Position Description

Procurement Contract Management Specialist

It’s an exciting time to join

We’re transforming the way we do business with significant investment in customer, digital and business innovation, re-

designing our infrastructure to service communities for generations to come and pursuing a circular economy so we can not only reduce our environmental footprint but also reduce energy costs to keep customer bills affordable. We’re also engaging communities to achieve better outcomes and supporting our incredibly talented and valued leaders and people.

Organisational Context

east Victoria across an area of 20,000 square kilometres. The service delivery area is bound by Corryong, Yarrawonga,

Benalla, and Dartmouth. We operate 21 water treatment facilities and 22 wastewater treatment plants that service most towns across the region. Over 200 full time equivalent staff are employed at our centres in Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla,

Yarrawonga, Corryong, Beechworth, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford.

Our operations are overseen by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) on behalf of the

Minister for Water, and the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) on behalf of the Treasurer. We continue to invest in innovative and long-term capital projects which contribute to the health and well-being of current and future generations.

Our Commitment to Health and Safety

free from bullying and harassment for all employees, contractors, customers and visitors. We prioritise the health, safety

(physical and psychological) and wellbeing of all staff and customers.

Transformational Leadership Competencies

- Business, strategy and negotiation acumen.
- Agility and adaptability.
- Program and change management.
- Communicator, connector, influencer, relationship builder.
- Opportunity focused, growth mindset.
- Developing, coaching and supporting others.
- Leading hybrid teams.
- Management essentials (safety first, planning, budgeting, delivery, people management,

continuous improvement, opportunity and risk management).

Our Mindsets

At where our people are aligned with our business direction, proud of their contribution to business performance, and own a culture that is centred on the following mindsets:

- Committed to advancing and supporting people to succeed.

- Consistent in interactions with people and in applying processes.

- Provide empathy for people and be willing to place oneself in another person’s position.

- Accountable for one’s own actions and responsibilities and playing your part for the success of the

organisation.
- Cooperative with others to work towards the Corporation’s common goals.

Position Objectives The Contract Management Specialist:

- Provides leadership and strategic oversight of contract management across

money, commercial outcomes and organisational risk.
- Acts as the organisation’s specialist adviser on complex, sensitive and high-risk contract management, governance,

performance and supplier matters.
- Leads the development, interpretation and implementation of organisation-wide contract management

frameworks, systems and capability.
- Leads a high-performing, strategic procurement and contract management function and enhances corporate

planning and investment decisions. Key Responsibility Areas

- Leading or supporting contract negotiations, including establishing negotiation strategies and facilitating

complex discussions with suppliers.
- Developing and maintaining contract management templates, including contract management plans and

performance frameworks.
- Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on contract performance against KPIs and implementing strategies

to improve outcomes and drive value for money.
- Managing contract variations, extensions, renewals and transition processes in accordance with policy

and delegation frameworks.
- Advising and assisting staff with contract management processes, including contract performance,



risk

management, and issue resolution.
- Ensuring contract managers maintain accurate contract records and ensuring compliance with

procurement systems, policies and audit requirements.
- Developing and delivering contract management training and capability uplift across the organisation.
- Supporting compliance with relevant legislation and policies (e.g. Modern Slavery, Social Procurement

Framework, Local Jobs First, Recycled First).
- Building and maintaining effective relationships with internal stakeholders and strategic suppliers to

maximise contract value and manage risk.
- Contributing to the continuous improvement of procurement and contract management frameworks,

systems and practices.

Organisational Relationships

This role reports to the Manager Enterprise Programs and Procurement and supervises the Procurement Officer. The

Procurement Contract Management Specialist liaises with all internal stakeholders, peers in water corporations or local government, government agencies and members of the public. The role has enterprise-wide reach across ICT, operational,

environmental, and customer service teams from officer to senior leader level.

Accountability and Extent of Authority

- Accountable for the development, implementation and ongoing effectiveness of organisation-wide contract

management policy, governance frameworks, systems and assurance controls.
- Acts as the specialist advisor on complex, high-risk and strategically significant contracts, with advice relied upon by

senior leaders and governance forums to support decisions of substantial financial, operational and reputational consequence.
- Freedom to act is governed by organisational goals and policies, and legislation.
- Accountable for contract assurance, compliance and reporting, including escalation and remediation of material

control failures and systemic risks.
- Owns the contract management operating model, processes and systems and is accountable for their integrity,

auditability, maturity and alignment with corporate strategy and government policy requirements.

Judgement and Decision Making

- Makes authoritative assessments of complex commercial, financial and operational risks where issues are novel,

highly sensitive or without clear precedent.
- Determines enterprise-wide contract management approaches and develops strategic options and

recommendations that influence corporate priorities, investment decisions and service outcomes.
- Exercises judgement in balancing risk, value for money, probity and operational continuity, including

recommending acceptance, treatment or escalation of material organisational risk.
- Exercises broad professional judgement to ensure compliance with legislation, government policy, delegations and

governance requirements and to resolve matters with organisational impact.
- Interprets legislation, government policy and contractual obligations and establishes organisational guidance for

circumstances where existing policy or practice is inadequate. Specialist skills and knowledge

- Expert knowledge and understanding of procurement and contract management frameworks, relevant legislation,

probity, commercial governance and contemporary contract management practice.
- Demonstrated capability in managing high-risk contracts, including governance, financial and

performance management.
- Well-developed commercial acumen, including dispute management, negotiation and supplier

management expertise.




- Experience in applying innovative approaches to contract management to optimise outcomes and value

for money.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capability.
- Understanding of the broader operating and regulatory setting relevant to

Management Skills

- Provides functional leadership for contract management across

enterprise priorities, standards and performance expectations.
- Develops contract management plans for strategically significant and high-value contracts, aligning

resources and specialist input across business units.
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams and external stakeholders through complex negotiations, assurance

reviews, disputes, transitions and contract recovery activities.
- Directly leads, develops and manages the performance of the Procurement Officer to ensure contract

administration support is provided to partner business units and provides professional direction to contract managers across the organisation.
- Establishes and monitors organisation-wide measures of contract management maturity, capability,

compliance and value realisation. Interpersonal Skills

- High-level communication skills, including the ability to influence, negotiate and provide clear advice to

stakeholders.
- Ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent written communication skills, including preparation of reports, briefs and complex

documentation.
- Demonstrated capability in delivering training and building organisational capability.
- Ability to support and mentor staff to improve contract management maturity.
- Ability to lead, motivate and develop other employees.

Qualifications and Experience

- Relevant tertiary qualification in procurement, commerce, business, law or a related discipline with relevant

experience. Or other formal qualification with extensive and diverse experience in contract management.
- Demonstrated experience leading an enterprise contract management function or operating model within

government, a regulated utility or a comparably complex organisation.
- Proven experience in negotiation, contract administration and supplier performance management.
- Extensive experience advising senior leaders on complex, sensitive and high-value commercial matters and

supporting negotiations, dispute resolution and supplier performance interventions.
- Proven experience developing, interpreting and implementing organisation-wide contract management

governance frameworks, assurance programs and improvement initiatives.
- Experience governing the appropriate, secure and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in contract

management, including policy compliance, privacy, assurance, capability uplift and auditable practice is highly desirable.
- Experience working within Victorian Government procurement frameworks or similar (preferred but not required).

Requirements of Employment

Employees of

Health, Safety and Wellbeing

- Support the implementation of the HS&W; Management System, culture growth and safe work practices, through

high levels of positive role modelling.
- Inspire staff to proactively focus on their physical and mental wellbeing.
- Empower staff to identify workplace hazards (including psychological hazards) and implement the appropriate

control measures.
- Ensure all incidents regardless of the severity are reported and debriefed in accordance with NEW’s procedures

Protecting the Environment helping our communities build resilience and adapt to climate change. This will be demonstrated through continued emissions reduction, climate adaptation and environmental stewardship.

Data Privacy

As a Victorian government organisation,

2014 (“PDP Act”). There are 10 Information Privacy Principles (“IPPs”) in the PDP Act that govern the way that North East

Water collects and handles the personal information of current and future employees and customers.

Privacy Statement can be found on our website.

📌 Procurement Contract Management Specialist (Wodonga)
🏢 North East Water
📍 Wodonga