Principle Contracts Advisor

Located approximately 26 miles from the City of Fairbanks, Fort Knox is a centre of excellence for the Company as one of the few cold weather heap leach facilities in the world. Fort Knox celebrated its 25-year anniversary in 2021, and has produced over 8.5 million ounces since it began operation. In 2020, Kinross acquired Manh Choh – a project expected to commence production in 2024 and process ore at Fort Knox.

Fort Knox prioritizes being a strong contributor to the State and local communities, and since 2001, has helped support more than 300 community partners and has contributed more than US$25 million to the Alaska Mental Health Trust.

Job Description

The Principal Contract Advisor is responsible for managing the full contract lifecycle, from opportunity identification and sourcing strategy development through contract award and close-out. This role leads contract planning activities, conducts market research, aligns acquisition strategies with business objectives, and manages competitive sourcing events (RFXs). The incumbent develops and executes negotiation strategies, facilitates contract preparation and award processes, and oversees contract close-out activities to ensure all contractual obligations have been fulfilled.

In addition, the Principal Contract Advisor drives continuous improvement by identifying, sharing, and implementing best practices across Kinross operations in collaboration with Corporate Supply Chain and Procurement teams. The role supports cross-site sourcing initiatives and strategic procurement projects, providing expertise and leadership to optimize commercial outcomes, enhance supplier performance, and ensure compliance with company policies and governance requirements

Job Responsibilities

1.    Administer and manage multiple contract types across engineering, construction and site services scopes
2.    Develop a detailed understanding of the scope, schedule, budget and risks for applicable contracts
3.    Organize and chair contract kick-off meeting.
4.    Ensure all required documentation and approvals are in place prior to contractor mobilization
5.    Manage any vendor or contractor change requests and support the Project in performing cost and schedule analysis of proposed changes in a timely manner
6.    Develop and maintain contract-specific quantity and costs forecast and in collaboration with the responsible engineers or superintendents, ensuring that trends and changes are raised and reported
7.    Administer claims in accordance with the contractual terms and conditions
8.    Maintain various contract registers, including management of any securities and guarantees
9.    Ensure proper and timely management of the contract close-out process
10.    Maintain alignment with project controls functions, collaborating with cost control and scheduling
11.    Identify and escalate risks, and provide input to mitigation plans and actions
12.    Ensure process and documentation integrity by adhering to project and corporate requirements.  
13.    Build and develop effective working relationships with contractor counterparts
14.    Provide coaching and leadership on effective contract administration practices
15.    Coordinate with Toronto Corporate team to ensure best practices and learnings are shared from Alaska broadly in company and sharing’s are received from global network to Alaska.
16.    Advises applicable end-users of contractual rights and obligations upon award decision and contract start.
17.    Punctuality and regular attendance required.
18.    Meet or exceed established performance expectations set by management.
19.    Compliance with all company policies and procedures, including but not limited to: safety, confidentiality and environmental policies.
20.    Possession of a valid driver’s license issued by the state.
21.    Work safely in all areas and identify potential safety hazards and work with management to correct them.
22.    Work without significant risk of harm to self and others.
23.    Perform other duties as required.

Education and Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Project Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience.

• Minimum of 6 years of contracting, procurement, supply chain, or purchasing experience, preferably within a large industrial organization.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a heavy industrial environment, such as mining, oil and gas, construction, or similar industries, or related experience in project management or engineering disciplines.

Skills

1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels. Must demonstrate transparency and promptly communicate both opportunities and challenges to support informed decision-making and resource allocation.
2. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and Access.
3. Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, preferably JD Edwards and/or SAP Ariba, with the ability to effectively utilize company-approved contract templates, systems, and processes.
4. Self-motivated and results-oriented, with the ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.
5. Ability to meet the physical and environmental requirements outlined in the applicable Physical Demands Analysis.
6. Must be willing and able to work overtime, weekends, holidays, and flexible schedules as operational and business requirements dictate.

7. Must be able to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and work instructions; perform basic mathematical calculations; and maintain accurate records and documentation.

Reporting Relationships

This position reports to the Supply Chain Manager. 

Legislative Requirements

Background Check required

US work permit required

Language Requirements

English

Travel Requirements

Ability and willingness to travel

Kinross is a Canadian-based global senior gold mining company with operations and projects in the United States, Brazil, Mauritania, Chile, and Canada. Our focus on delivering value is based on our core principles of responsible mining, operational excellence, disciplined growth and balance sheet strength. Kinross maintains listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol:K) and the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:KGC).