Commercial Contracts Manager

Severn Trent Plc; Coventry; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus (up to 15%)

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Leading pension scheme (double match)

Sharesave program

Academy training

Electric vehicle scheme

Family friendly policies

Two volunteering days

Job summary

Severn Trent Services is seeking a Commercial Contracts Specialist on a 12‑month fixed term contract. The role focuses on advising across contracts, ensuring favourable commercial terms, and supporting governance with customers and suppliers.

You’ll collaborate with Legal, Risk, Finance and Delivery teams, manage commercial risk, and drive contract opportunities while ensuring compliance and strong commercial performance.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Commercial/Contract Manager or similar role in water/utilities sectors.
• Knowledge of standard forms of contract (NEC3/4) and PFI/PPP contracts preferred.
• Ability to negotiate favourable terms and manage commercial risk across contracts.

Responsibilities

• Review customer terms and tender documents for new opportunities and advise on commercial terms.
• Ensure obligations are understood and responsibilities defined across parties.
• Mitigate risks by addressing disputes and contingencies.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and align terms with supply contracts.
• Lead in handling contract scope queries and review related documents (e.g., land registry, MoD contract).
• Liaise with Legal, Insurance, Service Delivery, Engineering, Finance and Contract Management teams.
• Represent STS in commercial and contractual meetings with key clients (e.g., MoD).

Skills

Contract management

Commercial negotiations

NEC3/4

Risk management

Stakeholder liaison

Driving licence

Education

MRICS

CIPS

Job description

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Commercial Contracts Manager

We’re Severn Trent Servicesa commercial arm of the Severn Trent Group. We specialise in providing water and wastewater services to public and private sector organisations nationwide.

We’re currently recruiting for a Commercial Contracts Specialist on a 12 month fixed term contract.

Are you an experienced Commercial professional looking for a new challenge and to expand your skills and experience? Perhaps you are a Quantity Survey or experienced category manager looking for a step up?

The role will supportthe winning and delivery of profitable contracts and provide commercial support and governance to the business and ensuring we contract with customers and suppliers on favourable terms.

If you’re a good negotiator, comfortable working with different forms of contract and providing commercial advice, then read on.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

This opportunity sits within our Severn Trent Services business, a commercial arm of the Severn Trent Group and you will be part of our small team of go-to experts on contract and commercial matters.

It’s an exciting time to be joining Severn Trent Services – we’re on an upwards trajectory, our business is growing and we’re looking for new talent to join us on our journey!

The Commercial Contracts Specialist plays a key role in providing commercial advice to all parts of the business on existing and new contracts, including our existing PFI contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), (commonly known as project Aquatrine) and in championing and supporting the adoption of best commercial practice and risk management.

Working with customers, external stakeholders and our internal business development and supplier management teams, you’ll provide advice on a broad range of contract matters, including choice of commercial terms, scope queries, disputes, and contract compliance. You’ll play a key role in getting projects into contract and ensuring the efficient management of those contracts.

Some of the key responsibilities of this position include:

• Review customer terms and conditions and tender documents for new business opportunities, identifying risks/opportunities, advising on compliance with commercial guidelines and leading commercial negotiations to get projects into contract on favourable terms
• Ensure all parties understand their obligations and responsibilities
• Mitigate risks by addressing potential disputes and contingencies.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities
• Align customer terms and conditions with our supply chain contracts,
• Take the lead in receiving, investigating, and resolving internal contract scope queries. This may involve reviewing land registry and lease documents on our MoD contract.
• Liaise with a wide range of internal stakeholders including Legal, Insurance, Service Delivery, Engineering, Finance and Contract Management colleagues.
• Represent STS at commercial and contractual meetings with key clients such as the Ministry of Defence.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE ROLE

So, what does our ideal candidate look like? You will be an experienced Contract / Commercial Manager, with some experience in the water or utilities sector, who is familiar with commercial Terms and Conditions and standard forms of contract, ideally including NEC3/4.

We’re looking for someone with practical experience of getting projects into contract and managing commercial risk , coupled with a good understanding of the underlying contract terms and mechanisms – you don’t have to be a lawyer, but you need to know your way around a contract.

You will be excellent at communication across a variety of mediums and audiences, and you’ll be able to demonstrate your business acumen and commercial awareness. Attention to detail is pivotal in your ability to succeed in this role.

It would be great if you had a relevant professional qualification, (i.e. MICE, MRICS, CIPS or equivalent), but if you’re currently working towards that, we would welcome your application too.We would also love it if you had a working knowledge of PFI / PPP contracts and some experience working in the water sector, however it isn’t essential as we are able to support the development of your knowledge in those areas.

It is essential that you have a full UK driving licence as there will be some travel required.

We welcome people from all walks of life and celebrate individuality as we know diverse minds, experiences and backgrounds help us to learn and better serve our communities. We employ thousands of people from across our community who really care about what they do. Because that is how we do what we do.

And when it comes to inclusion, we’re making sure we keep up the progress with our wonderful working groups – LGBTQ+, Women in Operations & STEM, Disability and Ethnicity, who help us do just that.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

Working here isn’t just a job. You can build a career at Severn Trent. We’ll reward you for it, too. We have a range of benefits that recognise great work, and award-winning training to help you reach your potential. And we’ll also help you play your part in looking after the environment and the communities where we live.

With that in mind, here are just some of our favourite's perks that you’ll get being part of the Seven Trent Services family:

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 15% of your annual salary, based on company performance)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays (and the ability to buy/ sell up to 5 days per year)
• Leading pension scheme – we will double your contribution (up to 15% when you contribute 7.5%)
• Sharesave– the chance to buy Severn Trent Plc shares at a discounted rate
• Dedicated training and development with our ‘Academy’
• Electric vehicle scheme and retail offers
• Family friendly policies
• Two volunteering days per year

And if your curiosity has peaked and you're wanting to find out even more, search #LifeAtSevernTrent on social media.