Manager, Contracts and Subcontracts (Finance)

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

For decades, Ottawa has been a global technology leader. Today, Canada's capital holds one of the brightest and most diverse technological ecosystems in North America. Voted as Canada's best place to live 2017 by Maclean's, Ottawa offers a low cost of living with a high quality of life. The Thales Ottawa office has been a major supplier and long-term trusted partner to DND, enabling the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard to achieve mission success.

This position is Hybrid Ottawa

Manager, Contracts and Subcontracts

Position Summary

The Manager, Contracts and Subcontract Management demonstrates leadership by ensuring that the proper contract administration procedures are implemented, administered and maintained in accordance with the company's policies and procedures and the specific project requirements.  These obligations apply to both client-facing contracts, and complex vendor facing Subcontracts.  The role is a key escalation point for Procurement, in their roles related to negotiation and maintenance of complex vendor Subcontracts. The role Provides support to Project Managers, Project Director, Commercial Directors, Legal Counsel/Contracts Director, Procurement, and other corporate departments in all areas of contracts administration, claims, risk and para-legal matters relating to active projects and bid proposals. 

The Manager, Contacts and Subcontract Management is also responsible for the day-to-day people and resource management for a group of Contracts Management employees.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Contracts Management

• Work with Contract Managers to Identify, prepare and monitor all contract change proposals, requests for quotations (RFQs), change orders, claims notices, liquidated damages assessments, including the assembly and research of all necessary backup documentation, in accordance with Contract requirements and obligations.
• Assists Contract Managers with monitoring contract compliance by Thales and the customer (e.g. schedule delays, out-of-scope work) and prepare appropriate contractual actions.
• Initiate, expedite and ensure timely responses to correspondences and completion of documentation and estimates by the project team, Senior Management Team and internal departments, as required.
• Assist Project Management in all activities relating to commercial matters, including but not limited to, internal RFQ processes, providing contract clarification, interpretation to support Thales' business goals and timely generation of correspondence and weekly/monthly reports under the supervision of legal Counsel or Contracts Director.
• Represents or delegates to the Contracts Department in status review meetings with Customers and internal project review and operation presentations.
• Represents or delegates to the Contracts Department and support project Management and Marketing commercial/contractual negotiation matters with the Customer as assigned by Project's Director and Director of Legal and Contracts. 
• Monitors the Identification and immediate notification of any contractual risk issues or exposure that arise. Participate in implementation of mitigation plan.
• Liaise with company's offices and directors, finance, legal and other corporate departments, as well as external legal and banking institutions as required as assigned by the Director of Legal and Contracts.
• Responsible for administration of contractual insurance, bonding, warranty, escrow and other contract requirements
• Conducts research and obtains backup documentation with respect to controversial issues, potential disputes, and makes recommendations thereon.
• Travels to Customer's facilities as required to represent Contracts in discussion of commercial/contractual issues, as required.

Subcontract Management

• Responsible as the key point of liaison to the Procurement organization for all issues related to the Legal and Contracts mandate in relation to Subcontracts.
• Coordinates negotiation of key contract terms with Subcontractors as determined by the pre-determined deviation matrix between Legal and Contracts, and Procurement.
• Ensures consistency of approach between client contracts and Subcontracting agreements.
• Coordinates negotiation and acceptance of required flow-downs to Subcontractors from client contracts, and flow-ups from Subcontractor agreements to client contracts.
• Ensures establishment of subcontract onboarding in consultation with Procurement in advance of mandatory work periods under major client programs.
• Verifies completion and adoption of program “Subcontract Playbook” to assist Contract Management and Procurement with standardization of practices and standards.

People Management

• Delegates contract management obligations to the appropriate stakeholder in the Contract Management organization.
• Provides oversight and direction to a team of employees within the department in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities.
• Leads employees to meet the organization's expectations for productivity, quality, continuous improvement, and goal accomplishment.
• Fosters a spirit of teamwork and unity among department members that allows for cohesiveness, support, and working effectively together to enable each employee and the department to succeed.
• Works with Human Resources staff to recruit, interview, select, hire, and employ an appropriate number of employees.

Minimum Requirements

• 10 years of experience administering/managing complex contracts in an international environment.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills, including the ability to deal professionally with difficult individuals and problematic situations.
• Excellent written skills to ensure a proper level of professionalism with respect to correspondence to clients
• Self-motivated individual capable of working independently with minimal supervision, who is also a team player.
• Strong organizational ability and problem solving and delegation capability.
• Ability to understand requirements and company policies particularly pertaining to contracts, insurance, bonding and risk management.
• Previous experience in creating and managing high performing teams

• Bachelor Degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 to 7+ years of experience in defence contracting environment.

Special Position Requirements

• Schedule: 40 hours per week. Hybrid position – a mix of working from home.
• Travel: Occasional domestic may be required

What We Offer

• Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:
• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.
• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.
• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

Why Join Us?

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Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance.