Contract Manager

SA Water; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attractive and competitive salary

Growth and support for employees

Sustainability of public service

Reputable organisation

Supportive team culture

Exposure to major utility projects

Wide stakeholder engagement

Work-life balance

Job summary

SA Water is seeking a Contract Manager to provide day-to-day commercial management across one or more contract portfolios within the Operations & Maintenance Group. You will work closely with operational, technical and analytical specialists to resolve commercial issues and drive value for money.

The role requires strong commercial judgement, relationship management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence across portfolios and deliver practical outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong contract/commercial management experience or equivalent capability.
• Experience with complex contracts in service/maintenance environments.
• Strong commercial judgement and financial literacy.
• Ability to build constructive relationships and negotiate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day commercial management across one or more contract portfolios.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with operational, technical and analytical teams.
• Lead or support commercial negotiations and changes to service arrangements.
• Contribute to development of future O&M delivery models.

Skills

Contract management

Commercial judgement

Financial literacy

Relationship management

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Tertiary qualifications in commerce or business

Tools

MS Office

Job description

About the Company

SA Water is a modern, government-owned utility serving over 1.8 million South Australians with essential water and sewerage services. With more than 1,700 employees and $14 billion in infrastructure, we’ve been delivering sustainable, innovative water solutions for over 165 years. Our nationally and globally recognised expertise helps us meet customer expectations today while shaping future water services to support healthy communities and thriving economies. SA Water values its people, doing meaningful work, staying authentic, making an impact, and focusing on the future.

About the Role:

Our Commercial Operations Team sits within our Operations & Maintenance Group and provides commercial and contract management capability for some of SA Water’s major outsourced operations and maintenance arrangements across metropolitan and regional South Australia. The team also leads and supports commercial strategies and initiatives impacting the broader O&M Group.

Our remit extends beyond day-to-day contract management. We work across SA Water and with our delivery partners to solve commercial issues, manage contract performance and financial outcomes, support changes to O&M arrangements, and identify opportunities to improve value for money and efficiency.

The team brings together contract management, commercial strategy, analysis, transition management and technical expertise, with people working collaboratively across portfolios depending on the nature and complexity of the work.

As a Contract Manager, you will provide day-to-day commercial management across one or more contract portfolios, working closely with operational, technical, commercial and analytical specialists across the team and SA Water.

This is a hand‑on commercial role where you’ll be expected to build strong relationships, exercise commercial judgement and take ownership of matters through to practical outcomes.

The work is varied and can range from day‑to‑day contract and performance matters through to commercial negotiations, changes to service arrangements and supporting the development of future O&M delivery models.

What you need to be successful:

We're looking for someone with a strong mix of commercial capability, judgement, relationship management and problem solving.

Just as importantly, you'll enjoy working as part of a collaborative team. We're looking for someone who takes ownership, actively looks for where they can contribute and is willing to work across portfolios and priorities to help the broader team succeed.

You’ll bring:

• Strong contract/commercial management experience, or clearly transferable commercial capability.
• Experience working with complex contracts, ideally within service, operations and maintenance, utilities, infrastructure or similar environments.
• Strong commercial judgement and financial literacy.
• The ability to build constructive relationships while being prepared to challenge, negotiate and hold a commercial position when required.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and confidence navigating ambiguity.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with an ability to simplify complex issues and provide clear recommendations.
• A proactive approach, taking accountability for issues and seeing them through to an outcome.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and contribute across the broader team as needs evolve.
• Tertiary qualifications in commerce, business or a relevant discipline, or equivalent demonstrable experience.

Importantly, we're interested in strong transferable commercial capability. Direct water‑industry experience is valuable, but isn't the only pathway to succeeding in the role.

Benefits:

• Attractive and competitive salary
• Working with a company that values growth and support of its employees, customers, the wider community
• Contributing to the sustainability of a significant, essential public service
• Working for a highly reputable organisation
• Backed by a supportive, inclusive, and value‐aligned team culture
• Opportunity to work with a major utility responsible for multi‑faced projects and works
• Unique opportunity to see the full breadth of the business and work with key stakeholders
• An organisation that values work life balance.

If you have a passion to work within a diverse, customer‑centred business, filled with passionate and self‑motivated people, where fresh thinking is valued and innovation is embraced, we want to hear from you. If you relish working in an evolving environment, have a desire to work collaboratively amongst a wealth of talent, partake in rewarding work with a purpose in an exciting industry, SA Water is a great place to be.

Our Industry is like no other. Dive into the wonderful world of water and explore the boundless opportunities. Learn more about the water industry at careersinwater.com.au

Further information can be found in the attached PD -Contract Manager (Ops Perf) - PD.docx

by 5pm, 6th of November.

Applications received after the closing date may not be considered.

A great customer experience is best achieved by having a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the community we serve. Applications are encouraged from everyone, including people living with disability, job seekers of all ages, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.