Contracts Manager (Inside IR35)

The Contract Manager provides comprehensive commercial, contractual, procurement, financial, and document control support to project delivery teams on large-scale infrastructure projects. Reporting to the Senior Contract Manager, the role acts as a central coordination point between project, commercial, finance, procurement, SHEQ, and client interfaces to ensure contractual compliance, cost control, timely cash flow, and robust document management throughout the project lifecycle.

Reports to: Senior Contract Manager

Works closely with: Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Finance, Procurement, Logistics, SHEQ, Engineering and Client Representatives

• Review installation design Bills of Quantities and prepare sourcing trackers for all items to be procured, including cables, accessories, hire equipment and services.
• Manage the end-to-end purchase-to-pay process, including raising purchase requisitions, B2B requisitions, call-off orders and monitoring approval workflows.
• Seek quotations for goods and services as requested by project teams, negotiating where possible to achieve best value and cost savings.
• Actively monitor purchase order coverage and highlight potential exceedances to the Contract Manager and Project Manager.
• Control and minimise the use of emergency purchase orders.
• Support logistics activities, including coordination of deliveries with suppliers and factories where required.

Invoice, Payment & Cash Flow Management

• Manage invoice approvals through the goods receipting process, ensuring project team sign-off and accurate recording in GR trackers.
• Act as the central point of contact for invoice queries, coordinating responses and resolutions with internal stakeholders.
• Ensure timely submission of payment applications to clients and raise project invoices in line with contractual requirements to support consistent cash flow.
• Review client feedback on payment applications and coordinate responses or resubmissions as required.

Commercial & Contract Management

• Maintain and update change management registers, including variations, compensation events and related commercial records.
• Drafting and issue of commercial documentation such as applications for payment, variations, early warning notifications, compensation events, cost reports and notices.
• Notify project delivery teams of incoming and outgoing contractual and commercial correspondence.
• Attend coordination meetings with clients and internal teams to discuss progress, issues and contractual matters where required.

Financial Reporting & Audit Management

• Review cost centre reports to ensure expenditure is allocated correctly, liaising with Finance to correct misallocations where required.
• Collate and analyse cost data for monthly financial reviews and forecasts, ensuring costs are accurately categorised.
• Update forecasts, monitoring project budgets and preparing final cost versus tender analyses at project close-out.
• Complete project questionnaires and provide supporting documentation for interim and year-end audits, including contracts, variations, authorisations and cost reports.

Document Control & Project Administration

• Manage project documentation in line with company and client requirements.
• Issue and control document numbers through the Master Document Register (MDR), ensuring revision status and document metadata are kept up to date.
• Control the creation, review, distribution and transmission of documents throughout the document lifecycle.
• Upload, manage and archive documents within SharePoint or other document management systems.
• Track document submissions, client review comments, responses and resubmissions against contractual timescales.
• Format and proofread documents to ensure compliance with company standards.
• Assist with compilation of final project handover and close-out files.

Project Coordination & Quality Support

• Raise and track non-conformance reports as required.
• Coordinate Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), including scheduling, client invitations and attendance where required.
• Manage technical queries and ensure actions are closed out in a timely manner.
• Support preparation of monthly dashboards and contribute to management reporting.
• Provide general administrative and coordination support across the project as required.

SHEQ Responsibilities

• Maintain compliance with Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990 and all applicable company and client SHEQ procedures.
• Update and submit SHEQ KPI data as required.
• Support and participate in SHEQ initiatives and improvement activities.
• Report near misses, incidents and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure appropriate use and maintenance of PPE.

Essential

• Experience in a contract coordination or commercial support role within construction, infrastructure or engineering projects.
• Understanding of purchase-to-pay processes, invoice management and cost control.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proactive, self-motivated and detail-oriented approach.

Desirable

• Experience working under FIDIC and/or NEC forms of contract.
• Experience with SAP.
• Experience with document control systems and audit support.
• Exposure to large-scale or multi-disciplinary projects.