Contracts Manager in Redhill

Approx. 12-month maternity cover | Hybrid Working | Transition / hand-back period

Role: Contracts Manager

Location: Redhill – hybrid working

Focus: Supporting a large transition / hand-back period, including contract administration, lower-level claims, issue resolution and close-out activity.

Job Summary: The Contracts Manager will provide commercial and contractual support to the business, helping ensure contractual obligations are understood, managed and delivered effectively. This is an approximate 12-month maternity cover position, working across a significant transition / hand-back period. The role will involve supporting contractual workstreams, closing out outstanding matters, managing lower-level claims and variations, tying up loose ends, and providing practical contract administration support across complex public sector or large-company contracts.

The successful candidate will need strong commercial awareness, attention to detail and the right attitude: someone proactive, adaptable, comfortable with administration and happy to get stuck in wherever support is required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work on assigned complex systems contracts, typically involving hardware, software, installation, related banking and retail services, and other services for public transport or large local government customers, from delivery through close-out and hand-back.
• Support contractual workstreams during a large transition / hand-back period, ensuring outstanding actions, documentation and commercial issues are progressed and closed effectively.
• Monitor the status of contract deliverables and obligations to support compliance with contractual requirements.
• Collaborate with project, operational and commercial stakeholders to develop effective strategies and recommendations for resolving contractual issues.
• Coordinate the submission and negotiation of contractual proposals, including variations, change orders and supporting documentation.
• Assist with compiling documentation and evidence chains to resolve contractual performance issues, including lower-level claims, changes, disputes and close-out matters.
• Prepare, review and maintain contractual documents such as licences, service level agreements, non-disclosure agreements, contract notices and supporting correspondence.
• Prepare contract and subcontract reviews, status reports and issue summaries for management review.
• Review, draft and negotiate contractual agreements, including amendments, flow-down requirements and relevant terms and conditions.
• Manage variations from receipt through to closure, including tracking responses, supporting price build reviews and coordinating approvals where required.
• Assist with proposals and related strategic agreements, including teaming agreements and subcontracts, while identifying commercial risks and helping mitigate unacceptable terms.
• Track customer obligations and non-conformances, helping ensure issues are documented, monitored and commercially managed where they create cost, delay or delivery impact.
• Support the management, negotiation and mitigation of claims made by customers, subcontractors or suppliers.
• Review internal processes and contract administration practices, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, timeliness and control during transition and close-out activity.
• Liaise with legal, technical, project, operational and administrative teams to ensure actions are followed up and contractual issues are driven to resolution.
• Support wider business objectives and perform other reasonable duties as required by management from time to time.

Minimum Job Requirements: Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Proven experience in contract preparation, negotiation and administration.
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to provide practical and workable solutions to a wide range of contractual challenges.
• Experience supporting complex contracts for public sector organisations or large companies with detailed governance, documentation and approval requirements.
• Ability to support claims, variations, contractual correspondence, evidence gathering and close-out administration.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise assignments, manage competing deadlines and follow up outstanding actions with minimal supervision.
• Comfortable working through administrative detail, tying up loose ends and ensuring records, actions and contractual documentation are accurate and complete.
• Proficient in standard office IT tools, including Word, Excel and Outlook; comfortable working with contract management and collaboration platforms.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive, proactive and hands-on approach.

Desirable:

• Experience working with or within European and public sector procurement frameworks.
• Practical experience in project coordination or project management, such as tracking timelines, following up actions, managing dependencies and driving issues to resolution.
• Experience operating in a cross-functional environment, liaising with legal, technical, commercial and operational teams.
• A general understanding of ticketing, transport, transit or complex technology systems would be helpful, but is not essential.
• Full clean driving licence.

Education and Qualifications

Essential:

• Degree in a relevant technical or business discipline and/or equivalent level of experience.

Desirable:

• Legal qualification and/or professional procurement or contract management qualification.

Candidate Profile:

This position would suit a commercially minded contracts professional who is comfortable working through a busy transition period, handling a mix of contractual issue resolution, administration, stakeholder coordination and close-out activity. The right person will be pragmatic, organised, detail-focused and willing to support wherever needed, including lower-level claims, outstanding contractual actions and general hand-back administration.