Sr. Specialist, Contracts

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!
We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE

Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Contracts, the Sr. Specialist, Contracts is responsible for owning the full contract lifecycle – from strategic sourcing, bidding, and negotiation through execution, pose-award administration, and closeout for complex, high‑value commercial agreements, including Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreements supporting large-scale capital projects.

This role manages sourcing events, competitive bidding, negotiations, contract drafting, and post‑award administration while ensuring alignment with company governance, risk frameworks, and business objectives. A significant portion of the role is dedicated to extensive post-award administration of EPC and major capital project contracts, including change management, claims and notice administration, obligations and key-date tracking, invoice and payment support, and contract closeout. The Sr. Specialist collaborates closely with cross‑functional teams and suppliers to drive optimal commercial outcomes, maintain contractual compliance, and support continuous improvement across sourcing and contracting processes. This is a strategic, hands-on role that requires strategic thinking, attention to details and the ability to drive the results in a fast paced, cross-functional environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Administer high-value EPC contracts from award through completion and closeout, ensuring all parties comply with contractual terms, conditions, procedures, and deliverables.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of assigned contracts, including scope, commercial terms, pricing, schedule requirements, milestones, warranties, securities, insurance, and risk allocation.
• Establish and maintain contract administration plans, obligation registers, notice logs, change logs, correspondence records, and other controls required for effective contract management.
• Monitor contractor performance against contractual scope, schedule, cost, quality, reporting, and other key requirements; identify noncompliance and coordinate timely corrective action.
• Prepare, review, issue, and track formal contractual correspondence, including notices, directives, reservations of rights, requests for information, and responses to contractor communications.
• Manage the contract change process, including change identification, entitlement review, contractor proposal analysis, cost and schedule evaluation, negotiation, approval, and issuance of change orders and amendments.
• Coordinate with project controls, engineering, construction, legal, finance, and other stakeholders to evaluate the commercial and contractual impact of proposed changes and emerging project issues.
• Review contractor invoices, progress measurement, milestone achievement, supporting documentation, credits, back charges, and other payment-related matters for contractual compliance.
• Identify, assess, document, and support the resolution of claims, disputes, delays, deficiencies, and other commercial issues, including analysis of contractual entitlement and exposure.

EDUCATION, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, & COMPETENCIES

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, construction management, engineering, finance, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in contract administration or commercial management supporting major capital projects in the energy, LNG, oil and gas, petrochemical, power, or industrial construction sectors.
• Extensive, hands-on post-award contract administration experience on large-scale EPC projects (e.g., LNG, petrochemical, refining, power, or comparable capital projects), including change orders, claims, notices, and closeout.
• Strong working knowledge of change management, claims analysis, contractual notices, payment provisions, schedule and cost impacts, warranties, securities, and contract closeout.
• Working knowledge of EPC contract structures and commercial mechanisms, including lump-sum and reimbursable pricing, liquidated damages, performance guarantees, warranties, limitations of liability, force majeure, and completion and acceptance milestones.
• Ability to interpret complex contract language, identify commercial risk, evaluate entitlement, and translate contractual requirements into practical actions.
• Experience working cross-functionally with project management, engineering, construction, project controls, legal, finance, and contractors in a matrixed project environment.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, problem-solving, documentation, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority contractual matters, maintain accurate records, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced project environment.
• Proficiency with contract management systems and standard Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience administering large-scale LNG or other complex megaproject EPC contracts.
• Experience with owner-side contract administration and contractor claims in a construction execution environment.
• Professional certification such as CPCM, CCCM, CFCM, CPSM, CCM, MRICS, MCIPS, or an equivalent relevant credential.
• National Contracts Management Association (NCMA).
• LNG or comparable greenfield EPC project experience through construction, commissioning, and closeout.
• Capital Project experience.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional office environment with occasional work within or outside of a complex construction environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers/fax, filing cabinets, etc. This is primarily a sedentary role; however, the incumbent must be able to stand and/or sit continuously to perform all essential job functions for a full shift.

Able to meet the following physical demands of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations:

• Ability to lift up to 20 lbs. as required in order to lift files, boxes and office equipment as necessary.
• Ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bending, standing on a stool, or climbing as necessary to perform these functions.
• While performing the duties of this role, the incumbent may be required to talk or hear.
• The incumbent is required to stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to move throughout all areas of each office/site location and facilities.
• Able to wear all necessary PPE equipment to perform job functions.

*In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

NEXTDECADE VALUES

• Safety – We make safety a priority. Everything we do relies on the safety of our people and the communities around us.
• Integrity – We do the right thing, and are open, ethical, and fair. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in all that we do.
• Honesty – We value truth and honesty in ourselves and others. We honor our commitments and take responsibility for our actions.
• Respect – We listen, and respect people, the environment, and the communities in which we live and work.
• Transparency – Transparency builds trust. We promote open communication with our people, our customers, and all our stakeholders.
• Diversity – We value diversity of people and thought. It takes people with different strengths, ideas, and cultural backgrounds to make our company succeed.

NextDecade provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. NextDecade complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.