Project Lead – Contracts & Commercial

 

Contract type: Consultant, estimated duration 12 to 18 months.

Location: Luanda, remote work can be accommodated for set periods. 

 

Accountable for ensuring every contractual and legal obligation tied to the acquired deepwater asset is reviewed, novated and ready for Day 1. Manages a complex portfolio of third-party supplier contracts, regulatory submissions and JOA-related obligations arising from the acquisition.

WORKSTREAMS

•     Contracts: Building a full contract inventory, assessing criticality and risk, and setting the novation roadmap and Day 1 supplier continuity plan.

•     Legal: Mapping SPA/JOA obligations, coordinating ANPG regulatory submissions and partner notifications, and assembling the legal pack for operatorship transfer.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

•     Contract inventory: Owning full visibility of what the Company is inheriting contractually, including what is critical and what is at risk.

•     Novation programme: Setting priorities and pace, and managing counterparties, across the full novation workstream.

•     Legal and regulatory filings: Ensuring ANPG submissions, partner notifications and SPA/JOA obligations are met on schedule.

•     Supplier continuity: Ensuring no critical service lapses at the point of handover.

•     Risk register: Owning the legal and commercial risk picture and escalating material issues promptly.

KEY COMPETENCIES

•     Negotiation: Confident leading discussions with counterparties who may be reluctant to novate, or who see the transition as an opening to renegotiate.

•     Regulatory navigation: Knows how to work with ANPG and Angolan regulators without creating friction.

•     Precision under pressure: Thorough and exacting — contracts work at this scale and pace demands it.

•     Project management: Able to run a large, multi-party contract programme to a fixed deadline, sequencing priorities and managing dependencies across counterparties.

EXPERIENCE & REQUIREMENTS

•    Experience: Minimum 10 years in contracts management, commercial law or legal advisory within the Oil & Gas sector.

•     PMI track record: Experience managing contract novation, assignment or supplier transition at portfolio scale during an integration or carve-out is strongly preferred; candidates whose experience is limited to steady-state contract management will be at a disadvantage.

•     Alternative benchmark: Where PMI integration experience is absent, candidates should demonstrate seniority as a Contracts or Legal Manager who has independently led large contract portfolios through novation or renegotiation.

•     Regulatory: Familiarity with ANPG and Angolan upstream regulatory requirements is a significant advantage.

•     Language: Fluency in English and Portuguese is mandatory; French is a strong advantage.

•     Working style: Able to work autonomously and full-time, remaining highly accessible to counterparties and travelling in-country as needed.