Contracts Manager - Nuclear

Application Deadline: 10 December 2026

Department: Commercial

Location: Preston

Description

Are you an experienced Contracts Manager with a background in Nuclear defence, aerospace, energy, engineering or another highly regulated sector? We’re looking for a Nuclear Contracts Manager to take ownership of strategically important customer contracts, managing them from initial quotation and contract review right through to delivery, invoicing and close-out. Working closely with Business Development, customers, suppliers, Operations and teams across tk accelis, you’ll play a key role in turning new opportunities into well-controlled, commercially successful contracts. This is a varied role combining contract management, commercial management, customer relationships and project delivery, with responsibility for ensuring contractual, technical, quality, programme and compliance requirements are understood and delivered.

Key Responsibilities

• Support Business Development with bids, tenders, quotations and customer presentations
• Carry out detailed contract reviews covering scope, specifications, pricing, margin, delivery milestones, commercial terms and quality requirements
• Ensure commitments made during the bid process are achievable and clearly handed over to the relevant teams
• Manage contracts from order acceptance through delivery, invoicing, final account and close-out
• Maintain contract plans, milestones, action logs, risk and opportunity registers and change controls
• Coordinate activity across Sales, Procurement, Quality, Technical, Operations, Logistics, Finance and external suppliers

Commercial and financial management

• Monitoring revenue, cost, margin, cash, stock and invoicing
• Managing contract performance against agreed KPIs
• Managing variations, claims, extensions of time and commercial disputes
• Maintaining clear contractual evidence and appropriate approvals
• Working with Finance and Credit Control on milestone payments, credit exposure, overdue debt and cash collection

Building strong customer relationships

You’ll be a key point of contact for customers and will build trusted relationships across their commercial, procurement, project, engineering and quality teams. You’ll lead and support customer meetings, contract reviews, project updates, audits and site visits, making sure communication is accurate, timely and followed through. The position will involve travel to customer locations as well as regular travel to our Preston site to ensure priorities, capability and delivery remain aligned.

Managing risk and change

• Manage changes in scope and contractual requirements
• Support the management of non-conformances and corrective actions
• Develop recovery plans where delivery is at risk
• Maintain a clear audit trail of contractual correspondence, changes and approvals
• Capture lessons learned to strengthen future contract delivery

Nuclear quality and compliance

• Certificates of conformity
• Material traceability
• Inspection records
• Manufacturing records
• Lifetime quality records

Systems and reporting

You’ll maintain accurate contract, order, forecast, stock and customer information within SAP, CRM and contract reporting systems.

• Contract progress and milestones
• Commercial and programme risk
• Margin and cash
• Quality documentation
• Customer actions and outstanding issues

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Proven contract, project or commercial management experience within Nuclear, defence, aerospace, energy, engineering or another highly regulated sector
• A strong understanding of the full contract lifecycle
• Good commercial knowledge, including contractual terms, risk, change control, claims, margin and cash management
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and suppliers against demanding customer requirements and deadlines
• The ability to understand specifications, technical drawings, quality plans and complex customer documentation
• Strong negotiation, influencing and customer relationship skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A highly organised and analytical approach with strong attention to detail
• The ability to manage several contracts and competing priorities
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to customer locations and our Preston site
• The ability to meet customer security, site access and vetting requirements where required

Desirable

• Experience working directly with UK Nuclear customers, Tier 1 contractors or organisations within the Nuclear supply chain
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 and ISO 19443
• Experience working with NEC3 or NEC4 contracts, bespoke customer terms, framework agreements or long-term supply contracts
• Experience using SAP and CRM systems
• Knowledge of metals or metal supply
• Familiarity with export controls, cyber security and information classification requirements

Job Benefits

• Annual Leave: 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
• Health Cash Plan
• Company bonus scheme
• Advantageous pension scheme
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Advanced Family Friendly Policies
• Discounts portal
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Length of Service Awards
• Christmas savings scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Company events
• Christmas Closedown