Senior Contracts Manager – Power Infrastructure

About the Role

• Join a Power Operations team delivering high-value electrical infrastructure projects for some of the most demanding clients in the sector – from hyperscale data centre operators to major industrial and grid clients.

• We are building a team of exceptional project management professionals who can drive complex programmes from award through to energisation, and we want people who take real ownership of their projects.

• This is an opportunity to influence projects that matter, lead high-performing teams and shape how essential infrastructure is delivered for generations to come.

Scope of Role

• We're looking for an experienced and inspiring Senior Contracts Manager to lead the safe and successful delivery of major projects across a portfolio of power projects.

• As Senior Contracts Manager, you'll provide strategic leadership across a portfolio of major construction projects, ensuring they are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest quality standards.

• You'll play a key role in connecting with colleagues, supply partners and clients, providing assurance, insight and leadership throughout project delivery from a construction and buildability perspective.

• Reporting to the Construction Director, you'll lead teams of construction professionals and work closely with supply chain partners to create a collaborative, high-performing delivery environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of construction activities across multiple new connections or infrastructure projects, from design development through to construction and final handover.

• Lead, manage, and mentor a team of Project Managers, including setting objectives, managing performance, and the creation of structured development pathways.

• Oversee subcontractor and supply chain performance, ensuring delivery quality, adherence to programme, commercial compliance and a safety-first approach.

• Review subcontract packages, supply chain appointments and consultant agreements.

• Maintain commercial governance, reporting and contract controls across a portfolio of projects; protect gross margin, cash flow and entitlement through effective management of contract terms, change control and payment mechanisms.

• Lead the administration of construction contracts (NEC, JCT, FIDIC) across a portfolio of multi-million-pound projects, ensuring all contractual notices, early warning, compensation events, and change control processes are handled in accordance with contract timelines.

• Ensure in-house engineering teams and supply partners adhere to SHEQ procedures, the Distribution Safety Rules and CDM regulations.

• Define construction strategy for 11kV to 400kV projects, from design through to final commissioning, ensuring alignment with engineering policies and procedures.

• Interface with pre-construction, design, and commercial teams to ensure an integrated delivery.

• Promote the sharing of knowledge, lessons learned and best practice across the Operations team.

• Carry out thorough pre-contract review and risk analysis on new tenders and framework appointments, flagging key commercial, programme and legal risks to the Legal team.

• Provide input into bids and tenders, ensuring construction methodologies and programmes support a competitive and commercially sound tender submission.

Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience in a senior contracts or commercial management role within utilities infrastructure, or regulated network operator environments.

• Strong commercial acumen with proven experience protecting margin and managing contractual risk across framework and project delivery models.

• In-depth understanding, and demonstrable practical experience, of managing construction contracts (NEC, JCT, FIDIC).

• Flexible and pragmatic approach, able to work independently while also being a team player.

• A recognised professional project management qualification (APM, Prince2).

• IOSH Managing Safely, SMSTS or similar qualification.

• Full UK driving licence, and willingness to travel to site in the UK, as required.

Desirable

• A degree-level qualification in Engineering, Construction, Project Management or a related discipline.

• Chartered status or working towards chartership