Senior Contracts Administrator – Construction/Engineering

Senior Contracts Administrator – Construction/Engineering

Location: Tampa, FL – Midtown area
Work Schedule: 4 days onsite / 1 day remote
Contract: 6 months with possible extension or Contract-to-Hire
Experience: 6+ years
Education: Bachelor's degree required
Pay Rate: Up to $48/hr

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Contracts Administrator to support the preparation, negotiation, award, and commercial management of complex, high-value engineering and construction contracts.

This position has a strong pre-award focus, requiring hands-on experience developing contracts from initial scope through final execution. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated ownership of contract drafting, competitive bidding, commercial evaluation, negotiations, vendor management, and contract award.

Candidates should be comfortable working independently and partnering with Procurement, Supply Chain, Legal, Risk, Finance, project teams, vendors, and contractors.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead pre-procurement planning and determine appropriate contracting strategies based on project requirements.

• Develop and review technical specifications and scopes of work with project teams.

• Draft contracts, including general terms, conditions, and commercial provisions, from established templates or limited starting points.

• Translate business requirements, scopes, pricing, and commercial terms into complete contract documents.

• Develop and manage RFP/RFQ and competitive bidding activities.

• Coordinate commercial and technical bid evaluations and make recommendations for contract award.

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, deliverables, schedules, warranties, indemnification, insurance, liability, and other contractual provisions.

• Review and manage vendor redlines, exceptions, and proposed contractual changes through final agreement.

• Prepare and issue purchase orders while ensuring alignment between POs, contracts, scopes of work, pricing, and negotiated terms.

• Lead contract formation and negotiation with business stakeholders, Legal, Risk, Procurement, Finance, vendors, and contractors.

• Prepare award recommendations and coordinate final contract execution.

• Support contract administration after award, including change orders, claims, disputes, invoice compliance, and contract closeout.

• Perform due diligence on potential contractors and assess technical and commercial capabilities.

• Identify contractual risks and advise project teams on appropriate mitigation strategies.

• Maintain strong supplier relationships and support supplier diversity initiatives.

• Partner with Legal and Risk Management to resolve contractual and commercial issues.

• Participate in cross-functional initiatives focused on procurement and supply-chain improvements.

• Support continuous improvement efforts designed to improve productivity and reduce procurement costs.

• Provide guidance and training to internal business partners and procurement team members as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field.

• 6+ years of relevant experience in contract administration, contract management, project management, project engineering, construction, or related procurement functions.

• Demonstrated experience with pre-award contract administration.

• Hands-on contract drafting experience.

• Experience developing contracts from scopes of work, business requirements, and commercial terms.

• Strong experience with contract negotiation and commercial terms.

• Experience with competitive RFP/RFQ, bidding, sourcing, and bid evaluation processes.

• Experience negotiating vendor/contractor terms and conditions.

• Strong understanding of the source-to-contract/procure-to-contract lifecycle.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with large-scale construction, engineering, utility, energy, industrial, infrastructure, or capital projects.

• Experience with engineered equipment contracts.

• Technology/IT contracts experience.

• Experience working with Procurement, Supply Chain, Legal, Risk, Finance, and project teams.

• Experience with ERP or SAP environments.

• Experience with Contract Lifecycle Management systems; SMART by GEP experience is a plus.

Important Candidate Profile

The strongest candidates will demonstrate true ownership of contract development and pre-award activities.

Look for resume experience that specifically shows:

• Drafted contracts

• Developed commercial terms

• Negotiated terms and conditions

• Managed contract redlines

• Developed or managed RFPs/RFQs

• Conducted bid evaluations

• Sourcing and procurement

• Vendor/contractor negotiations

• Purchase orders

• Scope of Work development

• Contract award

• Contract formation

Important: This is not primarily a post-award contract maintenance position. Candidates whose experience is mainly contract tracking, renewals, compliance monitoring, invoice administration, or maintaining already-executed agreements may not have the required depth of pre-award experience.

Work Environment

• Tampa, FL – Midtown office

• 4 days onsite / 1 day remote

• Travel may occasionally be required to company or vendor locations throughout Florida or North America.

• Position may transition to a long-term opportunity or direct hire based on business needs and performance.