Principal Contract Manager

Principal Contract Manager

Hybrid – San Ramon or Oakland, CA

Perm Position

The

Principal Contract Manager

plays a pivotal role in overseeing the lifecycle of multiple strategic third-party contracts. This position ensures adherence to contractual terms, tracks key milestones, and manages contract renewals and amendments. The ideal candidate is a seasoned contracts professional with expertise in monitoring, analysis, compliance, and reporting—working collaboratively across departments to ensure consistent and effective compliance practices.

Job Responsibilities

Lead complex cross-functional projects and contract activities.

Advise senior leadership (internal and external) on contracting strategies and negotiation matters.

Independently negotiate complex contract issues.

Lead efforts to identify, analyze, and enhance existing business processes or create new workflows to meet evolving goals.

Collaborate closely with key stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment.

Act as the primary liaison between the Contracts Team and our clients Legal Department and compliance groups (e.g., Risk).

Provide guidance, support, mentorship, and training to less experienced contract management staff.

Design and deliver contract management training to internal and external stakeholders.

Maintain oversight of program contracts and related obligations.

Analyze contracts to detect potential compliance issues.

Identify and resolve discrepancies or cases of non-compliance.

Evaluate and improve compliance programs and procedures.

Conduct audits and inspections to ensure contract compliance.

Communicate compliance obligations clearly to all stakeholders.

Deliver training and guidance on compliance procedures.

Prepare detailed reports on contract compliance activities and results.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Minimum of 9 years of direct experience in a comparable role, with the ability to manage complex sourcing strategies and ensure contract compliance during l

arge-scale digital transformations (e.g., system integrator services and software professional services).

Proven track record of managing sophisticated contracts to minimize value leakage.

Experience with QA and QC of contract documents.

Subject matter expertise in contract composition, management, administration, and negotiation.

Ability to apply advanced business knowledge, project management practices, and industry best practices.

Conflict resolution and negotiation skills with a focus on win-win outcomes.

Strong budgeting, resource allocation, and procurement knowledge including RFPs, bids, and agreements.

Experience with terms & conditions, contracts, ability to understand terms, KPI's, audit, compliance, manage supplier relationship.

Excellent communication skills tailored to varied audiences.

Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

Experience with report generation, modeling, and simulations.

Ability to independently manage priorities based on departmental goals.

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and contract systems / applications (e.g., SRM, Ariba, SAP, scheduling tools).

Experience in process development, review, and continuous improvement.

Desired Qualifications

Master’s degree in a related discipline.

Professional certification(s), such as :

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Program Management Professional (PgMP)

Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt)

Knowledge and experience in transmission pipeline construction.

Utility industry background.