Senior Manager, Strategic Contracts

Location: GTA (Oakville or Oshawa office locations)
Status: Regular, Full-Time
Education Level: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Law, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Engineering or a related field.
Travel: 10%

JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Manager, Strategic Contracts leads the development and execution of contract strategies for strategic client engagements following proposal acceptance. The role is responsible for establishing and leading cross-functional negotiation teams, developing negotiation plans, managing commercial risk, and leading contract negotiations through to execution.

As the primary commercial lead during contract negotiation and finalization, the Senior Manager works closely with internal stakeholders and client representatives to align contractual commitments with business objectives, operational requirements, risk tolerance, and governance standards. The role requires strong commercial acumen, negotiation expertise, stakeholder leadership, and the ability to achieve successful business outcomes while effectively managing contractual and commercial risk.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Working in accordance with prescribed safety procedures and regulations:

Contract Strategy Development

• Lead the transition from proposal acceptance to contract negotiation and execution.

• Review approved proposals, commercial commitments, pricing models, and client requirements to establish a comprehensive contracting approach.

• Develop contract strategies and negotiation plans that balance commercial objectives, client expectations, operational requirements, and risk management.

• Establish negotiation objectives, priorities, fallback positions, and approval requirements.

• Identify commercial, legal, operational, financial, and compliance risks and develop mitigation strategies.

Negotiation Team Leadership

• Assemble, lead, and coordinate cross-functional negotiation teams comprised of representatives from legal, finance, operations, procurement, risk management, and business development, as required.

• Define team roles, responsibilities, decision-making authorities, and escalation paths.

• Drive alignment among stakeholders on negotiation priorities, commercial positions, and acceptable outcomes.

• Escalate complex issues and recommendations to senior leadership as required.

Contract Negotiation

• Lead commercial negotiations with clients and their representatives through to contract execution.

• Negotiate contract terms and conditions, pricing structures, service levels, performance obligations, liability provisions, governance frameworks, and risk allocation mechanisms.

• Resolve contractual and commercial issues while maintaining positive client relationships and achieving business objectives.

• Drive negotiations to timely closure while ensuring appropriate risk management and compliance with organizational policies.

• Secure all required internal approvals for contract execution

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary commercial interface between the organization and client negotiation teams.

• Build and maintain effective relationships with senior client representatives and internal stakeholders.

• Provide regular updates and recommendations to executive leadership regarding negotiation progress, risks, and key decisions.

Contract Management Oversight

• Accountable for the contract management process, including the oversight and management of contract manager(s).

Governance and Compliance

• Ensure negotiated agreements comply with corporate policies, governance requirements, regulatory obligations, and approved business objectives.

• Maintain documentation of negotiation strategies, approvals, risk assessments, and key decisions.

• Support contract review and approval processes in accordance with delegated authorities.

• Establish and maintain contracting standards, templates, and best practices.

Continuous Improvement

• Analyze negotiation outcomes and identify opportunities to improve contracting processes, strategies, and organizational effectiveness.

• Develop tools, playbooks, and methodologies that enhance commercial negotiation capabilities.

• Mentor contract professionals and contribute to the development of commercial and contracting expertise across the organization.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, Law, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Engineering or a related field.

• Master's degree, MBA, or legal designation is considered an asset.

EXPERIECE

• 8 years of progressive experience in contract management, commercial negotiations, strategic sourcing, legal operations, or business development.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex, high-value contract negotiations.

• Experience managing cross-functional teams in matrixed organizations.

• Proven success negotiating strategic commercial agreements with large enterprise clients.

APPLICATION PROCESS

This job posting is for an existing vacancy. Laurentis thanks all those who apply; however, only candidates considered for an interview will be contacted.

Laurentis values a fair, transparent, and human-centered recruitment process. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision-making systems to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position. All applications are reviewed and evaluated by our Recruitment team to ensure a thorough, consistent, and equitable hiring process.

In compliance with record-keeping requirements, Laurentis must retain a record of all publicly advertised job postings and any associated applications for three (3) years after the posting is removed from public access. If you apply for this position, your application will be stored for 3 years.