Contracts Manager
* Location: Inverness preferred; hybrid working also available from Aberdeen, Perth, or Glasgow offices.
* Working Pattern: Hybrid – 50% office based, 50% home based.
* Security Clearance: BPSS required.
* Contract Length: up to 31/03/2027.
* Hours: Full time.
Recruitment Information
* Rate: £575 – £675 per day via PAYE Umbrella (dependent on experience).
* Interview Process: One-stage interview via Microsoft Teams (second stage may be required).
* Reason for Vacancy: Incremental headcount.
Role Summary
The Contracts Manager will be responsible for negotiating, drafting, and managing commercial contracts for large-scale capital projects, ensuring robust commercial governance from pre-contract through to delivery and close-out. The role involves managing multiple projects of significant value, leading commercial staff, and providing professional commercial oversight to ensure value for money, risk management, and compliance with organisational commercial standards.
Key Responsibilities
* Negotiate and agree contract terms and conditions for projects typically ranging from £20m up to £500m in value, including negotiation of contract prices.
* Provide comprehensive post-contract commercial management, supporting project goals and objectives throughout the delivery phase.
* Manage and oversee compensation events, variations, and change control procedures in line with the commercial governance framework.
* Lead cost management activities including forecasting, accruals, cost reporting, expenditure control, and budget management.
* Oversee payment processes and ensure all costs are substantiated, auditable, and deliver value for money.
* Manage the commercial and tendering process for NEC-based contracts (and other standard or bespoke contract forms as required).
* Draft, interpret, and administer commercial contracts, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations and internal commercial manuals.
* Manage multiple projects concurrently (typically six to seven at any one time), prioritising workload effectively.
* Engage proactively with internal and external stakeholders, resolving disputes, influencing outcomes, and supporting collaborative working.
* Provide leadership, guidance, and oversight to commercial staff assigned to projects.
Skills and Experience
* Strong stakeholder management, influencing, and negotiation skills, with the ability to resolve disputes pragmatically.
* Demonstrable experience managing commercial aspects of major capital projects from pre-award through delivery.
* Proven capability in cost estimating, sourcing management, budget control, and commercial forecasting.
* Significant experience in post-contract management, including payments, accruals, and change management.
* Experience drafting and interpreting commercial contracts.
* Working knowledge and hands-on experience of standard form construction contracts, particularly NEC contracts; experience with FIDIC and bespoke contracts is advantageous.
Qualifications
* Degree qualified in Quantity Surveying or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
* Member of, or working towards membership of, a relevant professional body (e.g. RICS or CICES).
* Minimum of 5 years’ post-graduate commercial or quantity surveying experience.