Senior Contracts Manager (Ops Manager)

Overview

In this role you lead strategic contract management across a portfolio of major power infrastructure projects, ensuring safe delivery, commercial control, and high-quality outcomes. You’ll manage a team of project managers, collaborate with supply partners and clients, and drive continuous improvement in a high-visibility, multi-project environment. You help shape delivery strategies for 11kV–400kV work, balancing safety, cost, and schedule. This position offers influence across projects and a chance to impact essential energy infrastructure.

Pay / Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Standard UK benefits
• Hybrid working

Responsibilities

• Own construction activities across multiple projects from design through handover
• Lead and develop a team of Project Managers with objectives and performance management
• Champion safety, wellbeing and continuous improvement
• Foster strong relationships with supply chain, internal stakeholders and clients
• Oversee subcontractor performance, ensure quality, programme adherence, and safety
• Review subcontract packages and consultant agreements
• Maintain commercial governance, contract controls, and margin protection
• Lead NEC/JCT/FIDIC contract administration across multi-million-pound schemes
• Manage claims, extensions of time, and final account negotiations
• Ensure compliance with SHEQ, CDM, and safety rules in engineering teams and partners
• Define construction strategy from design to commissioning for high-voltage projects
• Interface with pre-construction, design and commercial teams for integrated delivery
• Share knowledge and lessons learned across the Operations team
• Conduct pre-contract risk analysis and flag commercial/legal risks to the legal team
• Support bids and tenders to ensure competitive and sound submissions
• Foster collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement culture
• Plan resources to meet business needs and represent the business to clients and industry groups

Key requirements

• Significant experience in senior contracts or commercial management in utilities infrastructure
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to protect margins and manage contract risk
• Deep experience with NEC, JCT, FIDIC contract frameworks
• Proven negotiation skills with stakeholders at all levels
• Experience supporting tendering and work-winning activities
• Commitment to health, safety and wellbeing
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with complex data interpretation
• Excellent verbal and written communication and cross-functional collaboration
• Professional project management qualification (APM, Prince2)
• IOSH Managing Safely or similar, SMSTS or equivalent
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to sites

• leadership
• stakeholder management
• problem-solving
• NEC
• JCT
• FIDIC

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