Assistant Manager – Contract & Commercial

About Us

Gradiant is a Different Kind of Water Company. With a full suite of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions for advanced water and wastewater treatment powered by the top minds in water, the company serves its clients mission-critical operations in the world's essential industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, lithium and critical minerals, and renewable energy. Gradiant's innovative solutions reduce water used and wastewater discharged, reclaim valuable resources, and renew wastewater into freshwater. The Boston-headquartered company was founded at MIT and has over 1,400 employees worldwide. Discover us at www.gradiant.com.

Job Overview

The Assistant Manager – Contract & Commercial is responsible for the end-to-end administration of project contracts and commercial matters throughout the project lifecycle. This role plays a key part in protecting the company's contractual and commercial interests by ensuring contractual obligations are fulfilled, commercial entitlements are preserved, and commercial activities are executed effectively throughout project execution.

Working closely with Project Managers, Engineering, Procurement, Finance, clients and subcontractors, the incumbent will take ownership of contract administration, commercial management, procurement support, variation management, claims administration, payment applications and commercial reporting to support successful project delivery.

This role represents the company's interests as the executing/contracting party, including the preparation and active pursuit of entitlements, claims, and variations against clients. Candidates must have direct, hands-on experience advancing claims from the contractor/EPC side.

Specific Duties / Responsibilities

Contract Management — Pre-Contract

Review tender documents, contracts and commercial documents to understand project scope, contractual obligations and commercial requirements.
Identify contractual and commercial risks relating to payment terms, liquidated damages (LD), warranties, bank guarantees, insurance requirements and contractual obligations.
Review commercial submissions, costing assumptions, commercial schedules and contractual provisions prior to contract award.
Participate in tender evaluation, commercial clarifications and contract negotiation activities.
Support procurement activities including tender evaluation, commercial assessment, contract award and subcontract administration where required.

Contract Management — Post-Contract

Administer project contracts throughout the project lifecycle in accordance with contractual requirements.
Prepare, issue and maintain contractual correspondence, notices and contract records to preserve contractual rights and entitlements.
Prepare and administer Extension of Time (EOT) submissions, Variation Orders (VO), change orders and contractual claims, including supporting documentation and cost substantiation.
Proactively identify and pursue contractual entitlements and claims against clients where grounds exist, working from a contractor/EPC-side perspective rather than a facilitative or administrative-only role.
Prepare and monitor payment applications, payment certifications and contractual billing milestones to ensure timely invoicing and payment collection.
Monitor contractual obligations, key milestones and contractual deliverables throughout project execution.
Coordinate with Project Managers, Finance, clients and subcontractors to resolve contractual and commercial matters relating to variations, claims, payment applications and contractual obligations.
Monitor performance bonds, bank guarantees, insurance policies and other contractual securities to ensure contractual compliance.
Support subcontract administration, including contract implementation, variation management and commercial correspondence.
Support project close-out activities, including completion certificates, final accounts, contract close-out and final documentation.
Maintain complete, accurate and audit-ready contract documentation throughout the project lifecycle.
Ensure contractual terms and obligations are appropriately flowed down to suppliers and subcontractors.

Commercial Management

Work closely with Project Managers in monitoring project commercial performance, including contract value, project costs, approved variations, commercial exposure and project profitability.
Monitor project budgets, commercial trends and Estimate-at-Completion (EAC).
Monitor project cash flow through payment milestones, progress claims and outstanding receivables.
Identify contractual and commercial risks during project execution and recommend appropriate mitigation actions.
Maintain project commercial information, billing plans, sales orders and forecast completion dates in SAP.
Prepare commercial reports and project commercial updates for management review where required.

Commercial Administration & Reporting — Pre-Contract

Support the Offer Release Template (ORT) review and approval process in accordance with the company's approval matrix.
Maintain ORT records and commercial documentation in accordance with internal procedures.

Commercial Administration & Reporting — Post-Contract

Create and maintain project master data and sales orders in SAP based on approved commercial documentation.
Maintain project commercial records, contractual documentation and supporting information in accordance with company requirements.
Support periodic commercial reviews by ensuring project commercial information remains accurate and up to date.

Qualification, Skills & Experience

Qualification

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Business or a related discipline.

Skills

Strong knowledge of contract administration and commercial management within a project-based, contracting environment (e.g. EPC, engineering, construction, utilities or infrastructure — sector itself is flexible, provided the experience is from a contracting/executing organisation).
Hands-on experience in preparing and administering Extension of Time (EOT), Variation Orders (VO), contractual claims, payment applications and contract correspondence.
Experience in subcontract administration, procurement processes and commercial negotiations.
Good understanding of project execution, cost control, project billing, payment milestones and contract close-out activities.
Familiarity with project delivery models such as EPC, O&M, Design & Build (D&B) or similar project environments.
Proficiency in SAP S/4HANA or equivalent ERP systems.
Demonstrated ability to exercise independent commercial judgment and make timely decisions on contractual and commercial matters.
Strong analytical, problem-solving and negotiation skills.
Good communication and stakeholder management skills.

Experience

6–9 years of hands-on Contract & Commercial experience in a project-based, contracting environment. Sector is flexible (e.g. EPC, engineering, construction, water, utilities, infrastructure or similar).
Experience gained from a contractor, EPC player, engineering firm, or similar project-executing organisation is preferred; candidates from other project-based commercial environments will also be considered, provided the contractor-side experience described above is met.
Demonstrated experience in administering contracts throughout the project lifecycle, including tendering, procurement, subcontract administration, payment applications, Extension of Time (EOT), Variation Orders (VO), contractual claims and project close-out.
Experience working closely with Project Managers and cross-functional project teams in delivering commercial and contractual outcomes.
Demonstrated track record of successfully pursuing and securing claims or commercial entitlements from a contractor/EPC-side position, with the ability to provide concrete examples.

Assistant Manager Contract & Commercial