Contracts Manager

Role purpose

The contracts manager is responsible for the overall management, administration, and governance of a large roads infrastructure contract portfolio comprising approximately 100 contracts. The role provides strategic contract management leadership throughout the contract lifecycle, ensuring contractual compliance, commercial protection, risk mitigation, and effective delivery support across multiple infrastructure projects.
The position serves as the primary interface between project teams, contractors, consultants, procurement, finance, and legal stakeholders, ensuring that contractual rights, obligations, and commercial objectives are effectively managed and aligned with organizational goals.

Key responsibilities

Contract management leadership

• Lead the management of a large and diverse portfolio of roads and infrastructure contracts.
• Develop and implement contract management strategies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Provide leadership, direction, and mentorship to contract management and administration teams.
• Establish consistent contract management practices across all projects and contracts.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance contractual and commercial performance.

Contract administration and governance

• Oversee all contract administration activities to ensure compliance with contractual and corporate governance requirements.
• Ensure contractual correspondence, notices, approvals, instructions, and records are managed in accordance with contract provisions.
• Monitor contractual obligations, key milestones, deliverables, securities, warranties, guarantees, and insurance requirements.
• Ensure contract records are maintained accurately and remain audit-ready at all times.
• Support governance reviews, audits, and assurance activities.

Commercial and risk management

• Identify, assess, and manage contractual and commercial risks across the portfolio.
• Provide strategic advice on contractual entitlements, liabilities, and obligations.
• Lead the management of contract changes, variations, claims, compensation events, and extensions of time.
• Support dispute avoidance and dispute resolution initiatives.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies to minimize commercial exposure and protect organisational interests.

Contractor performance management

• Monitor contractor compliance with contractual obligations and performance requirements.
• Lead performance reviews and contractual compliance assessments.
• Identify performance issues and implement corrective actions where required.
• Promote proactive contract management to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Support implementation of contractual remedies where contractor performance falls below requirements.

Stakeholder management

• Act as the primary contractual point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with project delivery teams, contractors, consultants, legal, procurement, finance, and executive leadership.
• Facilitate negotiations and the resolution of contractual matters.
• Provide contractual guidance and support to project teams and decision-makers.
• Present contractual and commercial reports to senior management and governance forums.

Change and claims management

• Lead the review, assessment, negotiation, and administration of variations, claims, and contractual changes.
• Ensure contractual submissions are assessed fairly, consistently, and in accordance with contract requirements.
• Coordinate specialist commercial, planning, technical, and legal inputs where required.
• Support the development and defence of contractual positions relating to claims and disputes.

Reporting and systems management

• Ensure effective utilisation of contract management systems, including Oracle Unifier, SAP, and document management platforms.
• Prepare and review portfolio-level reports, dashboards, and management information.
• Monitor key performance indicators relating to contract compliance, commercial performance, claims, and risk exposure.
• Provide regular updates to senior management on contract performance and emerging risks.

Contract close-out

• Lead contract close-out and final account processes.
• Ensure all contractual obligations have been fulfilled prior to closure.
• Oversee release of securities, resolution of outstanding claims, and close-out of contractual liabilities.
• Capture lessons learned and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Key skills and competencies

• Strong leadership and contract management capability.
• Extensive knowledge of construction and infrastructure contracts.
• In-depth understanding of FIDIC contract forms and contract administration principles.
• Strong commercial acumen and risk management skills.
• Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple complex contracts simultaneously.
• Strong governance, audit, and compliance awareness.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in quantity surveying, commercial management, construction management, engineering, law, or a related discipline.
• Professional membership with RICS, CIArb, ICE, CICES, or equivalent professional body preferred.
• Postgraduate qualification in commercial management, construction law, or business administration desirable.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years' experience in contract management, commercial management, or contract administration within major infrastructure or construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing large and complex contract portfolios.
• Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary commercial and contract management teams.
• Significant experience administering and managing FIDIC-based contracts.
• Experience working on roads, highways, transportation.
• Experience within large-scale client organisations, government entities, or giga-project environments highly desirable.
• Proficiency in Oracle Unifier, SAP, Microsoft Office, and contract management systems.

Benefits

• Provided accommodation and food.
• Transportation provided.