Site Due Diligence (SDD) Contracts Manager

Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

1/9/2025

Microsoft Cloud Operations and Innovation (CO+I) is the team behind the cloud. We are responsible for delivering over 200 Microsoft web portals, Live and Online Services around the world including infrastructure, security and compliance, operations, globalization, and manageability. Our focus is on smart growth, high efficiency, and delivering a trusted experience to customers and partners worldwide. We are looking for a passionate, high-energy individual to help build the network that powers the world’s largest online services.

Within CO+I, the Contracts Management team is responsible for establishing a construction services supply chain that can meet and deliver services to support the ever-growing growth of the Cloud and our customers. We support a portfolio of complex, multi-disciplinary, multi-billion, multi-year datacenter construction projects.

We are looking to fill a critical role of Site Due Diligence (SDD) Contracts Manager to support the procurement and contracts management of multiple site acquisition and land development projects in support of our Data Center build program in EMEA. .

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

“Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.”

Responsibilities

Category Experience:

• Deep Construction Execution Experience in Supply Chain and Contracts Management is an absolute requirement for this role.
• Experience in more key construction categories including Architect / Engineering consultancy, Infrastructure Equipment and construction services would be of benefit too.
• Experience on large-scale mission critical construction projects is an absolute requirement - sourcing, managing, and administering contracts over USD $100M.
• Strong negotiation skills, ability to lead a cross functional team in the development of negotiation plans to drive positive outputs.
• Own and manage the Site Due Diligence (SDD) professional services procurement process for build sites across EMEA, collaborating with cross functional stakeholders.
• Create and issue Request For Quotations (RFQ's) for services required for the projects and evaluate and compare the bids received from the suppliers.
• Draft, review, negotiate and execute contracts with various parties, such as engineering consultants, subconsultants, suppliers, professional services consultants and regulators, for architectural engineering services for datacenter SDD projects.
• Manage contract renewals, extensions, amendments and terminations, and maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all contracts and related documents.
• Communicate and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on contract-related matters, and provide guidance and support as needed.
• Work in a fast paced environment, multi-tasking on multiple projects, and holding all team members to account to meet project SLAs.
• Create and deliver on contract execution plans, defining control processes and approaches that drive consistent alignment with business requirements and support continuous improvements in the execution of contracts within and across organizations.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for identifying and resolving internal and/or external contract delivery, execution risks, and road blocks.
• Oversee price and procurement requests via workflow process or technology as applicable in support of product and service requirements, ensuring procedural compliance, and managing the resolution of highly complex pricing issues raised by other sourcing personnel.
• Identify issues related to procurement requests and collaborates with business and engineering partners to proactively drive process and system improvements.
• Engage the supply base to process price validation and deliver accurate pricing to relevant team(s) for purchase order creation.
• Support execution team in the identification and resolving of internal and/or external contract delivery, execution risks, and road blocks.
• Collate data and report to our Leadership Team on key performance metrics and category health.
• Other: Embody our Culture and Values
  
  

Behavioral Attributes:

• Can create clarity, generate energy, and deliver success; always be planning for the future.
• Have high integrity – must be ethical and strong value-based individual focused on fairness and maintaining confidentiality.
• Bring high energy – a drive to achieve results in midst of ambiguity and a matrix organization.
• Be a high performer – be able to fit the Microsoft “culture” by effectively multi-tasking and managing priorities; have a “sense of urgency” regarding issue resolution.
• Understand the importance of relationships inside the company and with our supply chain partners.
  
  

Responsibilities:

Procurement Planning: Implement procurement plans to effectively deliver against project goals on budget.

Negotiation: Implement appropriate negotiation strategies for the specified scope, incorporating cross functional perspectives as necessary to build a holistic plan together with clear allocation of roles and responsibilities.

Supplier Selection: Participate in supplier selection and performance management; ensure alignment to Microsoft business goals throughout.

Contracting: Deep understanding of industry contracting norms and ability to rapidly develop understanding of Microsoft contracting requirements; Lead / participate in negotiation of contracts that meet business goals.

Contract Oversight: Monitor key elements of supplier performance to contracted requirements; implement corrective action and lessons learned. Manage the administration of the contract with our stakeholders as the Subject Matter Expert and the appointed person to manage all notices, changes, claims and other Contractual Matters.

Project Management: Develop and implement plans to effectively deliver goods and services on time and within specification while managing risk.

Continuous Improvement: Always seek ways to streamline, automate, and simplify processes; includes deployment of tools, using data analytics and working with IT groups to define system requirements.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Master's Degree OR Bachelor's Degree in Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Supply Chain, AND experience in Commercial / Contractual Construction Role, Project Management, Supply Chain.
• Experience working in a cross functional team environment on dynamic large scale capital programs
• Extensive experience with direct procurement in the construction industry
  
  

Preffered Qualifications:

• Strong commercial understanding and experience of driving and developing key contractual components of categories (Architect / Engineer, Commissioning, Project Management, Cost Management and other construction services suppliers).
• Knowledge of construction projects and teams is a must. Datacenter industry preferable and / or mission critical experience managing a variety of project delivery methods – ability to collaborate with a project team in defining risk and developing the appropriate contracting and compensation approaches.
• Ability to work independently and within a matrixed environment; a self-starter and quick learner of Microsoft systems and processes.
• Take ownership and accountability for scope and closing out deliverables in required timelines.
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment and hold all team members accountable.
• Technical ability to review contracts, ability to set up sourcing plans and negotiation strategies to execute them.
• High integrity – must be ethical and strong value based individual focused on fairness and maintaining confidentiality.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for executive communication; ability to articulate points of view with executive management and stakeholders.
• Ability to implement new processes and get buy in from a cross functional team.
• Be a high performer – be able to fit the Microsoft “culture” by effectively multi-tasking and managing priorities; have a “sense of urgency” regarding issue resolution.
• Understand the importance of relationships inside the company and with our supply chain partners.
  
  

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.