Contracts Manager

Contracts Manager

We're working with a 5 star residential developer who is looking to strengthen its senior team across Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey with the appointment of an experienced Contracts Manager.

This is a key role within the region and one that goes beyond simply overseeing a group of sites. You'll have responsibility for around 4-5 developments at different stages, from new sites coming through to projects already well into construction, while also playing a part in helping the region grow.

The developments will be a mixture of private-sale and partnership schemes, so the ability to understand that different projects can require different approaches will be important.

The Role

You'll be responsible for providing clear direction across your developments, supporting your Site and Project teams and making sure everyone understands what good looks like.

This is a role for someone who naturally looks beyond the immediate issue in front of them. A good Contracts Manager should be able to walk onto a site, understand where the problems are, ask the right questions and then work with the team to put things right - without taking ownership away from the people running the site.

Your responsibilities will include:

Overseeing 4-5 developments across Sussex and Surrey, covering both new and live sites
Providing leadership and direction to Site Managers, Project Managers and wider construction teams
Setting clear expectations around programme, quality, health & safety, customer care and commercial performance
Regularly reviewing site performance and challenging where standards or targets aren't being met
Working closely with Commercial, Technical, Land, Planning and other internal departments to resolve issues and keep developments moving
Being involved in new sites from the early stages, helping ensure projects are properly resourced, planned and set up before construction gets underway
Supporting teams through difficult stages of construction and helping find practical solutions rather than simply highlighting problems
Monitoring build programmes, prelims, labour levels, subcontractor performance and overall site progress
Ensuring NHBC and company quality standards are understood and consistently maintained
Mentoring and developing members of the construction team, helping identify where individuals can improve and where future talent can be developed
Creating consistency across the region while allowing Site Managers the autonomy to run their developments
Bringing new ideas, better ways of working and practical improvements into the business
Taking an active role in helping shape the future growth of the Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey region

The Person

We're looking for someone who has proven experience operating at Contracts Manager level within residential house building and understands what it takes to manage several developments simultaneously.

The right person won't just be a strong construction manager. They'll be someone who can lead people, influence other departments and make decisions.

You'll ideally have:

A strong background in residential house building
Previous experience as a Contracts Manager, Senior Contracts Manager or similar regional construction leadership position
Experience overseeing multiple developments rather than a single site
A good understanding of both private-sale and partnership/affordable housing
Strong knowledge of traditional house building and NHBC requirements
A commercially aware approach and the ability to understand how construction decisions impact the wider business
Strong people-management and mentoring skills
The confidence to challenge performance when required, but also the ability to bring people with you
A genuine interest in improving processes and finding better ways of working
The motivation to play a part in growing and developing a region, rather than simply managing what is already there

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who takes ownership.

Someone who will see an issue across several sites and think about how it can be prevented in the future, rather than fixing the same problem five times. Someone who will develop their Site Managers rather than simply manage them. And someone who can work across the business to get the right people involved and keep projects moving.

What's On Offer

Up to £100,000 salary
Package
Responsibility for 4-5 developments across Sussex & Surrey
Mix of private-sale and partnership developments
Exposure to both new and established sites
A genuine opportunity to…