Contracts Manager

Bring your operational contract management expertise to a role where you can truly make an impact. We are looking for an experienced Contract Manager who thrives in a service-led, operational environment—someone who can turn contractual commitments into real, day-to-day delivery. This role is less about technical or construction-focused contract management and more about driving performance, ensuring compliance, and delivering high-quality services across a live housing portfolio.

You will work closely with a wide range of internal teams and external partners, building strong relationships, influencing outcomes, and ensuring everyone is clear on what good looks like. A key part of the role is being able to interpret agreements and translate them into practical, operational delivery—ensuring contractual obligations aren’t just understood, but consistently delivered.

We are particularly interested in candidates who bring strong stakeholder management, a focus on service performance, and the ability to lead in complex, fast-paced environments. Experience in housing, student accommodation, healthcare, or other service-led sectors would be valuable—but equally, we welcome those with transferable operational management skills who can demonstrate impact.

At Southern Housing, our vision is to create communities where everyone has a safe home in a place they are proud to live. We are a large, values-led organisation with a strong local presence, using our scale to deliver positive outcomes for residents and communities. Strong governance, accountability, and clear contractual control are central to how we do this.

We are now seeking a highly capable Contract Manager (Operations) to play a pivotal role in strengthening how we manage, govern, and optimise our operational contracts. This is a high-impact role offering real autonomy, visibility, and influence across a diverse housing portfolio. Reporting to the Head of Commercial Operations, you will lead the development and ongoing management of a robust contract management framework across student, keyworker, market rent, co-operative, and short-life accommodation.

You will ensure contractual arrangements are effectively governed, performance-driven, and aligned with our strategic objectives and risk appetite, helping to mitigate contractual, financial, legal, and reputational risk. You will act as a trusted subject-matter expert, working closely with internal teams and external partners to embed clarity, accountability, and compliance.

The role has a strong focus on assurance and insight: monitoring performance, leading audits and reviews, managing risk and breaches, and providing clear, evidence-based reporting to senior leaders, committees, and the Board. You will also help shape KPIs, SLAs, and performance frameworks to ensure strong delivery and value for money.

This role will suit someone comfortable operating in complex environments, leading through influence and supporting executive-level decision-making while consistently demonstrating our HEART values of being Honest, Efficient, Accountable, Respectful, and Trusted. Hybrid working is available, with a base at Fleet House, Clerkenwell, London.

What you’ll be doing:

• Developing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive contract management framework covering leases, management agreements, SLAs, and related contracts.
• Establishing and operating effective governance and assurance structures for contractual performance, compliance, and risk.
• Acting as the organisational subject-matter expert on contractual obligations, providing clear guidance and support to colleagues.
• Conducting audits and reviews to ensure compliance with legislation, regulation, and internal policy.
• Monitoring provider performance against KPIs, service standards, and statutory requirements.
• Proactively identifying contractual and operational risks and leading corrective action plans.
• Managing key relationships with partners, providers, local authorities, and internal stakeholders.
• Investigating, documenting, and resolving contractual breaches and poor performance, escalating where required.
• Leading on contract variations, change control, and change-in-law activities, ensuring impacts are clearly understood and formally recorded.
• Producing high-quality reports and insight for senior management, committees, and the Board.
• Driving continuous improvement in contract management processes, systems, and reporting.

Who we’re looking for:

You will be an experienced contract or governance professional, confident working with complex contractual arrangements and multiple stakeholders. You will bring strong assurance, compliance, and performance management capability, with the ability to interpret contractual requirements and translate them into practical, operational oversight. Credible, analytical, and influential, you will be comfortable challenging constructively, leading without formal authority, and driving accountability and value for money.

Why join us:

This is a rare opportunity to step into a role with genuine authority, visibility, and strategic reach. You will work closely with senior leaders, shaping how the organisation manages contractual risk and performance across a diverse and high-value portfolio. For a high-potential professional seeking a role that combines autonomy, complexity, and purpose—while offering clear exposure to executive-level decision-making—Southern Housing provides a compelling and meaningful next step.