Contracts Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Our client is a well-established and growing organisation operating within the power distribution sector, delivering critical infrastructure projects across the UK. Due to continued growth and an expanding project portfolio, they are seeking an experienced Contracts Manager to oversee the commercial and contractual delivery of multiple projects from award through to completion.
As Contracts Manager, you will be responsible for managing the full contract lifecycle across a portfolio of power distribution projects. Working closely with operational, commercial, and project delivery teams, you will ensure contractual obligations are met, risks are effectively managed, and projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage multiple contracts across power distribution and infrastructure projects.
- Review, negotiate, and administer contract terms and conditions.
- Ensure contractual compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
- Identify, manage, and mitigate commercial and contractual risks.
- Support project teams with contractual interpretation and dispute resolution.
- Monitor contract performance, variations, change control, and claims management.
- Maintain strong relationships with clients, subcontractors, and suppliers.
- Work closely with commercial teams to maximise project profitability and minimise exposure.
- Ensure all contractual documentation is accurately maintained and updated.
- Lead contract reviews and support tender submissions where required.
- Monitor project progress against contractual milestones and deliverables.
The Ideal Candidate
- Proven experience in a Contracts Manager, Senior Commercial, or Project Commercial role.
- Background within power distribution, utilities, infrastructure, engineering, construction, or related sectors.
- Experience managing multiple contracts and stakeholders simultaneously.
- Excellent commercial awareness and risk management capabilities.
Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your CV personal statement with explicit mention of 'contract lifecycle management' and 'power distribution' — the advert names both as central requirements.
📊 Quantify your contract portfolio: e.g. 'Managed 8 concurrent NEC contracts across UK infrastructure projects totalling £12M contract value, maintaining zero overrun on 6 of 8 milestones'.
🎯 Include a dedicated 'Key Contracts' or 'Sector Experience' section listing utilities, power distribution, or infrastructure clients — the advert specifically calls out this background as essential.
🔍 Highlight change control and claims management experience with concrete examples, as the advert lists these explicitly under Key Responsibilities — e.g. 'Administered 34 compensation events under NEC3 contracts, recovering £280k in legitimate variations'.
🤝 Demonstrate multi-stakeholder management by naming the types of parties you have managed (clients, subcontractors, suppliers) and the scale — the advert emphasises this as a core competency.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Administered 12 concurrent NEC3 contracts across UK power distribution projects totalling £9M, achieving contractual milestone compliance on 10 of 12 deliverables within a 14-month period.
- •Negotiated and resolved 3 formal contractual disputes with subcontractors, recovering £340k in legitimate variation claims and avoiding escalation to adjudication.
- •Implemented a change control tracking system across a 6-project infrastructure portfolio, reducing unrecorded variations by 45% and improving commercial reporting accuracy for monthly board reviews.
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Letter preview — tailored to Futures
Dear Hiring Manager,
Futures' search for a Contracts Manager within the power distribution sector aligns directly with the work I have been doing for the past several years. The emphasis on full contract lifecycle management — from award through to completion — and the need for robust change control and claims management experience are areas where I have built a strong track record across infrastructure and utilities projects.
My background in commercial contract management has seen me administer multiple concurrent contracts, negotiate terms with clients and subcontractors, and manage compensation events and variations to protect project profitability. I have worked closely with operational and project delivery teams to ensure contractual obligations are understood and met at every stage, and I am experienced in identifying and mitigating commercial risks before they escalate.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk us through how you manage the full contract lifecycle from award to completion on a power distribution project.
- ›How do you approach reviewing and negotiating contract terms and conditions to minimise commercial exposure?
- ›Describe your process for identifying, logging, and mitigating contractual risks across a multi-project portfolio.
- ›How do you administer change control and variations under NEC or JCT forms of contract?
- ›What steps do you take to ensure contractual compliance is maintained across operational and delivery teams who may not have a commercial background?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you successfully resolved a contractual dispute with a client or subcontractor — what was the outcome?
- ›Describe a situation where you identified a significant commercial risk on a project. How did you manage it and what was the result?
- ›Give an example of managing multiple contracts simultaneously under competing deadlines. How did you prioritise?
- ›Tell me about a time you had to negotiate difficult contract terms. What was your approach and what did you achieve?
- ›Describe a situation where a project was at risk of missing a contractual milestone. What actions did you take and what was the outcome?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you successfully resolved a contractual dispute with a client or subcontractor — what was the outcome?
Describe a situation where you identified a significant commercial risk on a project. How did you manage it and what was the result?