Contract Manager

AWE plc; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day fortnight

Hybrid working

Pension scheme (9-13%)

Maternity/Paternity leave

Professional development funding

Employee assistance programme

Life assurance

Employee discounts

Special leave policy

Job summary

AWE plc is seeking a Contract Manager to oversee post-award management of infrastructure, engineering or service contracts. You will ensure commercial controls are applied, maintain records and support delivery with supplier performance monitoring.

Join a team where commercial judgment and governance are applied to protect the organisation while enabling effective delivery. The role offers a hybrid pattern with site presence and flexible working options.

Qualifications

• Experience with infrastructure, engineering or service contracts.
• Ability to administer contracts, notices, records, payments and variations.
• Experience in monitoring performance, risks and commercial records.

Responsibilities

• Manage NEC contracts across the delivery lifecycle, supporting the Project Manager and ensuring commercial controls are understood and applied.
• Administer contracts accurately and on time, including notices, records, work orders, variations, payments, forecasts, change control and governance submissions.
• Validate information, identify gaps and maintain auditable contract records.
• Monitor supplier performance against milestones, service levels and KPIs, using evidence for conversations.
• Identify and manage commercial risks, issues and opportunities, escalating as needed.
• Collaborate with project controls, finance, legal and procurement on mobilisation, amendments, extensions, re-procurement and close-out.
• Contribute to assurance reviews, lessons learned and continuous improvement.

Skills

NEC contracts

Contract administration

Risk management

Governance

Job description

As a Contract Manager, you will manage assigned infrastructure, engineering or service contracts through delivery, helping AWE achieve safe, assured and value-for-money outcomes. Working within an integrated project and commercial team, you will turn contractual commitments into practical delivery while keeping control of performance, risk, change and commercial records. This hands-on role calls for commercial judgement within delegated authority, ownership of day-to-day contract activity and early escalation when specialist support or additional authority is needed. You will build constructive relationships with suppliers and colleagues, maintaining delivery while protecting AWE's commercial position.

What you will do

• Manage assigned NEC contracts across the delivery lifecycle, supporting the Project Manager and ensuring commercial controls are understood and applied.
• Administer contracts accurately and on time, including notices, records, work orders, variations, payments, forecasts, change control and governance submissions.
• Validate supporting information, challenge gaps constructively, and maintain clear, auditable contract records.
• Monitor supplier performance against milestones, service levels, and key performance indicators, using evidence to support constructive conversations.
• Identify and manage commercial risks, issues and opportunities, escalating matters proportionally.
• Work with project controls, finance, technical, legal and procurement colleagues on mobilisation, amendments, extensions, re-procurement and close-out.
• Contribute to assurance reviews, lessons learned and continuous improvement.

The role is focused on post-award commercial and contract management, working alongside procurement colleagues when pre-award or sourcing support is needed.

What success looks like in this role

We welcome applicants of all genders and backgrounds.

Success will be demonstrated through behaviours: Making effective decisions

• Uses evidence to support delivery, commercial and wider AWE objectives.
• Balances risk, assurance, value and pace, escalating decisions outside their authority or expertise.
• Take ownership and follow issues through to practical resolution.

Seeing the big picture

• Understands how contracts contribute to project, programme and organisational outcomes.
• Considers cost, schedule, quality, risk and supplier behaviour together.
• Anticipates emerging issues and acts early.

Communicating and influencing

• Explains contractual requirements and commercial issues clearly, using straightforward language and evidence.
• Builds credible relationships while maintaining professional challenge.
• Handles disagreement constructively and involves senior commercial, legal or technical colleagues when needed.

Working together

• Contributes positively within an integrated delivery team and shares relevant information promptly.
• Supports consistent contract management standards, seeks input, and learns from experience.

We are interested in your experience, judgement, and approach, not only formal qualifications. You will have practical experience in some of the following:

• Quantity Surveying experience in managing or administering infrastructure, engineering, or service contracts.
• Managing obligations, performance measures, payments, change, risk, governance, and commercial records.
• Using evidence and commercial data to inform decisions, reporting and supplier challenge.
• Collaborating with suppliers and multidisciplinary stakeholders to resolve issues and maintain delivery.
• Applying structured contract management processes in a regulated, controlled, or safety-critical environment.
• Understanding how pre-award commercial activity supports effective post-award delivery.

Transferable contract management experience, sound judgement, and a willingness to learn are equally valued. We are not prescriptive about qualifications. Relevant experience in commercial, quantity surveying, contract management, procurement, project delivery, finance, engineering or law may provide a solid foundation. Professional membership or contract management accreditation is welcomed but is not essential.

At AWE, it's not just a job, it's far more than that. Our shared purpose is to help keep the nation safe. Could this role be the opportunity for you to play your part?

Package: 47,760 to 65,000 (depending on your suitability and level of experience). Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight, with every other Friday as a non-working day. This role is eligible for hybrid working, meaning employees typically spend three days on site in a long week and two days on site in a short week. We support flexible working where possible, including part-time and varied working hours, so please let us know if you would like us to consider an alternative working arrangement when you apply.

• 9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.