Contracts Lead

Job Type:  Full-time | Location:  Childress, TX | Department: Operations | Reporting to:  Head of Procurement | Work Location Type: #onsite

 

IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC. 

This role is critical to mitigating construction risks, enabling the construction team to deliver to budget and schedule, and securing access to skilled labor through strategic contracting and partnerships. Operating in a fast-paced and evolving environment, the Senior Manager will establish contracting and partnership frameworks, build market intelligence on contractor capacity, and drive early engagement to support long-term growth.

With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute. We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way – responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in.  

The Contracts Lead owns the full lifecycle of commercial contracts across data center construction and live site operations — from pre-award through final closeout. This role provides the senior layer of commercial oversight, risk ownership, and lifecycle governance across the portfolio, ensuring contractual commitments are clearly defined, proactively managed, and aligned to business outcomes, while setting the standards and playbooks that guide the broader contract management function.

The Contracts Lead is a senior commercial partner and trusted advisor to Procurement, Project Management, Legal, and Finance. This role identifies risks early, owns the accuracy of SAP contract setup, drives invoice and payment alignment, and gives leadership clear, forward-looking visibility into contract health throughout the project lifecycle.

The role carries accountable oversight of the contract portfolio, provides commercial advisory input at a senior level, and leads the design of scalable contract governance — including mentoring and quality-reviewing the work of contract specialists and coordinators. Working closely with site and corporate teams, the Contracts Lead strengthens compliance, improves risk visibility, and drives more predictable project outcomes while demonstrating IREN's Vision, Mission, and Core Values

• 6-10 years of experience in contract management, commercial management, procurement, or legal administration — with demonstrated progression to senior scope, accountability, and mentorship of junior staff.
• Proven post-award contract management experience in capital or construction project environments.
• Strong understanding of commercial contract terms including payment structures, liability, indemnities, change mechanisms, and milestone frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience leading negotiation and redlining cycles directly with Legal, providing senior commercial advisory input rather than process coordination alone.
• Proficiency in ERP systems (SAP preferred); strong organizational and stakeholder communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience in data center, infrastructure, industrial, or energy sectors.
• Familiarity with construction contract types (MSA, EPC, design-build, service agreements, GC structures).
• Experience with CLM software and exposure to dispute avoidance or claims management processes.
• Prior experience mentoring or informally leading contract specialists, coordinators, or a small commercial team.

Pre-Award & Contract Formation

• Engage during pre-award to ensure commercial terms, scope, pricing, and payment milestones are clearly structured and unambiguous before execution.
• Lead review and negotiation of non-standard contracts, identifying commercial and compliance risks early and advising Procurement and Legal leadership directly on recommended positions.
• Draft and review contract documents, work orders, amendments, change orders, NDAs, and service agreements using approved templates.
• Route contracts through internal approval workflows and track execution against project schedules.

 Post-Award Contract Oversight

• Serve as the primary accountability point for contractual compliance from execution through closeout — tracking obligations, notices, milestones, and insurance requirements.
• Monitor performance against commercial terms and flag issues before they escalate into disputes or delays.
• Maintain a live register of critical risk terms, open issues, and milestone status across major active contracts, including subcontractor agreements under EPC or GC structures.
• Coordinate closeout documentation and ensure completion records are accurate and archived.

Commercial Controls & Payment

• Ensure SAP contract setup accurately reflects executed terms, payment milestones, and entitlements — and is updated to reflect approved amendments and change orders.
• Own invoice review and payment alignment to contractual entitlements, resolving discrepancies before payment approval and escalating only material exceptions.
• Track cumulative contract value changes and coordinate milestone-triggered payment actions with Finance and Project teams.

Risk Visibility & Reporting

• Provide concise, regular summaries of commercial risks, contract health, and open issues to Procurement and Project leadership.
• Develop and maintain contract trackers and dashboards that support proactive decision-making across the capital and operational portfolio.
• Lead audit support and, where required, dispute documentation, providing commercial context, analysis, and coordination across stakeholders.

Legal & Commercial Liaison

• Act as the commercial coordination point between Procurement, Projects, and Legal during negotiation and execution cycles.
• Manage redline comparisons, consolidate stakeholder feedback, and track resolution of key negotiation issues including liability, indemnities, payment terms, and warranties.

 Vendor Onboarding & Standardization

• Oversee vendor onboarding including documentation collection (W-9s, insurance, compliance forms) and SAP vendor master setup; ensure insurance certificate renewals are tracked and current.
• Lead development and continuous improvement of standard templates, checklists, playbooks, and tracking tools to support a scalable contract management function.
• Mentor and quality-review the work of contract specialists and coordinators, providing guidance on complex terms and escalation judgment.
• Support implementation and adoption of contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems.