Contract Management Officer

at  ECMWF

ABOUT ECMWF

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a world-leader in weather and environmental forecasting. As an international organisation we serve our members and the wider community with global weather predictions and data that is critical for understanding and solving the climate crisis. We function as a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions, holding one of the largest meteorological data archives in the world. The success of our activities builds on the talent of our scientists and experts, strong partnerships with 35 Member and Co-operating States and the international community, some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, and the use of innovative technologies and machine learning across our operations.
ECMWF has also developed a strong partnership with the European Union and has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Destination Earth Initiative and the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the Copernicus Programme. Other areas of work include High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools that enable ECMWF to extend provision of data and products covering weather, climate, air quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.
ECMWF is a multi-site organisation, with a main office in Reading, UK, a data centre/supercomputer in Bologna, Italy, and a large presence in Bonn, Germany. We appreciate the need for flexibility in the way our staff work and staff have the option to mix office work and teleworking up to 10 days/month.
See www.ecmwf.int for more info about what we do.

EDUCATION

• Higher education (EQF level 7) in scientific, engineering, or business administration disciplines, or equivalent

EXPERIENCE

• Professional experience in contract management, project management, negotiation, and stakeholder management, preferably in a science-driven domain
• Experience in working in diverse teams within an international environment or with an intergovernmental organisation or the European Commission and its Agencies, would be highly desirable
• Agile project management of IT software tools and grants agreements experience is a plus

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Proficient in Microsoft Office; ERP and CLM tools knowledge is advantageous
• Understanding of financial frameworks, audit techniques and EU rules and regulations is a plus

THE ROLE

We are recruiting for a new position as Contract Management Officer (A2) for the Copernicus Programme (CAMS and C3S) in our Administration Department. ECMWF is issuing competitive calls to procure key elements to reach the ambitious goals of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) operational services as well as of the Destination Earth initiative.
In this role you will work as part of the Programme Contract Management Team in the Administration Department of ECMWF. The team is responsible for the negotiations of new contracts and the compliance with the contractual arrangements.
The majority of the procured contracts are science-driven service contracts. The team is managing a portfolio of roughly ~ 150 contracts , which are focused on IT development services, data and information services delivery, service development and research activities, consultancy studies and communication, and training activities. Contracts involve private and public entities from EU and ECMWF Member States.
You will work closely with the Head of Programme Contract Management and other members of the team. You will have daily contacts with our contractors, lead the contract negotiation and implementation phases, and closely collaborate with technical and scientific colleagues of the Forecasts and Services Department, Computing Department and Research Department. Experts in these departments are responsible for ensuring the appropriate technical delivery schedule and quality of the procured services. For procurement, legal and financial aspects, you will work closely with colleagues in the other teams of the Administration Department.
A new Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tool is under development and expected to be deployed by the end of 2024. It will automate the contract lifecycle management at ECMWF to achieve efficiencies and decrease the cost of contracting, decommission the current manual workflows and introduce a streamlined and agile processes to manage ECMWF’s outsourced activities.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contract Management: Manage a portfolio of 15 to 30 contracts, overseeing their full lifecycle and ensuring timely and quality assured input from all stakeholders
• Project Control: Maintain programmatic aspects of projects including costs, schedules and documentation
• Tender and Contract Support: Contribute to and advise on the preparation of tender documents concerning cost, management, and schedule/planning requirements. Participate in the evaluation of proposals and lead subsequent contract negotiations
• Performance and Budget Monitoring: Implement and monitor performance verification processes, support budget holders in managing budgets, and ensure timely payments
• Risk Management: Implement risk management procedures and propose mitigation actions
• Communication and Reporting: Maintain effective communication with contractors and internal stakeholders, prepare reports, and support contract progress reviews
• Process Improvement: Contribute to developing and refining contract reporting processes and guidelines
• Audit Support: Assist with internal and external audits
• Ad-hoc Duties: Perform additional tasks as assigned by the Line Manager