Lead Procurement Manager (Lehigh Valley, PA)

Pay Rate: $70-82/hour + Per Diem + Mob/Demob

Why join us?
Our team is growing! The Lead Procurement Manager?serves as a team leader on larger capital projects and is the client's main contact for providing RFP development, change management, close out administration, procurement management, and change order / claims negotiations in procuring construction services. This position is based out of the client site and reports to the Client.

How will you contribute to the team?

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for large-scale pharmaceutical CAPEX construction projects, ensuring EPCM contracts are structured to meet business objectives.
• Lead contract negotiations with general contractors (GCs), subcontractors, engineering firms (A&E firms), and suppliers, ensuring commercial and technical alignment.
• Ensure all technical, financial, and legal aspects of procurement activities are thoroughly reviewed and approved before contract execution.
• Work closely with construction management teams to coordinate the procurement, delivery, and installation of critical capital equipment.
• Collaborate with engineering, procurement, and construction teams to ensure seamless integration of equipment and materials into the project schedule.
• Oversee vendor performance, ensuring all EPCM agreements align with project deliverables, construction milestones, and regulatory requirements.
• Draft, negotiate, and manage supplier and construction contracts, ensuring cost efficiency, risk mitigation, and compliance with industry best practices.
• Serve as the primary liaison between legal, engineering, finance, and construction teams to facilitate contract execution and change management.
• Monitor contract compliance, ensuring that variations, scope changes, and claims are properly reviewed, documented, and resolved.
• Maintain oversight of EPCM-related procurement activities, ensuring that contractual obligations are met, and payments are made in accordance with agreed terms.
• Track progress payments, performance milestones, and warranties for major construction and equipment contracts.
• Work closely with project controls and finance teams to ensure CAPEX procurement aligns with cost tracking, forecasting, and reporting.
• Conduct job site visits at least three days per week when required to oversee contract execution, supplier coordination, and materials logistics.
• Maintain compliance with Client's global procurement and construction policies, ensuring alignment with corporate, regulatory, and safety standards.
• Utilize e-procurement and contract management tools (e.g., SAP, Ariba) to streamline sourcing, contract administration, and supplier engagement.
• Ensure legal, quality, safety, and environmental standards are maintained across all procurement activities.
• Review change orders in accordance with the client's approval process.
• Provide procurement services for the client, where applicable, including preparing RFP and bid analysis.
• Attend regular cost meetings to review procurement status and change order status with the contractors and procurement teams.
• Review the contractor's close out administration and ensures that they meet their contractual requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant contractual procedures and practices.
• Participate in the development and improvement of project contracting systems. Recommends improvements in systems, tools, and methods of contract and project management.
• Perform such other duties as the Client may from time to time deem necessary.

What will you contribute?

• Bachelor's degree in Construction, Engineering or a related field, plus 10 years relevant experience.
• Must be highly articulate, have clear and analytical approach to problem solving, and strong decision making abilities. Must have excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience with Primavera or Microsoft Projects. Must have an understanding of administration of construction contracts - for liens, AIA contracts, etc.
• Must thoroughly understand and utilize information technology in the performance of work including Internet, Intranet, Microsoft Windows OS, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft Project.
• Manage procurement contracts and purchase orders.
• Monitor supplier performance to ensure contract compliance and quality standards. * Manage contract amendments, claims, and dispute resolution processes

EXPECTED EXPERIENCE

• Significant experience and strong problem-solving skills in project & program management.
• Quantity Surveyor experience preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to interface with resources within client and within project supplier organizations
• Good understanding and experience with industry best practices for project management capital delivery processes and scheduling. These attributes include an overall basic understanding of contracts and contracting, procurement, project forecasting and development and budget management, change order management, risk management within the Pharma / bio tech industries.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize a variety of tasks within a timeframe.
• Analytical approach to address process flow issues and tasks.
• Experience with large projects capital projects(>$B)

KEY DELIVERABLES
* Procurement Schedule with critical path items identified * Prequalified Vendor and Supplier List with DB's * RFPs, ITBs, and RFQs for all major packages * Bid Evaluation Reports and Recommendations * Procurement Status and Progress Reports (weekly/monthly) * Logs for Deliveries, Non-Conformances, and Claims * Procurement Closeout Report and Lessons Learned