Contracts Management Leader - USA/AVP

Contracts Management Leader - USA/AVPs

We are currently seeking resumes from qualified, responsible, self-sufficient, energetic Contracts Management Leader - USA/AVPs for our Phoenix, Arizona office. The ideal candidate will be motivated to develop and build their personal knowledge and skills to assist with the growth and success of the office. We offer a friendly, professional atmosphere with excellent benefits and a salary commensurate with experience.

Job Description

This will be a hybrid position based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, as the primary and permanent place of employment, with regional/global support to TYPSA Group, TYPSA US, TYPSA Canada, and TYPSA Australia, which will occasionally require availability during Australian business hours. Establishing a reliable, consistent, and available resource based in the US is important to fulfill the purpose of the position, particularly in support of the growing commercial and contract risk TYPSA US is facing.

This position serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on commercial and contractual risk across complex consulting engineering, architecture, and environmental projects.

The role provides expert advice on contract strategy, commercial exposure, and risk mitigation across the full project lifecycle. This position plays a critical role in ensuring that decisions are well-informed, commercially sound, and aligned with the Company's risk appetite. The role is designed to enable the business while safeguarding TYPSA's interests, supporting successful project delivery, and sustainable growth. This post could equally be filled by a suitably experienced in-house counsel with exposure to project delivery risk in an engineering/architectural environment, or by a senior commercial and contractual risk professional with strong legal and negotiation capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Advisory & Risk Insight
  • Provide independent, expert advice to the CEO and Executive Team on material commercial and contractual risks, and similar support to the Contracts Management Team operations, where appropriate.
  • Review and advise on non-standard contract terms, commercial positions, and proposed deviations. Extensive role in design-build, and alternative delivery contract negotiations.
  • Support executive decision-making by clearly articulating risk, opportunity, and mitigation options.
  • Act as a trusted challenger on projects and commercial strategies where risk exposure is elevated.
• Commercial & Contract Strategy
  • Advise project teams on commercial and contractual strategy for major and high-risk opportunities.
  • Work with marketing to address contractual risk during the proposal stage.
  • Participate in contract negotiations, supporting executive and project leadership as a senior commercial advisor and negotiator.
  • Perform hands-on contract review and advice to project managers, with strong legal awareness to assess contract terms, risks, and obligations.
  • Serve as a mandatory advisory review point for major bids and complex projects.
  • Contribute to the development of commercial frameworks, templates, and guidance.
  • Participate with leadership in developing appropriate insurance strategies to manage risk.
• Contract Management
  • Review, draft, negotiate, and administer client, consultant, subcontractor, vendor, and supplier agreements.
  • Ensure compliance with company policies and risk tolerance standards.
  • Maintain contract templates and standard contract language and ensure compliance with laws.
  • Negotiate contract terms within established company risk parameters.
• Project Delivery & Issue Resolution
  • Support Project Managers in managing commercial and contractual challenges during project execution.
  • Step in to advise or support distressed or high-risk projects as requested by Executive leadership.
  • Monitor emerging commercial risks and escalate issues to Executive leadership as appropriate.
  • Provide guidance on scope control, variations, and commercial compliance.
• Claims, Variations & Dispute Avoidance
  • Advise on the preparation and strategy for claims, variations, and commercial negotiations. Perform hands-on, detailed analysis of major claims (as assigned) and prepare materials to defend/settle.
  • Participate in and/or lead negotiations with clients to resolve issues and avoid formal disputes where possible.
  • Coordinate with external legal counsel when required, ensuring alignment between legal advice and commercial strategy.
  • Support dispute resolution and contract close-out activities in the region and elsewhere if / as appropriate.
• Capability Building & Governance
  • Coach and train Project Managers on commercial risk awareness and best practices.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of commercial governance and risk management processes.
  • Support knowledge sharing and lessons learned across the organization.
  • Assist in shaping the future development of a Commercial / Contracts capability.
• Key Relationships
  • CEO / Managing Director / General Director
  • COO and Executive Leadership Team
  • Contracts Management – International Team
  • Project Managers and Bid Leaders
  • Legal Counsel (external)
  • Finance, Insurance and Operations
  • Client commercial representatives
• Decision Authority
  • Advisory role with respect to commercial and contractual risk decisions.
  • Provides recommendations and risk assessments; final authority rests with Executive leadership.
  • Authorized to escalate concerns and request executive review where commercial risk is material.
• Global Lesson Learning and Feedback Loop
  • Pro-actively support the ongoing global initiatives for lesson learning and training, including observations about the objectives and opportunities for these.
  • Maintain ongoing dialogue with the contracts management team, including attendance to regular catch-up huddles.
  • Contribute with workload itemization and planning of inputs – to facilitate metrics /management of contracts management issues.
  • Assist in the development of AI tools to streamline contractual risk management.

Job Qualifications (Education, Experience, and Skills)

• Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience. Ten (10) years of experience is preferred.
• Experience in commercial and/or contracts roles within consulting engineering, professional services, construction, alternative delivery or complex project environments.
• Strong understanding of contract risk, commercial negotiation, and project delivery dynamics.
• Proven ability to advise senior leaders and influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Legal training with exposure to project delivery risk in engineering / architectural environment, or senior commercial/contracts professional with strong legal and negotiation capability is preferred.
• Self-starting, team player comfortable to work at all levels with all levels of awareness.
• Trusted, independent, and commercially astute.
• Confident communicator with executive presence.
• Balanced, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented.
• Able to challenge constructively while enabling the business.
• High professional judgment and integrity.

Competencies (To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies)

• Communicative – interacts openly with others; can maintain relationships, works well independently or with a team.
• Consultative - Consults with other disciplines as needed; tolerates different perspectives or opinions.
• Decisive & Action Oriented - Has a high level of energy and stamina; gets things done; makes sound educated but rapid decisions even when short of information; enjoys managing challenging projects and works well in fast-paced and pressure environments. Self-motivated and proactive
• Flexible - Adapts to new challenges and circumstances; able to multi-task; thrives on variety and frequently changing environments; creative problem solver. Resourcefulness, with minimal direction.
• Analytical – Uses sound data, and procedures, and follows all laws, rules, and regulations but is a solutionist or problem-solver.
• Conscientious and Organized – Believes professional integrity is paramount; understands the importance of project records; responsive to clients and deadline oriented; quality oriented.

Working Conditions and Environment

This position will require general supervision and will have to