Expression of Interest: Contracts Managers – Let’s Connect (Bonus if Procurement is your strength too!)
DRA Global Limited (DRA or the Company) is an international multi-disciplinary engineering, project delivery and operations management group, predominantly focused on the mining, minerals and metals industry. The Group has an extensive track record spanning four decades across a wide range of commodities. DRA’s teams have deep expertise in the mining, minerals and metals processing industries, as well as related non-process infrastructure such as, water, and energy solutions. DRA covers all major mining centres with offices across Africa and the Middle East, North and South America, and Asia-Pacific.
We’re not actively hiring right now—but we know timing is everything. That’s why we’re building a pipeline of exceptional Contracts professionals who can help us move fast when the opportunity arises.
If you’re a Contracts Manager who knows how to manage complexity, navigate NEC or FIDIC contracts with ease, and keep your eye on both the details and the bigger picture—we’d love to get to know you.
And if you’re strong in Procurement too? Double win.
We’re especially keen to connect with individuals who understand the full contract-to-supply chain cycle. It's rare to find someone who bridges both worlds well—and we’re quietly on the lookout for that unique blend of skill. (Just putting it out there…)
The kind of experience that will catch our eye:
- Proven strength in Contracts Management—NEC/FIDIC, project-based environments, stakeholder wrangling, and risk management
- A knack for supplier negotiations, procurement planning, and driving value
- Ability to thrive in engineering, construction, or mining sectors
- Strategic thinking with a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude
- Comfortable balancing governance, people, and performance
- Known for being calm under pressure and sharp where it counts
Why apply now if there’s no formal role?
Because when the right opportunity knocks, we don’t want to go hunting—we want to go straight to you.
By applying, you’re simply joining our internal Contracts (and maybe Procurement!) Talent Pool. It’s not a commitment—it’s just a smart way for us to get familiar with your talent ahead of time.
Click “Apply” and let’s make sure we know each other when the timing is right.
Full job profile:
The Contracts Manager is responsible for the contractual and commercial setup of projects. Setting of the standards for Commercial/Contractual negotiations and maintenance of procurement / contract templates. Ongoing management of training and updating of personnel to latest standards.
Key Performance Areas (Responsibilities)
People Leadership
- Coaching and mentorship of procurement and commercial personnel.
- Set-up and implement applicable training for procurement/commercial departments for career and personal growth, to enable staff to become more competent, efficient and skilled in their positions.
- Motivate personnel and communicate with personnel on both a professional and personal level.
- Ensure that the necessary training is provided to the members of the procurement and commercial teams to enable them to support the business wherever possible
- motivate staff in the Procurement and commercial teams to provide an excellent service to all stakeholders
- Encourage staff to develop their skills and expertise
- Training of procurement and commercial personnel.
People Management:
- Responsibly delegating duties and functions stipulated in the project procurement, tender opening and close-out procedures to the procurement/commercial personnel, as required.
- Monitor procurement progress on projects.
- Peer reviews.
- Manage resourcing requirements and constraints - effectively and adequately resource projects with procurement/commercial personnel - interface with project managers in defining their specific procurement/commercial and contract resources required on their projects.
- Responsibly delegate duties and functions to others within the procurement and commercial department, where appropriate.
- Train employees on procurement and contracting processes and procedures as required.
- Establish a central resource plan to ensure that all activities can be forward planned, and that adequate procurement and commercial resources exist
- Engage with the business to identify the key procurement and commercial priorities and ensure that resources are assigned accordingly
Operational Management:
- Assist in preparing, reviewing, and implementing mid and long- term procurement and commercial strategic plans
- Compliance with acceptable, and agreed, business practices (business ethics, corporate governance, client and project requirements etc.).
- Oversee, develop, maintain, control and manage DRA procurement and commercial processes, procedures, templates and documentation.
- Provide input into the project start-up and execution processes and provide continuing support to the projects and DRA generally.
- Establish the basic procurement, commercial and contracting work processes, documentation and requirements and systems relating to projects.
- Support business development, estimating, proposals, studies and projects with commercial/contractual knowledge, know-how, input and guidance.
- Advertise and promote the effectiveness of the procurement/commercial team to project teams and managers.
- Consult and assist where required on various projects.
- Peer reviews, and auditing where required
- Establishing a central procurement and commercial service
- Day to day management of the procurement and commercial teams
- Developing systems of control, policies and procedures relating to procurement and commercial activities
- Reviewing existing contracts and identifying opportunities for improvement
- Ensuring that legislative requirements are understood and incorporated into controls, policies and procedures
- Controls, policies and procedures
- Set up and maintain a control framework to ensure that all procurement and commercial activities are effectively managed and are in accordance with corporate governance, and contract requirements
- Orders, Procurement Toolkit and Financial Regulations
- Review and develop the Procurement Strategy covering each of the key business areas
- Develop the Procurement Procedures to ensure that relevant staff know when they are required to engage with the procurement team
- Ensure that the correct procedures are followed in respect of all major procurement activities
- Continually develop procurement expertise across DRA to support staff development, knowledge and expertise in procurement activities
- Contract, Services and Supplier Reviews
- Set up a process of review for all Contracts and Suppliers ensuring that maximum value for money benefits are achieved through supplier rationalisation, with input into the development of a DRA Approved Supplier list
- Encourage effective contract management across the business with regular reviews, development of Service Level Agreements and key performance measures
- Build and develop good relationships with key suppliers to ensure best value for money and customer satisfaction with services provided
- Ensure that all areas of concern are identified and addressed as early as possible, with remedial action taken
- Implement and engage a procurement consortium to ensure that value for money and economies of scale are used to DRA’s benefit, where appropriate
- Monitor trends in supplier and contract database and propose/implement plans to respond to such trends
- Ensure that the central Contract Register is maintained, together with master contracts
- Ensures implementation of operational strategies focusing on achievement of the following results in close collaboration with the procurement and contracting unit:
- Elaboration and implementation of strategic procurement in the project including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, procurement, introduction and promotion, performance measurement
- Compliance with acceptable, and agreed, business practices (business ethics, corporate governance etc.).
- Make DRA / Client procurement templates specific to project / Client (terms and conditions insertion and modification, insurance and tax provisions etc.).
- Where required, complete enquiry documentation using either the DRA standard documentation or the Client’s specific documentation.
- Where required, formatting, administration, circulation for signature of all procurement documentation in accordance with the project procurement procedure i.e. enquiry, adjudication, contract etc.
- Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the project focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Organization of training for the projects staff on Procurement and contracts
- Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in Procurement and contracts
- Work effectively with other staff across the organisation
- Technical Expertise:
- Presentations on core capabilities of procurement/commercial and contracts departments.
- Commercial/contractual advice, assistance and support to projects and DRA (company-wide)
- Support and assistance to the Project Controls Managers, where required.
- Early recognition of potential contractual/commercial disputes, risks, issues and/or claims and escalation to management with advice, where necessary.
- Assist and guide personnel with all contractual / commercially related communications.
- Assist and guide, where required, DRA and project teams with change management (variations, change notices, early warnings etc.).
Procurement Responsibilities
- Oversee the coordination of feedback sessions with the project team (project familiarisation session) regarding key procurement aspects, ramifications/issues affecting the project, if any.
- As necessary, liaise with legal counsel or management for clarification and/or direction with regards to any procurement liabilities that may arise.
- Manage the generation and implementation project specific procurement, tender opening and close-out procedures in accordance with client requirements (as appropriate).
- Ensure functional alignment with project team
- Oversee the implementation of agreed purchasing plan for project
- Determine risk of & impact from changes and exceptions in process
- Oversee the negotiation of favourable contractual terms and conditions for DRA with suppliers and clients.
- Delivers on cost reduction commitments through the identification, development and execution of strategic sourcing initiatives
- Develops and implements efficiencies, standardized tools, practices and procedures shortening the quotation, RFP and decision making and evaluation time
- Full compliance of procurement activities with rules, regulations, policies and strategies; elaboration of the effective internal control, proper design and functioning of a client-oriented procurement management system
- Ensures efficient management of procurement processes focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Timely and proper preparation of procurement plans for the office and projects, establishment of the deadlines and monitoring of their implementation
- Establishment and implementation of proper monitoring system and control of procurement processes including organization of RFQ, ITB or RFP, receipt and evaluation of quotations, bids or proposals.
- Management of procurement contracts
- Elaboration and implementation of the internal control system which ensures that Purchase Orders (PO) are duly prepared and dispatched. Timely corrective actions on POs with budget checks errors and other problems
- Management of the implementation of the procurement processes monitoring system and mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in procurement
- Ensures elaboration, introduction and implementation of sourcing strategy and tools focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Development and management of the rosters of suppliers, elaboration of supplier selection and evaluation, quality and performance measurement mechanisms
- Have the responsibility for achieving corporate savings, budget, and business plan and diversity goals.
- Works closely with business users, engineers and EH&S to determine the long-term needs, considers demand reduction opportunities and resolves complex or repetitive commercial issues
Commercial Responsibilities
- Where required, oversee the completion of commercial adjudication.
- Where required, oversee the negotiation of contracts with suppliers.
- Review of DRA contract documentation, terms and conditions and commercial clarifications on an ad-hoc, per request basis. Review, negotiate and manage DRA contracts, where appropriate.
- Where required, oversee the generation of the order or contract document using the relevant, project specific documentation.
- Where required, circulation and signatory of contract documents in accordance with the project procurement procedure.
General Responsibilities
- Input and management of overall electronic tendering mechanism.
- Where required, issue the approved enquiry document into the marketplace, in accordance with the project procurement procedure.
- Maintain good and professional relationships with project team, suppliers and clients.
- Where required, oversee the receipt of original guarantees, record in register and put in safekeeping (safe).
- Where required, oversee the compilation and issue regret letters to all unsuccessful tenderers, in accordance with the project procurement procedures.
- Where required, reporting, in accordance with the project requirements.
Stakeholder Relations
- Ensures that interactions with all stakeholders are conducted in professional and respectful manner
- Ensures that all relevant stakeholders are kept informed and up to date on status of project procurement/commercial aspects
- Ensures that DRA remains the Clients engineering service provider of choice.
Personal Capabilities
- Takes ownership and accountability for deliverables
- Proactive, results driven and committed
- Values innovation and diversity of ideas
- Positive – “can do” attitude
- Initiative
- Always looking for opportunities to grow and improve capability
- Drives personal development (within industry through registration and within company)
- Ability to work on own initiative whilst taking in to account the wider needs of the team
- Awareness of own skills and knowledge (knowing when you “don’t know”)
- Ability to work well under pressure, work on multiple tasks at one time, prioritising workloads and meeting deadlines
- Must be able to work with a high degree of accuracy and significant attention to detail and possess excellent organisational skills
- Have a positive attitude to work and possess team player qualities
- A professional and friendly disposition with excellent written and oral communication skills
- Present and conduct oneself in a respectable and professional manner
Qualifications
- Formal Qualification Required
- FIDIC Training Course Essential
- Tertiary level qualification e.g. Degree in Quantity Surveying/BCom Law / LLB / Similar etc Advantageous
Experience
- Experience in a similar role within the Engineering, Mining or Construction industries 10+ years Essential
- Experience in Procurement 8+ years Essential
- Full MS Office Package at minimum intermediate level 8+ years Advantageous
Knowledge Areas
- Worked within and EPCM/EPC/Mining environment Essential
- Knowledge of specific department ie: Projects, Construction, Commercial etc. Essential
- Knowledge of ISO 9001, Essential
- Ability to read, analyse, and interpret general business documents, Procurement and Commercial Contracts Essential
- Ability to write reports and/or business correspondence. Essential
- Ability to make effective and/or persuasive presentations on controversial or complex topics to management. Advantageous
- Strong analytical skills in procurement quantitative principles, including spend analytics. Essential
- Strong skills in MS Office applications, especially MS Excel and MS Word. Advantageous
