Contracts Manager Heritage & Period Property Restoration
Before applying for this role, please read the following information about this opportunity found below.
Posted by: Harbron Recruit Limited Location: South of England (regional patch 80% Office and 20% site-based)
Salary: £60,000 + vehicle / allowance + benefits Job Type: Full-time, Permanent Schedule: Monday to Friday
The Opportunity
Harbron Recruit is partnering with a well-established, founder-led specialist contractor in the heritage and period property sector to find an experienced Contracts Manager. Our client has built a strong regional reputation working exclusively on traditional buildings listed properties, period homes, and high-value private residences and is now looking to bring in a senior delivery lead as the business grows.
This is not a volume housebuilder role. It's not a general refurb role. It is a craftsmanship-led, quality-first contracts management position for someone who genuinely understands how older buildings work.
The Role
Reporting directly to the company founder, you'll take ownership of project delivery across a portfolio of live restoration projects. You'll manage everything from pre-start planning through to client handover including programme, site teams, quality, commercial performance and client communication.
Projects range from period cottages and farmhouses through to substantial listed properties. Discerning private clients. High standards. Repeat referrals.
What You'll Be Doing
* Running a portfolio of live restoration projects from handover through to completion
* Building project programmes, sequencing trades, and coordinating labour and materials
* Site visits and supervision quality, progress, standards, safety
* Leading in-house site teams and trusted subcontractors
* Acting as the senior point of contact for private clients
* Managing project budgets, variations and commercial performance
* Ensuring traditional methods (lime work, timber repairs, breathable finishes, moisture management) are delivered to specification
* Driving H&S compliance, RAMS and CDM responsibilities on every site
* Working closely with the founder on systems and standards as the business scales
What We're Looking For
Essential:
* Proven Contracts Manager / Senior Site Manager experience in heritage restoration, listed building works, or high-end residential refurbishment
* Genuine working knowledge of traditional building methods lime plaster and render, lime mortars, breathable finishes, and moisture behaviour in solid-wall buildings
* Comfortable running multiple projects simultaneously across a regional patch
* Strong programme, commercial and people management skills
* Confident communicator with private homeowners, architects and conservation officers
* SMSTS, CSCS (Manager / Professional), First Aid
* Full UK driving licence
You'll thrive here if you:
* Care about getting it right rather than getting it done
* Have an eye for craftsmanship and a low tolerance for sub-standard work
* Take ownership without being chased
* Communicate clearly and professionally with discerning private clients
* Want to build something, not just turn up to a job
Nice to have:
* Listed Building or Scheduled Monument experience
* Awareness of SPAB principles and BS 7913
* Existing relationships with Local Authority Conservation Officers
* A trade background progressed into management
What's On Offer
* £60,000 base salary
* Company vehicle or vehicle allowance
* Fuel card / mileage
* Mobile and laptop
* Pension
* Holiday plus bank holidays
* Real career progression within a respected specialist business
* Projects most contractors will never get near, working alongside people who actually care about doing it properly
How to Apply
Apply through Harbron Recruit with your CV and a short covering note telling us about a heritage or restoration project you're proud of what it was, what made it challenging, and what you learned. Applications without a covering note will not be prioritised. xsngvjr
Suitable candidates will be contacted by a Harbron Recruit consultant for an initial conversation. The client name will be disclosed once we've spoken and confirmed mutual fit.
Harbron Recruit Limited Specialist Recruitment for the UK Construction Sector