Commercial Contract Manager

Commercial Contract Manager

Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $8.1 billion in revenue for 2025, Clayco specializes in the "art and science of building," providing fast track, efficient solutions for mission critical, industrial, life sciences, power & energy, aviation, commercial, institutional, residential and sports & entertainment related building projects.

The Commercial Contract Manager is responsible for overseeing all commercial and contractual aspects of a construction project. This role is deployed on designated projects only -- those carrying complex scope, elevated commercial risk, or conditions requiring dedicated contractual oversight. Operating as the single commercial authority, the CCM serves as the key interface between the client, the field, and the subcontractor community, maintaining full visibility of how site events and decisions connect to contractual rights and obligations from contract award through commercial close-out.

The Specifics of the Role

• Commercial and financial management
• Manage project budgets, forecasts, cost control, cash flow, billing, invoicing, and revenue recognition across both owner and subcontractor sides
• Administer contracts under GMP, progressive GMP, or cost-plus structures including allowable cost validation, fee application, and contingency drawdown
• Support open-book commercial processes including cost transparency, backup validation, and client audit management
• Lead commercial reporting, milestone management, and milestone reporting on both sides
• Administer the prime contract in accordance with contractual notice, certification, and response timeframes through a disciplined change order process
• Maintain awareness of daily project activities, linking site events and decisions to contractual requirements and obligations
• Lead contractual assessment of changes, variations, and potential claims including entitlement evaluation, valuation, and tracking through resolution
• Prepare and issue formal correspondence, notifications, and claims to clients and subcontractors in line with contractual procedures
• Ensure all required bonds, warranties, insurances, and commercial undertakings are in place and compliant
• Develop and implement procurement strategies aligned with project delivery goals
• Lead review and negotiation of subcontract terms and variations ensuring consistency with the prime contract
• Oversee tendering processes and bid evaluations; ensure value for money across the supply chain
• Upon joining the project, identify and execute buyout of any remaining scope packages not yet awarded, ensuring full procurement coverage before execution advances
• Identify commercial and contractual risks early, develop mitigation strategies, and maintain risk registers on both sides
• Coordinate with project controls to align change management, cost, and schedule impacts with contractual submissions
• Act as the key commercial interface with clients, consultants, and subcontractors; coordinate with preconstruction at handover as the CCM picks up the owner side at operations
• Lead commercial close-out including final account negotiations, contingency reconciliation, shared savings calculations, and settlement of outstanding claims or variations
• Lead and mentor the Client Commercial Contract Manager, Subcontractor Commercial Management team, and commercial staff
• Collaborate with project managers, finance teams, and legal advisors
• Promote commercial best practices and drive consistency across the project commercial function

Requirements

• 5 to 10 years of commercial, contracts, or procurement experience on construction or infrastructure projects
• Hands-on experience administering prime contracts and subcontracts simultaneously on active projects
• Demonstrated experience managing changes, variations, and claims through a formal contractual process
• Exposure to GMP, progressive GMP, or cost-reimbursable structures strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and align cross-functional teams around shared commercial goals
• Experience in environments where structure was limited and had to be built from the ground up

Some Things You Should Know

• Our clients and projects are nationwide – Travel will be required.
• No other builder can offer the collaborative design-build approach that Clayco does.
• We work on creative, complex, award-winning, high-profile jobs.
• The pace is fast!

Why Clayco?

• 2025 Best Places to Work – St. Louis Business Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, and Phoenix Business Journal.
• 2025 ENR Midwest – Midwest Contractor (#1).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Design-Build Firms – Design-Build Contractor (Top 5).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Green Contractors – Green Contractor (Top 3).
• 2025 ENR Top 25 Data Center Builders - Data Center Contractor (Top 3).

Benefits

• Discretionary Annual Bonus: Subject to company and individual performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package Including: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401k, generous PTO and paid company holidays, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, learning & development programs and more!

Compensation

• The salary range for this position considers a wide range of factors in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: Education, qualifications, skills, training, experience, certifications, internal equity, and location. Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.