Contract Manager

• Management of the full contract lifecycle for assigned accounts: from pre-award review through execution, variation, renewal and close-out
• Contractual risk identification, assessment and mitigation
• Commercial negotiation with customers and suppliers on contractual terms, pricing adjustments and scope variations
• Protection of company margins through proactive contract monitoring and enforcement
• Interface with Business Development, Legal, Finance and Project Management on all contractual and commercial matters
• Support to pre-sales and bid processes on contractual risk and commercial structuring

The Contract Manager reports to the Head of Business Development during Phase 1 (months 1-6). The role operates with a dotted-line relationship to Legal Counsel and Finance Controller.

• Contract Lifecycle Management: Full ownership of the contract from pre-signature review to close-out. Drafting, reviewing and negotiating contract terms, amendments, variations (Change Orders) and extensions. Ensuring all contractual obligations are tracked, met and documented.
• Commercial and Contractual Risk Management: Identification, assessment and mitigation of contractual risks, including liability clauses, SLA exposure, penalty provisions, force majeure and IP rights. Maintenance of a live contract risk register for all assigned accounts.
• Scope and Variation Management: Monitoring of project scope against contractual commitments in coordination with Project Managers. Formal management of scope deviations: drafting and negotiating Change Orders to ensure all out-of-scope work is contractually captured and commercially valued.
• SLA and Performance Monitoring: Tracking of contractual SLA compliance across assigned accounts. Management of penalty exposure and bonus/malus mechanisms. Escalation and resolution of performance disputes with customers.
• Pricing, Invoicing and Cash Flow: Oversight of invoicing milestones in accordance with contract payment terms. Management of price revision clauses (ISTAT/inflation indexation). Monitoring of receivables and coordination with Finance on collections and cash flow forecasting.
• Pre-Award and Bid Support: Review of tender documentation, terms and conditions and contractual requirements during bid preparation. Identification of contractual risks and non-standard clauses. Drafting of contractual sections of proposals and customer-facing commercial documents.
• Supplier and Procurement Contracts: Review and negotiation of supplier and subcontractor agreements. Alignment of back-to-back obligations with prime contract requirements. Management of supplier claims and disputes.
• Legal and Regulatory Knowledge: Working knowledge of Italian and French public procurement law (D.Lgs. 36/2023; Code de la commande publique). Understanding of applicable EU procurement directives (2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU). Familiarity with GDPR contractual obligations (DPA clauses, data controller/processor liability). Knowledge of post-award contract modification limits and reserve management under public procurement frameworks.
• Contract Closeout: Formal management of contract acceptance, final invoicing, warranty obligations and post-delivery contractual commitments.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Law, Economics, Business Management, Engineering or related discipline with strong commercial/legal component.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in contract management, commercial management, legal or procurement roles.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Professional certification in contract management (IACCM, CPCM or equivalent) is considered a strong advantage.

• Experience with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) software
• Familiarity with public sector procurement processes in Italy and/or France
• Experience in technology or systems integration sectors (HW/SW solutions)
• Knowledge of EMV/NFC payment standards or automatic fare collection systems (advantageous, not required)
• Experience managing contracts in multi-jurisdictional environments

• Commercial Negotiation: Ability to lead contractual and commercial negotiations with customers, procurement counterparts and suppliers. Skilled in negotiating under public procurement constraints where contractual modifications are legally restricted.
• Value Protection and Recovery: Proactive identification of upsell opportunities, value recovery mechanisms and commercial levers within existing contracts. Ability to translate operational issues into contractual claims or recoverab