Contracts Manager

Purpose of the Job

The purpose of the job is to ensure that Aggreko's project contracts are administered and managed appropriately from contract signature to expiry. The job holder will serve as the central point of contact between the customer, project delivery team, operations team, sales, legal, and finance teams, and will act as the project/contract owner.

This is a highly strategic and externally exposed position that requires the ability to work well in a matrix organization and influence others without direct authority.

The primary responsibility of this role is to protect contract profitability by ensuring that every contractual item is properly billed and that the project is generating forecasted revenue. In additional, the contract manager must ensure that any out-of-scope tasks are well-documented and properly recharged.

This position will pay particular attention during the mobilization phase to ensure that the responsibility matrix specified in the contract is thoroughly followed, and any deviations or changes in scope are properly documented, agreed upon in writing with the customer, and subsequently invoiced.

Once a project is operational, the contracts manager will ensure that revenue is properly measured, calculated, billed and paid on time. Depending on the complexity of the contracts, the position holder will be responsible for managing multiple major contracts. When required, they will support logistics teams when importing/exporting equipment and provide commercial support to the operations teams on issues such as monitoring fuel quality and consumption. The contracts manager will liaise with the Aggreko treasury team to verify that bank guarantees are available and extended when necessary, and that deposits are paid on time to Aggreko. They will also be responsible for the day-to-day management of consultant commission invoice validation.

The role will also be responsible for managing collections and overdue payments from customers and ensuring that no bad debts are incurred.

Job Accountabilities/Key Responsibilities

Contract Management Processes / reporting
- Ensure Aggreko’s existing contract management processes are run effectively:

- Ensure a correct and timely invoicing for all projects
- Close follow up with client to ensure timely payments
- Ensure that a proper cash allocation is made in Aggreko Accounting
- Ensure that contract Account is matching with Aggreko debtor ledger
- Making sure that Aggreko team is well coordinated on delivering the contract
- Ensure that proving forms at COD are properly drafted and signed
- Identify opportunities for process improvement
- Ensure that all activities are aligned with the internal and external stakeholders: consult and communicate at all time to ensure alignment
- Ensure that all project filing and archive materials are stored in a correct manner

Leadership:

- Be able to mobilise Africa internal resources (Sales, Legal, Finance, MD, Operations) to address dispute with customers and take a leadership role when required
- Be able to work in a matrix organisation and influence people without any authority link
- Be creative, proactive and agile in the problem-solving approach
- Be able to drive Aggreko expectations vis à vis the project consultant

Communication and Strategic:

- Need to have the right level of seniority to be able to identify and build relationships with our customers key stakeholders ( typically senior general managers, board members and local politicians) and to internal stakeholders in Aggreko (CFO, FD, Head of Commercial)
- When required, propose a new (debt) recovery approach/strategy for his/her own portfolio of customers to unlock disputes

Person Specification/Job Requirements
- Bachelors degree or equivalent in Business
- Relevant experience in Business Partnering / Finance (typically 5 to 10 years) with a multinational company or in a Big Four Accounting Firm
- Hands on
- Problem solving skills / attention to details
- Ability to writte complex letters to customers
- Proven track record of managing complex projects on time and to budget under pressure
- Highly numerate
- Willingness to travel if necessary 1 week a month (typically from Monday to Thursday) across Africa
- Languages: French and English: both fluent

Desired Skills
- Problem solving and analyzing skills
- Planning & organising skills
- Strategic influencing skills
- Attention to detail, thorough in the follow up of enforcement of contracts and invoicing
- Good communication and interpersonal skills: Ability to write / talk to very Senior People (MD/MINISTERS) but also employees
- Good knowledge of Africa
- Being able to network and lobby at all levels on customer side.

Desired Behaviors
- Holding self and others accountable.
- Courage and Conviction
- Drive for results - a deep seated inner desire to achieve “step changes” in business results.
- Relentless Preparation - preparing thoroughly for all important management decision