Contracts Manager - Retaining Walls / Groundworks

Contracts Manager - Retaining Wall Specialist / Groundworks

Salary: £50,000 to £60,000 DOE + package, depending on experience

Location: Cannock

Position: Full-time, Permanent

Up Front Recruitment is working with an established specialist contractor delivering, retaining walls, erosion control and hydroseeding packages. The business is looking to appoint an experienced Contracts Manager to take responsibility for the successful delivery of multiple projects, working across clients, subcontractors, technical teams, operations and site personnel.

This is a senior position offering genuine ownership across the project lifecycle, from early scope interpretation and costing through to programming, delivery, commercial control and project close-out. The role would suit a commercially aware and operationally strong Contracts Manager who is comfortable managing several projects at different stages and coordinating multiple stakeholders.

About the Company

The business specialises in specialist groundworks and associated packages including retaining walls, erosion control and hydroseeding. Its delivery model requires close coordination between technical, estimating, sales, operations, logistics and site teams to ensure project requirements are understood correctly and works are properly planned before delivery.

The successful Contracts Manager will work closely with the Technical Director and Operations Manager, providing an important link between the company's office functions, clients, subcontractors and operational teams.

The position has a strong focus on planning and coordination, with responsibility for ensuring projects are properly programmed, resourced and commercially controlled while maintaining the required health & safety and quality standards.

Why Join Them

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a varied portfolio of concurrent projects, rather than being responsible for a single contract. The successful Contracts Manager will have involvement from early-stage scope and costing through to project completion, giving the role considerably broader exposure than a purely delivery-focused position.

You will also have regular involvement with senior management, clients and operational teams, with the opportunity to influence how projects are planned, delivered and reviewed. The role combines office-based project management with external client and site interaction, initially expected to be approximately 80% office-based and 20% external.

About the Role

As Contracts Manager, you will oversee multiple projects and packages, ensuring they are delivered safely, efficiently, on programme and within agreed budgets. You will coordinate project requirements, programmes, resources, costs, documentation and stakeholders while identifying commercial or operational risks at an early stage.

• Managing multiple groundworks, retaining wall, erosion control and hydroseeding projects from planning through to completion.
• Leading weekly operations meetings, coordinating project start dates, staffing requirements, logistics and potential programme clashes.
• Acting as a key point of contact for clients, subcontractors, engineers and internal teams, ensuring project requirements and deliverables are clearly understood.
• Managing project programmes, costs and additional expenditure, identifying commercial risks and ensuring additional costs are captured.
• Working with technical, estimating and operations teams on early scope interpretation and costing before works commence.
• Ensuring project document control, QA processes and weekly site paperwork are maintained and completed.
• Leading project update and lessons-learned meetings, reporting project performance, successes and areas for improvement to senior leadership.

Candidate Background

The ideal Contracts Manager will have experience managing multiple construction or civil engineering projects and be confident operating across both the commercial and operational aspects of delivery. You will need strong organisational and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate different teams, manage competing priorities and identify issues before they affect programme or cost.

The business is looking for someone with:

• Proven experience in a Contracts Manager, Senior Contracts Manager or similar project leadership position.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and coordinating subcontractors and operational teams.
• A background in groundworks, civil engineering or closely related specialist construction works.
• Strong understanding of project programming, cost control, commercial risk and project documentation.
• Excellent client and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to lead meetings and communicate at senior level.
• A structured approach to H&S, QA, document control and project delivery.

Summary

This Contracts Manager position provides broad responsibility across a specialist project environment, combining client management, programming, commercial oversight and operational coordination. It is particularly suited to an experienced professional who wants ownership of multiple projects and regular interaction with both senior management and delivery teams.

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