Contracts Manager

  • Royal Vopak
  • Houston, Texas
  • Full Time

Start your career as a Contracts Manager at Vopak and contribute to social themes such as energy security and energy transition. We offer you a working environment that is safe and pleasant and where equality, diversity and satisfaction are of paramount importance. Ready to develop yourself and make a positive impact? Improve the world and start as a Contracts Manager at Vopak.

What will you do as a Contracts Manager?

The Projects Contracts Manager is responsible for ensuring that all contracting and procurement activities within Growth Projects align with the Vopak Project Management (VPM) methodology, corporate governance standards, and global best practices. This role provides strategic oversight of the entire project contracting and contracts process, ensuring transparency, compliance, and efficiency in Tender Board (TB) reviews, contract governance, and decision-making oversight.

Additionally, the Contracts Manager plays a key role in assisting with contracting strategy development, overseeing the RFx process, and negotiating the various forms of engineering, procurement, and construction contracts that will be executed and owned by the Project Owner. However, day-to-day contract administration post-execution is the sole responsibility of the project team.

The Contracts Manager will work closely with Project Managers, Procurement teams, Tender Boards, Legal, Finance, and Executive Leadership to ensure all contractual and procurement activities are well-documented, compliant, and strategically aligned with Vopak's investment and growth objectives.

What do we offer you?

  • Various flexible and hybrid work schedules.

  • Competitive, market-based compensation package depending on your experience and

  • knowledge.

  • Career development and growth opportunities.

  • Medical / Dental / Vision Insurance

  • Flexible Spending Account Options

  • Short Term/Long Term Disability Insurance

  • Basic and Supplemental Life/AD&D Insurance

  • 401(k) Incentive Savings Plan

  • Paid Holidays (Fixed and floating)

  • Paid Time Off and Sick Days

  • Additional Benefits:

  • Tuition Reimbursement

  • Employee Assistance Program

  • Accident Insurance

  • Legal Plan

  • Critical Illness Insurance

  • Hospital Indemnity Insurance

  • Legal Plan

  • ID Theft Insurance

  • Universal Life

What do we expect from you as a Contracts Manager?

  • Must possess or be able to obtain a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) as required by the Maritime Transportation Security Act.

  • 15+ years of experience in contract governance, procurement oversight, or project contracting in large-scale infrastructure, energy, or industrial projects.

  • Strong understanding of VPM methodology, investment decision-making, and project governance frameworks.

  • Proven experience managing tender boards, contract compliance, and procurement risk assessments.

  • Familiarity with RFx processes (RFI, RFQ, RFP), contract negotiations, and supplier management.

  • Knowledge of legal, financial, and compliance aspects of procurement and contract governance.

  • Strong stakeholder engagement and leadership skills with experience working with senior executives.

  • Excellent documentation, reporting, and auditing skills for contract governance tracking.

  • Proficiency in project governance tools (OSC, MyDocs, or equivalent procurement/governance platforms).

  • Strong communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in oil & gas, energy, terminal operations, or industrial construction.

  • Background in contract law, supply chain management, or finance.

  • Experience working in a multinational organization with a structured governance model.

What does your day look like?

Your core responsibilities are:

Governance & Compliance

  • Ensure that all Growth Projects contracting and procurement activities adhere to the VPM methodology, corporate governance frameworks, and global procurement standards.

  • Assist in setting up contracting strategies that align with project objectives, risk profiles, and market conditions.

  • Develop and implement contracting governance strategies, ensuring standardization and continuous improvement.

  • Oversee TB reviews, ensuring that decisions align with project governance, investment thresholds, and compliance requirements.

  • Establish and maintain the governance roadmap for project contracting and contract management across US & Canada.

  • Collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Procurement teams to ensure contractual compliance, regulatory adherence, and risk mitigation.

  • Ensure compliance with anti-bribery, data privacy, and ethical procurement regulations.

  • Oversee contracting strategy reviews, ensuring alignment with Procurement and VPM policies.

  • Develop and maintain contract templates, standard operating procedures, and best practices for contracting governance.

  • Review and approve waivers, verifying alignment with Vopak policies and procedures before endorsement.

Tender Board Management

  • Organize, facilitate, and document all Tender Board (TB) meetings for Growth Projects.

  • Maintain minutes of meetings (MOM) and ensure proper documentation and follow-up on TB decisions.

  • Implement tracking mechanisms for TB decisions, contract awards, and waiver justifications.

  • Ensure RFx process aligns with best practices to prevent bid shopping & ensure transparency.

  • Monitor compliance with TB endorsements, ensuring that project teams adhere to decisions made by the TB.

  • Ensure proper record-keeping and auditing of all procurement and contracting approvals.

Growth Projects Contracting & Contracts Oversight

  • Oversee RFx (RFI, RFQ, RFP) processes, ensuring adherence to procurement governance, bid fairness, and compliance.

  • Negotiate various forms of engineering, procurement and construction contracts that will be executed and owned by the Project Owner.

  • Ensure evaluation transparency in procurement and contractor selection, preventing bid shopping and unethical practices.

  • Develop and implement strategic contracting frameworks, ensuring efficiency, risk mitigation, and cost optimization.

  • Establish contract risk assessment protocols, ensuring robust contract variation tracking, cost controls, and governance enforcement.

  • Provide guidance and mentorship to Growth Projects Procurement personnel to enhance contract governance competency.

  • Develop and implement contractor performance tracking frameworks, ensuring predictable project execution and delivery.

Project Governance & Review

  • Participate in VPM Stage-Gate process reviews, ensuring that Growth Projects follow governance checkpoints at Identification, Selection, Definition, Execution, and Commissioning stages.

  • Ensure that contracting and procurement governance aligns with project investment thresholds, Tender Board structures, and Executive approvals.

  • Act as a key liaison for project governance reviews, including peer reviews, readiness reviews, execution reviews, and post-implementation reviews (PIRs).

Stakeholder Coordination & Reporting

  • Collaborate with Project Owners, Procurement, Finance, and Legal teams to ensure all contract governance decisions align with strategic business objectives.

  • Maintain real-time tracking and reporting of TB decisions, contract awards, and procurement compliance.

  • Develop and present governance status reports to Project Directors, Executive Leadership, and Global Procurement teams.

  • Lead engagement with key internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and regulatory compliance.

Training & Capability Development

  • Develop and implement contracting and procurement training programs to enhance governance capabilities across business units.

  • Organize workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, and training to standardize contract governance best practices.

  • Ensure succession planning and skills development within the Procurement teams.

Work Environment

This employee generally works in an office environment, away from extremes of cold or heat. Limited to no exposure to noise and vibrations other than normal daily office sounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee should not have regular exposure to fumes, odors, toxic conditions, dust or poor ventilation.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, sit, speak and hear. The employee is required to stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; the employee may be required, on occasion, to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to ten (10) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Employee may be required to travel by air, rail, bus, or car.

Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. The Company will not sponsor immigration or work visas.

Inclusion & Diversity:

Vopak stores vital products with care. Our commitment to care extends to all our stakeholders, including our own employees, new talents and people in our local communities around the globe. We believe that each individual has the right to be treated with respect and dignity, and to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, political orientation or trade union membership, allowing everyone at Vopak to develop their full potential.

It is Vopak's policy to employ and administer employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, citizenship status, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam Era and in accordance with federal and state civil rights laws.

Accommodations

If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact ....

Want to start as a Contracts Manager at Vopak?

Are you ready to share your vision and contribute to Vopak's projects? Then start as a Contracts Manager and apply now!

Job ID: 482031614
Originally Posted on: 6/20/2025

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