Manager-Contract Administration

Primary purpose:

• As a Manager within the Contract Administration group, this role is responsible for leading and overseeing the drafting, maintenance, and set up of more than 40 types of commercial agreements—including transportation, storage, purchase, sales, gathering as well as various other types of contracts—for the Kinder Morgan Texas Intrastate Pipeline Group, which encompasses approximately 40 accounting companies.
• In addition to core contract oversight, this position plays a key role in strategic and cross-functional initiatives, capital projects, system upgrades, process optimization efforts, and collaboration with the Business Development team on new commercial opportunities and project support.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Direct the day-to-day operations of the Intrastate Contract Administration group, which is responsible for drafting, reviewing, administering, and managing sales, supply, transportation and various miscellaneous operational agreements in a professional manner and on a timely basis.
• The job requires not only management of employees but also hands-on work with contracts, system problem resolution, and a wide variety of special projects.
• This position requires working closely with Marketing, Optimization, Scheduling, Legal, Gas Accounting, Business Development and Information Technology to ensure all contracts are processed and monitored according to the terms of each contract, and that all transactions are fully and accurately captured in DART.
• Lead team efforts in problem resolution, project work and systems testing.
• Provide training and assistance to members of the team as well as outside departments.
• Direct the department in assuring that all parties comply with the contracts.

Minimum requirements:

• Hands-on experience in drafting long-term supply and sales contracts and amendments of those contracts.
• Strong working knowledge of industry standards for payment, billing, credit, and contracting.
• Experience preparing and administering NAESB contracts and non-standard contracts.
• Experience in writing and implementing contract administration procedures.
• Strong working knowledge of transportation contracts and their effect on operational scheduling.
• Actively participate in the review of draft contract language to verify the ability to process charges systematically, identify exceptions and provide recommendations and alternative solutions prior to execution of the agreement.
• Proficiency in leading efforts to document business procedures and write system test cases with strong understanding of exceptions.
• In-depth experience in a gas management system and nomination system, DART experience a plus.
• Prior involvement with inter departmental communication and shared projects at an upper management level.
• Experience managing or supervising other personnel.
• Keen analytical skills are necessary to successfully troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Experience working with Legal department in dispute resolution involving contracts and agreements.
• Must be able to work with a team, take directions from supervisors, keep required work schedules, focus attention on details, and follow work rules.
• Ability to achieve results with accuracy and a sense of urgency.
• Occasional overtime may be required during Bidweek and major projects.

Qualities/Skills:

• Must be highly motivated and dependable.
• Ability to multi-task is essential.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with other departments and upper management. Ability to direct employees in an efficient manner.
• Strong organizational skills, particularly with high-level projects.
• Excellent customer relations and customer service skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to persuasively present ideas and results to peers and management.
• Strong written and oral communication.
• Ability to set priorities for self and group and to quickly adjust to changing priorities.
• Ability to analyze and resolve issues.
• Hands-on experience with data analysis and reporting compliance with contract provisions.
• Ability to work effectively and manage employees in a stressful environment both within and outside the company.
• Good computer skills, with proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Word & PowerPoint.

Education:

• Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, Accounting or related field; Minimum of 10 years work experience in contract administration, scheduling, deal capture or gas pipeline accounting may be considered as a substitute for a degree. An advanced degree, although not required, may be a plus.

Experience / specific knowledge:

• Ten or more years of varied experience in the natural gas industry, preferably intrastate pipeline experience.

Supervisory responsibility:

• This position will have direct supervisory responsibilities over a professional staff of Contract Administrators.

Preferred education, experience, certifications, competencies, skills, and abilities:

Above the minimum requirements; not required but advantageous in this position:

• Previous hands-on experience developing ad hoc queries and reports.
• Ability to identify, recommend, and lead process enhancements that will result in improved efficiency of capturing and reporting contractual data.
• Strong working knowledge of gas industry standards for nomination and scheduling procedures, gas measurement and quality specs; as well as an understanding of the current Texas regulatory issues facing gas pipelines and the gas industry now as well as in the near future.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.