Technical Contracts Manager in Wakefield

We are seeking an experienced Technical Contracts Manager to join our technical consultancy team. This is a senior client-facing role responsible for managing key technical service contracts across industrial effluent treatment plants and municipal wastewater treatment assets. The successful candidate will act as the primary client relationship lead for assigned accounts, ensuring that consultancy, technical support and service contracts are delivered safely, professionally, commercially and to the required technical standard. The role will suit someone who combines strong wastewater or effluent treatment knowledge with excellent client management, commercial awareness and contract delivery experience. The postholder will coordinate internal technical specialists, operations teams, subcontractors and suppliers to ensure clients receive a responsive, high‑quality service. A key part of the role will be identifying and developing additional opportunities on client sites, including technical consultancy, optimisation projects, O&M support, chemical and equipment solutions, and design and build opportunities for other divisions of the business. The role is not primarily a line management position, but it requires strong leadership, ownership and influence across internal teams, clients, operators, contractors and senior stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Client Account Management and Contract Delivery
• Acting as the key client manager and principal day‑to‑day contact for assigned technical service contracts.
• Building trusted, professional relationships with client stakeholders, site teams, operators, engineers and senior decision makers.
• Ensuring technical consultancy and service contracts are delivered in line with agreed scope, programme, budget, quality standards and client expectations.
• Leading contract review meetings, progress meetings and performance discussions with clients.
• Understanding each client site, its treatment assets, operational risks, compliance drivers, business priorities and future investment needs.
• Maintaining clear communication with clients on progress, issues, risks, actions, recommendations and commercial matters.
• Ensuring actions arising from site visits, technical reviews and client meetings are captured, tracked and closed out.
• Technical Consultancy and Service Coordination
• Coordinating technical inputs from process engineers, project engineers, laboratory specialists, operations teams and external suppliers.
• Supporting site audits, plant reviews, optimisation studies, technical investigations, root‑cause analysis and performance improvement projects.
• Reviewing operational data, laboratory results, compliance information, SCADA trends and plant performance records to support evidence‑based recommendations.
• Ensuring technical reports, proposals, action plans and client deliverables are clear, robust, practical and commercially aligned.
• Providing technical challenge and direction to ensure recommendations are realistic, proportionate and suitable for operational sites.
• Supporting technical escalation where treatment performance, compliance, safety, reliability or operational resilience risks arise.
• Maintaining a strong understanding of biological, chemical and physical treatment processes relevant to industrial effluent and wastewater treatment.
• Commercial Management and Growth
• Identifying cross‑selling and growth opportunities across client sites for O&M services, design and build projects, process optimisation, chemical optimisation, commissioning, monitoring, laboratory testing and technical consultancy.
• Working closely with the O&M, design and build, commercial and technical teams to develop opportunities into clear scopes, proposals and deliverable projects.
• Preparing and contributing to technical and commercial proposals, scopes of work, fee estimates, contract variations and renewal discussions.
• Monitoring contract profitability, resource allocation, variation opportunities and commercial risks.
• Supporting client retention, contract renewal and account development planning.
• Ensuring opportunities are progressed in a professional and consultative manner, focused on client value rather than transactional selling.
• Providing market, client and site intelligence to support business planning and service development.
• Operational Interface and Delivery Assurance
• Working with site operations and maintenance teams to ensure technical recommendations are practical, safe and deliverable.
• Supporting mobilisation, handover and ongoing delivery of technical service contracts.
• Coordinating site visits, technical reviews, sampling campaigns, subcontractor attendance and follow‑up actions.
• Ensuring internal teams understand client requirements, site constraints, contractual obligations and delivery priorities.
• Supporting the development and implementation of improvement plans to enhance treatment performance, compliance, reliability and efficiency.
• Escalating delivery issues, resource constraints, commercial risks or client concerns promptly and constructively.
• Reporting, Governance and Stakeholder Communication
• Preparing and reviewing client‑facing reports, meeting packs, performance summaries, option appraisals, proposals and recommendations.
• Presenting technical and commercial information clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Maintaining accurate records of contract deliverables, client commitments, actions, risks, variations and opportunities.
• Providing regular internal updates on client accounts, contract performance, risks, opportunities and resource requirements.
• Contributing to improved systems, templates and processes for contract management, technical reporting and client communication.
• Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental
• Promoting high standards of health, safety, environmental performance and technical quality across all contract activities.
• Ensuring site‑based work is planned and delivered in accordance with company procedures, client requirements, permits, inductions, RAMS and safe systems of work.
• Supporting preparation and review of RAMS, site documentation, technical procedures and quality records where required.
• Ensuring work is delivered in line with relevant regulatory expectations, discharge consent requirements, environmental permit requirements and good industry practice.
• Identifying and escalating safety, compliance, operational or environmental risks associated with client sites or contract activities.

About You

We are looking for a technically credible, commercially aware and client‑focused contracts manager with experience in wastewater, industrial effluent treatment, water utilities, environmental services, process engineering or a closely related operational engineering environment. You will be comfortable engaging with senior clients, site managers, operators, engineers and internal delivery teams. You should be able to understand technical issues, translate them into clear actions and ensure that agreed services are delivered effectively. You will be organised, proactive and confident managing multiple client accounts, contract deliverables, internal stakeholders and commercial priorities at the same time.

Essential Skills And Experience

• A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline such as Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Water and Wastewater Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology, Environmental Science or a related technical field.
• Significant relevant experience in wastewater treatment, industrial effluent treatment, water utilities, environmental consultancy, operations and maintenance, process engineering or technical services.
• Experience managing client accounts, service contracts, technical contracts or framework‑style service delivery.
• Strong understanding of wastewater and effluent treatment processes, including biological treatment, chemical treatment, solids separation, sludge handling, process control and compliance drivers.
• Practical experience working with industrial, municipal or utility treatment sites.
• Ability to understand treatment plant performance issues and coordinate appropriate technical support, investigation and improvement actions.
• Strong client relationship management skills, including the ability to build trust, manage expectations and communicate professionally with senior stakeholders.
• Good commercial awareness, including experience supporting proposals, variations, renewals, account growth or business development.
• Experience coordinating internal teams, subcontractors, suppliers or site‑based activities to deliver client commitments.
• Experience preparing or reviewing technical reports, proposals, scopes of work, meeting minutes, action trackers and contract documentation.
• Good awareness of health and safety requirements for site‑based work, including permits, inductions, risk assessments and method statements.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret process data, laboratory results, operational trends and compliance information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence presenting technical and commercial information to clients and internal teams.
• Ability to develop practical, cost‑effective and value‑focused solutions to client problems.
• A full clean UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Willingness to travel to client sites across the UK, including occasional overnight stays where required.

Desirable Skills And Experience

• Experience in key account management, technical sales, contract management or service delivery within the water, wastewater, industrial effluent, process, chemical supply or environmental services sectors.
• Experience with operation and maintenance contracts, planned maintenance programmes, reactive technical support or outsourced treatment plant operation.
• Knowledge of environmental permitting, discharge consents, trade effluent agreements, MCERTS, operator monitoring requirements or regulatory compliance.
• Experience identifying and developing cross‑selling opportunities across technical consultancy, O&M, chemical optimisation, equipment supply, commissioning, laboratory testing or design and build services.
• Experience with municipal wastewater treatment works, industrial effluent plants, sludge processing, anaerobic digestion, DAF systems, MBBR, activated sludge, membranes or trade effluent compliance.
• Experience with process commissioning, performance testing, plant acceptance trials or optimisation projects.
• Experience developing or reviewing process calculations, mass balances, hydraulic assessments or treatment capacity assessments.
• Familiarity with SCADA systems, process instrumentation, control logic and operational data analysis.
• Experience with energy optimisation, chemical optimisation, aeration control or process efficiency improvement.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, ICA or civil aspects of wastewater and effluent treatment systems.
• Experience developing SOPs, technical standards, operating procedures, quality systems or contract governance processes.

Personal Attributes

• Client‑focused, professional and able to build trust quickly.
• Technically credible, practical and solutions‑focused.
• Commercially aware, with a strong focus on client value, retention and sustainable account growth.
• Organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities across multiple clients and contracts.
• Confident taking ownership of contract deliverables, client actions and internal coordination.
• Able to influence without relying on formal line management authority.
• Clear, concise and professional in written and verbal communication.
• Comfortable working in both office and site environments.
• Collaborative, resilient and comfortable working across technical, operational, commercial and project delivery teams.
• Flexible and willing to support a wide range of client sites, sectors and service types.

Who We Are

Aqua Operations Ltd provide operational and technical consultancy to the domestic wastewater and industrial effluent treatment sectors. Our services include operation, maintenance and optimisation of wastewater and industrial effluent treatment plants, technical consultancy, process troubleshooting, plant audits, root‑cause analysis and compliance support, concept engineering, feasibility assessment and development of practical improvement options, design and build support, process commissioning and performance proving, and commercial engineering support to help clients make robust decisions on need, scope, cost, risk and value.