Contracts Lead III

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Contracts Lead III to serve as the primary commercial interface between the refinery operations team and the global procurement organization. In this role, you will act as a trusted business partner, leveraging procurement expertise and operational understanding to drive value, support site reliability, and optimize commercial outcomes.

The successful candidate will collaborate closely with refinery stakeholders, supply chain teams, procurement leaders, and suppliers to identify cost-saving opportunities, improve procurement processes, manage contracts, and support critical operational activities. This role requires a strong balance of commercial acumen, relationship-building skills, and practical business knowledge.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of contracts and commercial agreements, including amendments, scope updates, pricing changes, and contract compliance.
• Negotiate contract pricing, terms, and conditions while balancing cost, risk, and operational requirements.
• Execute end-to-end Procure-to-Pay (PtP) activities in compliance with procurement policies and controls.
• Serve as the primary commercial liaison between refinery operations and procurement functions.
• Partner with site stakeholders to identify value creation, cost reduction, cost avoidance, and business improvement opportunities.
• Support annual planning activities, maintenance programs, spend reviews, and other key business initiatives.
• Monitor supplier performance, resolve supplier-related issues, and ensure effective agreement utilization.
• Provide commercial guidance on bids, negotiations, sourcing activities, and procurement strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance procurement effectiveness and reduce risk.
• Share market intelligence and influence category strategies through collaboration with procurement networks.
• Support site reliability by helping resolve procurement and supplier issues that impact operations.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in procurement, supply chain, contract management, sourcing, category management, or a related commercial function.
• Experience in manufacturing, refining, industrial operations, energy, oil & gas, or other heavy industry environments.
• Strong contract negotiation and contract management experience.
• Solid understanding of Procure-to-Pay (PtP) processes and procurement best practices.
• Ability to balance operational needs with commercial value and risk management.
• Proven stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Downstream oil & gas or refinery experience.
• Experience bridging procurement and business operations functions.
• Professional procurement certifications and/or post-secondary education in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related discipline.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a commercially minded professional who understands both procurement and site operations. You can build trust with stakeholders, challenge conventional thinking when appropriate, and identify opportunities that improve business value. You thrive in environments with multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and operational urgency, while maintaining a collaborative, solutions-focused approach.

What We Offer

Why work with Brunel? We are proud to offer exciting career opportunities from over 100 offices globally in 42 countries. Advancing your career takes time and effort – let us match you to your ideal position.

About Us

Brunel has a reputation for working with some of the best in the business. That’s what we continually strive for. Brunel provides the global recruitment and workforce services you need to lead your industry. With 50 years of market experience in Renewable Energy, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, Mining and Infrastructure, we help you finish major projects safely, compliantly, on-time, within budget and at the highest quality, so you can keep growing – anywhere in the world.