Contracts Manager

Location: Aberdeen
Employment: Full-time, permanent
Sector: Construction and civil engineering

We are recruiting an experienced Contracts Manager to oversee the successful delivery of construction and civil engineering projects in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.

This is a senior operational position with responsibility for managing projects from pre-construction through to completion. You will provide leadership and direction to project teams, ensuring work is delivered safely, on programme, within budget and to the required quality standards.

Working closely with operational, commercial, design, procurement and health and safety colleagues, you will maintain effective project controls, develop strong client relationships and ensure potential risks are identified and managed at an early stage.

• Manage the delivery of multiple projects or a single large and complex contract from pre-construction through to final handover.
• Provide leadership and direction to Project Managers, Site Managers, Engineers and operational support teams.
• Ensure each project has an appropriate delivery strategy, management structure, programme and resource plan.
• Set clear expectations for safety, quality, programme, cost and customer service.
• Monitor project performance and intervene promptly where delivery moves away from the agreed plan.
• Chair project progress, coordination and performance meetings.
• Ensure actions, decisions, risks and opportunities are clearly recorded, assigned and managed.
• Coordinate labour, plant, materials, subcontractors and professional support across the project portfolio.
• Maintain regular communication with clients, consultants and other key stakeholders.
• Provide accurate and timely reports to senior management.
• Support the development and consistent application of company procedures and project-management systems.
• Ensure projects are completed, handed over and closed out efficiently, including defects and outstanding documentation.

• Participate in tender reviews, adjudications and pre-construction meetings.
• Review contract documents to understand the project scope, obligations, risks and opportunities.
• Contribute operational input on buildability, logistics, sequencing, temporary works, resources and programme.
• Work with design, commercial and procurement teams to establish a practical delivery strategy.
• Ensure a structured handover from estimating and pre-construction teams into operations.
• Confirm that project teams understand tender assumptions, contractual requirements and key delivery risks.
• Develop mobilisation plans covering site establishment, logistics, resources, procurement and statutory approvals.
• Ensure project execution plans, construction-phase plans and other required documentation are in place before work begins.

• Provide visible health, safety and environmental leadership across all assigned projects.
• Promote a culture in which everyone takes responsibility for safe working and is empowered to challenge unsafe practices.
• Ensure projects comply with applicable legislation, CDM requirements, client standards and company procedures.
• Work closely with health and safety colleagues to review inspections, audits, observations and performance trends.
• Ensure incidents and near misses are reported, investigated and followed by effective corrective action.
• Confirm that project teams and subcontractors have the required competence, training and resources.
• Monitor environmental risks and ensure agreed controls are implemented.
• Lead by example during site visits, project reviews and interactions with the supply chain.

• Establish and maintain realistic construction programmes with clear milestones and critical-path activities.
• Review project progress against the agreed programme and implement recovery measures when required.
• Ensure short-term programmes, procurement schedules, design programmes and resource plans support the master programme.
• Identify operational constraints before they affect key milestones or client commitments.
• Coordinate interfaces between design, procurement, commercial, construction and commissioning activities.
• Ensure temporary works, logistics and construction sequencing are properly planned and controlled.
• Monitor project resources and arrange additional support where required.
• Ensure handover, commissioning, completion and defects-management activities are planned from an early stage.

• Work in partnership with the commercial team to protect the financial performance of each contract.
• Maintain a clear understanding of contractual obligations, notices, deliverables and timescales.
• Support accurate forecasting, cost-value reconciliation and cash-flow management.
• Identify and manage variations, compensation events, extensions of time and other contractual changes.
• Ensure instructions and changes are properly recorded before additional work proceeds…