About Vanderlande
Vanderlande is a global leader in logistics process automation, specializing in automated material handling systems for airports, warehouses, and parcel operations. Our innovative solutions help move millions of products and pieces of luggage around the world every day. With a strong focus on technology, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we are committed to delivering reliable solutions for our customers while providing meaningful career opportunities for our employees.
About the Role
The Contract Manager supports the effective administration of customer contracts and construction subcontracts for complex material-handling and automation projects. The role manages contractual risk, change, claims, compliance, and project records from award through closeout, while providing commercial, schedule, and financial guidance to project teams. The Contract Manager works closely with Project Management, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Sales, and site teams and may represent the company in customer and subcontractor discussions.
Key Responsibilities
- Administer customer contracts and construction subcontracts throughout the project lifecycle, including obligations, notices, deliverables, milestones, and closeout requirements.
- Review contract documents, amendments, purchase orders, subcontracts, and commercial correspondence and communicate requirements to project stakeholders.
- Monitor project compliance with contractual requirements and identify gaps, noncompliance, or documentation weaknesses before they affect entitlement or delivery.
- Prepare and defend clear cost, schedule, productivity, and commercial justifications in coordination with project delivery teams.
- Develop claim and claim-defense strategies for customer and subcontract matters, including entitlement, causation, impact, and supporting evidence.
- Draft timely notices, responses, and other contractually required correspondence.
- Support negotiations, and dispute resolution by coordinating with Legal.
- Identify contractual, financial, schedule, and execution risks and establish mitigation actions with accountable owners.
- Provide commercial and contract guidance to project leadership to protect delivery, margin, cash flow, and contractual entitlement.
- Partner with Project Management, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Sales, Engineering, and site teams to integrate contract requirements into project execution.
- Participate in customer and subcontractor contract reviews, risk workshops, negotiations, progress reviews, and dispute discussions.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of contract-management standards, templates, reporting, and lessons learned.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in contract management, construction management, engineering, business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Progressive experience in contracts, commercial management, construction management, project controls, claims, or a related project-delivery discipline.
- Working knowledge of contract formation, interpretation, administration, and enforcement principles.
- Strong understanding of construction and project-delivery processes, means and methods, schedule impacts, cost development, and subcontractor management.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex contract issues, organize supporting evidence, and communicate a clear commercial position.
- Strong written and verbal communication, presentation, negotiation, and conflict-management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple complex priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
- This role may require domestic and international travel of 25%-50%, including travel to active project and customer sites.
- This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may change based on business and project needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with large-scale automated material-handling, industrial construction, integration, or design-build projects.
- Experience with Primavera P6, BIM platforms, Microsoft Excel, and contract management systems.
- Experience supporting customer-facing negotiations, claims resolution, arbitration, litigation, or expert analysis.
- Professional certification or advanced education in contract management, construction law, project management, or claims is a plus.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Vanderlande is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations as required by law.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in contract management, construction management, engineering, business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience
- Progressive experience in contracts, commercial management, construction management, project controls, claims, or a related project-delivery discipline
- Working knowledge of contract formation, interpretation, administration, and enforcement principles
- Understanding of construction and project-delivery processes, means and methods, schedule impacts, cost development, and subcontractor management
- Ability to analyze complex contract issues, organize supporting evidence, and communicate a clear commercial position
- Strong written and verbal communication, presentation, negotiation, and conflict-management skills
- Ability to manage multiple complex priorities in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
- Experience with large-scale automated material-handling, industrial construction, integration, or design-build projects
- Experience with Primavera P6, BIM platforms, Microsoft Excel, and contract management systems
- Experience supporting customer-facing negotiations, claims resolution, arbitration, litigation, or expert analysis
- Professional certification or advanced education in contract management, construction law, project management, or claims
Vanderlande Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vanderlande and has not been reviewed or approved by Vanderlande.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, with day‑one eligibility in many U.S. roles and employer‑paid protections that reduce out‑of‑pocket exposure. Feedback suggests medical, dental, and vision are a clear strength.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting in the U.S. Feedback suggests this forms a solid pillar of the total rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, sick leave, and paid holidays are characterized as generous relative to peers. Compressed workweek options in some roles further support time away and recovery.
Vanderlande Insights
What We Do
Vanderlande is the global market leader for future-proof logistic process automation at airports. The company is also a leading supplier of process automation solutions for warehouses and in the parcel market. Vanderlande’s baggage handling systems are capable of moving over 4 billion pieces of baggage around the world per year. Its systems are active in more than 600 airports including 12 of the world’s top 20. More than 52 million parcels are sorted by its systems every day, which have been installed for the world’s leading parcel companies. In addition, many of the largest global e-commerce players and retailers have confidence in Vanderlande’s efficient and reliable solutions. The company focuses on the optimisation of its customers’ business processes and competitive positions. Through close cooperation, it strives for the improvement of their operational activities and the expansion of their logistical achievements. Vanderlande’s extensive portfolio of integrated solutions – innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services – results in the realisation of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology. Established in 1949, Vanderlande has more than 7,500 employees, all committed to moving its customers’ businesses forward at diverse locations on every continent. With a consistently increasing turnover of 1.8 billion euros, it has established a global reputation over the past seven decades as a highly reliable partner for future-proof logistic process automation. Vanderlande was acquired in 2017 by Toyota Industries Corporation, which will help it to continue its sustainable profitable growth. The two companies have a strong strategic match, and the synergies include cross-selling, product innovations, and research and development.
