Cost & Contract Manager in London

Join to apply for the Cost & Contract Manager role at Associated British Ports. We are the UK’s largest ports operator with a network of 21 ports around Britain. We handle around one quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade and contribute £7.5 billion to our economy every year. We’re transforming our business and embracing the future.

This is an outstanding opportunity to spearhead the cost and contract management of ABP’s Goods, Corporate and Services contracts. Your role will be as a team leader in the Cost & Contract Management (CCM) team, reporting to the Group Lead of CCM. You will ensure you and your team commit to execution of Cost Management and Contract Management principles throughout the lifecycle of all Opex projects. You will inspire change and encourage collaboration with your team, your Procurement colleagues and stakeholders, strictly adhering to a culture that values continuous improvement, talent development and safety.

You will lead, implement and promote Goods, Corporate and Services contract strategies for projects ranging from £200k to £50m+, guiding your team from project start to contract completion and handover/transition. You will have the thrilling chance to lead your team in working with Category Management and Delivery/Project Managers to determine priorities and ensure seamless integration of goods, corporate and services into the business. Additionally, your collaboration with the legal team will be key in developing robust contracts and engaging in commercial negotiations with contractors, consultants, and occasionally customers.

Critical metrics:

• Develop and share comprehensive mentorship on outstanding contract management practices, ensuring universal understanding and adoption across various contract types and values.
• Achieve early identification of risks and issues, effectively managing them through the P&CM division to avoid disruptions.
• Support contract managers across the organization in achieving consistent, high-quality contract management through training, mentorship, and sharing standard methodology.
• Successfully manage strategic and critical contracts, demonstrating a proactive approach to achieving ambitious business goals.

About you:

Seeking a candidate that can demonstrate leadership skills and a strong technical background in commercial management and commercial strategy-setting of Operational Expenditure across a variety of functional areas, including:

• Hard & Soft Facilities Management
• IT
• Security
• Digital & Data
• Maintenance
• Professional Services
• Port-related Goods.

Demonstration of Cost Management and Contract Management skills and principles is a must. An Honours Degree or equivalent experience in quantity surveying or a related field is desirable but not necessary. Professional chartered status (MRICS, MCIOB, MCIPS) and significant private sector commercial experience preferred. Your Programme Management experience should be backed by outstanding skills in Opex-specific contract understanding, drafting, negotiation, risk allocation, and project delivery strategies. Logical thinking, problem-solving, and minimal supervision will be your strengths, along with proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

When joining ABP you will find an environment that is both welcoming and challenging. We reward our employees well and offer a generous remuneration package, employer pension, private health insurance and a range of other benefits. Please note that ABP undertake random screening for substance abuse and operate a zero-tolerance policy. A medical will be required before starting this position also.

We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their background, which helps us to provide a diverse and inclusive working environment. As part of our recruitment process, all successful candidates will be subject to pre-employment screening to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).