manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with over USD 1.2B in annual revenue, 8,000 + employees worldwide, and publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The Deputy Manager – Contract Administration will be responsible for leading and managing contract administration and project coordination activities across assigned projects. The position will ensure effective contractual compliance, commercial coordination, project documentation, milestone tracking, and timely communication between customers and internal stakeholders.

The role will work closely with Project Managers and other cross functions to ensure contractual obligations are clearly understood, monitored, and fulfilled.

The position will also provide leadership, guidance, and coaching to the Contract Administration team, while continuously improving contract management processes, controls, reporting, and project governance.

This position has direct supervisory responsibility for two professionals within Contract Administration / Project Coordination.

The Deputy Manager is responsible for assigning work, monitoring performance, providing coaching and mentoring, developing team capabilities, and ensuring timely and high-quality completion of assigned responsibilities

• Lead contract administration activities for assigned projects from order receipt through project completion and closeout.
• Review customer contracts, purchase orders, amendments, and related commercial documents to identify key contractual obligations, risks, milestones, payment terms, liabilities, and deliverables.
• Ensure Nikkiso and customers fulfill their respective contractual obligations and proactively highlight potential deviations or risks.
• Act as the primary coordination point between customers and Nikkiso for contractual and commercial matters.
• Maintain a comprehensive Contract Obligation Register for assigned projects.
• Ensure timely submission, tracking, and closure of contractual documentation and deliverables.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date contract records in accordance with Nikkiso policies and procedures.
• Identify contractual risks and provide timely escalation and recommendations to Project Management and Management.
• Support Project Managers in interpretation and administration of contractual requirements.

• Identify potential changes, variations, deviations, and commercial impacts arising during project execution.
• Prepare and coordinate change order documentation for management and customer review.
• Lead the preparation, negotiation, tracking, and closure of customer change orders in coordination with Project Managers and relevant functions.
• Support preparation of contractual notices, claims, extension-of-time requests, and other commercial communications when required.
• Maintain a change order and claims register and ensure timely follow-up and closure.
• Protect the company's contractual and commercial interests while maintaining a professional customer relationship.

• Coordinate project administration activities to ensure smooth execution of projects.
• Work closely with Project Managers and Project Planning to monitor key contractual and project milestones.
• Ensure timely tracking and transmission of contractual documents, customer submissions, approvals, and other project deliverables.
• Monitor critical project milestones and highlight potential delays, risks, and contractual consequences.
• Support Project Managers in maintaining accurate project records, correspondence, commitments, and action trackers.
• Ensure proper project contractual documentation and records are maintained throughout the project lifecycle.

• Coordinate with Finance, Project Management, Sales, and customers to ensure timely achievement of contractual milestone payments.
• Monitor project payment milestones and provide timely notifications to relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain and regularly update the project payment milestone tracker.
• Identify potential payment delays and escalate concerns to Project Management and Management.
• Coordinate commercial documentation required for invoicing and payment release.
• Maintain awareness and understanding of Advance Bank Guarantees (ABG), Performance Bank Guarantees (PBG), Letters of Credit (L/C), retention, advance payments, and other contractual financial instruments.
• Support Project Managers and Management in resolving customer commercial issues affecting project cash flow.

• Ensure creation, review, and timely updating of Sales Orders and Work Orders in accordance with Nikkiso standards.
• Ensure project commercial information is accurately reflected in internal systems.
• Coordinate with Sales, Finance, and Project Management to resolve discrepancies or required changes.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and approval records for commercial and contractual changes.

• Develop and maintain professional working relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Support Project Managers in handling contractual and commercial discussions with customers.
• Prepare professional contractual correspondence, notices, responses, and management communications.
• Ensure clear, timely, and effective communication on contractual commitments and project-related commercial matters.
• Participate in customer meetings, project reviews, and commercial discussions as required.
• Maintain a customer-focused approach while protecting Nikkiso's contractual and commercial interests.

• Directly manage and supervise a team of two professionals responsible for contract administration and project coordination.
• Allocate responsibilities and workload based on project priorities and team capability.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, guidance, and regular performance feedback to team members.
• Establish clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations for the team.
• Review team deliverables for accuracy, quality, completeness, and timely completion.
• Develop team capability in contract administration, commercial awareness, project controls, and professional communication.
• Encourage ownership, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Act as a backup and provide support to team members during critical project situations

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve Contract Administration procedures, templates, trackers, and controls.
• Identify process gaps and recommend improvements to strengthen project governance and contractual compliance.
• Standardize contract administration practices across projects.
• Develop and maintain contract administration dashboards, reports, and management trackers.
• Ensure lessons learned (from contractual perspective) from projects are captured and incorporated into future processes.
• Support development and implementation of project governance standards and best practices.
• Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, urgency, and proactive risk management.

• Prepare periodic Contract Administration and Project Commercial reports for Management.
• Provide management with visibility of:
  • Contractual obligations
  • Payment milestones
  • Change orders and claims
  • Customer approvals
  • Contractual risks
  • Potential commercial exposure
  • Project documentation status
  • Key contractual deliverables
• Provide timely escalation of critical contractual, commercial, and project-related issues.
• Support Management in decision-making by providing accurate and timely contractual and commercial information.

Authorities:

• Lead and allocate work to the Contract Administration team.
• Coordinate with customers and internal functions on contractual and commercial matters.
• Initiate and coordinate change orders, claims, notices, and contractual actions within delegated authority.
• Identify, challenge, and escalate contractual, commercial, payment, and project risks.
• Review and approve routine contractual documentation, reports, and records within delegated limits.
• Recommend corrective actions, process improvements, and risk mitigation measures.
• Represent Contract Administration in customer/internal meetings as authorized.
• Escalate matters beyond delegated authority to HOD/Management for approval.

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as laptop computers, photocopiers, and smartphones.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand on a stool as necessary

• 8+ years of relevant professional experience, preferably in contract administration, project management, commercial management, or project coordination.
• Experience in an engineering, EPC, manufacturing, industrial equipment, or project-based organization is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing customer contracts, change orders, commercial matters, and project documentation.
• Previous experience leading or supervising a small team is preferred.

• Strong understanding of contract administration and commercial project management.
• Strong contractual and commercial awareness.
• Ability to interpret contractual terms and identify risks and obligations.
• Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Strong project coordination and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder and customer management capability.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned responsibilities.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-management skills.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of project financial/commercial impacts.

Proficiency in:

• Microsoft Excel – including advanced functions, data analysis, and reporting
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Project
• Adobe Acrobat / PDF tools
• ERP / project management systems
• Document management and collaboration platforms such as SharePoint

• Leadership & Ownership
• Customer Focus
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Communication
• Commercial Awareness
• Business Acumen
• Problem Solving
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Negotiation
• Planning & Organization
• Time Management
• Attention to Detail
• Accountability
• Sense of Urgency
• Continuous Improvement

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.