Contract Manager - Major Programmes & Governance (Hybrid) in Manchester

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.

Due to increased workload and securing of new clients across the Defence, Infrastructure, Energy & Natural Resources and Real Estate sectors, Turner & Townsend has a new opportunity for a Contract Manager to join our growing Programme Advisory – Contract Services division in our UK offices.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Drive change in the largest organisations in the country.
• Engage on and influence large‑scale flagship projects.
• Impact across multiple industries and categories.
• Challenge themselves in a market‑leading global business.
• Create new and innovative service offerings to the Market.
• Manage the full lifecycle of contracts across major programmes, ensuring obligations, deliverables, risks, and dependencies are controlled.

The Contract Manager will support Turner & Townsend’s Programme Advisory service line by delivering contract and commercial management across high value, complex programmes. The role is central to ensuring that contractual arrangements, commercial strategy and supplier performance enables the successful delivery of client transformation and capital programmes.

Operating as part of Turner & Townsend’s end‑to‑end Procurement Advisory capability, the Contract Manager will be supported by procurement in developing contracting strategies, manage commercial risk, and ensure supplier governance and compliance, value for money, and alignment with programme objectives.

This role will be a part of our established team and play a significant part in the continued expansion of our services in this exciting period of growth with existing and new clients.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage contract management on major projects and/or programmes supported by Turner & Townsend.
• Lead contract governance reviews including variations, extensions, change control, and dispute management.
• Provide strategic project and commercial advice to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Produce clear commercial analysis to support decision‑making.
• Managing client relationships and related commission outputs and deliverables.
• Support business development and marketing of the team’s service proposition.
• Oversee contract performance management including KPIs, SLAs, service credits, escalation protocols, and risk mitigation.
• Run contract management activities including but not limited to performance reviews and contract review boards.
• Support procurement, transformation, supplier relationship management and claims and dispute teams providing contract management advice and expertise.

Turner & Townsend will offer the right candidate a distinct opportunity to progress their career within an entrepreneurial, defined and growing division. This will be achieved through a mixture of leading the delivery of large‑scale projects, creating innovative solutions and service offerings, elevating the T&T Contract Services team, working with blue‑chip organisations and becoming a trusted and visible expert within Turner & Townsend and the Market.

Further opportunities are available to travel both nationally and internationally to service and manage key commissions for our blue‑chip client portfolio. Turner & Townsend encourages a Hybrid method of working to provide a practical Work/Life balance that recognises the challenges that life brings.

Qualifications:

To deliver for our clients, we are looking for a mixture of the following:

• Strong background in contract management within major projects and programmes (Infrastructure, Real Estate, Energy & Natural Resources, Defence).
• Understanding of commercial strategy, and contract law principles.
• Proven experience across negotiation, commercial and contract drafting, and contract administration and risk management.
• Experience in multi‑vendor contract environments and performance management frameworks.
• High level of contract and commercial acumen with strong financial and analytical skills.
• Experience of developing and using various forms of contracts with particular focus on NEC and JCT.
• Experience of using Contract Management Systems (e.g. CEMAR, Sypro, Asite, etc.).
• Understanding of regulated procurement, in particular the Procurement Act 2023 and Public Contract Regulations 2015.
• Has achieved, working towards or willing to work towards Contract Management accreditation(s).

Skills:

• Ability to lead and develop key commercial contract strategies and documentation for major projects.
• Able to build strong, professional client relationships and proactively identify and resolve client’s issues.
• Excellent communication skills, adaptable, with a determination to succeed.
• Strong background in contract management within major programmes (Infrastructure, Real Estate, Energy & Natural Resources, Defence).
• Understanding of commercial and contract strategy, and contract law principles.
• Proven experience across end‑to‑end contract management supplier negotiation, contract drafting, and commercial risk management, to provide guidance and support to the specific areas.
• Experience in multi‑vendor contract environments and performance management frameworks.
• High level of commercial acumen with strong financial and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex commercial matters clearly.
• Able to develop supplier evaluation and commercial principles and modelling strategies, to support the Procurement process.
• Able to manage work/business development/career development activities.

Behaviours:

• Adaptable and taking personal responsibility to succeed.
• Collaborative, client‑focused, and solutions‑oriented mindset.
• Proactive, resilient, and able to deliver under pressure.
• Confident, independent and trustworthy, able to influence individuals at all levels.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.