Contract & Performance Manager

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company is seeking a Contract & Performance Manager to oversee contractors and ensure compliance with agreements. The successful candidate will possess strong contract management experience from the water industry, with a focus on KPIs and SLAs. This hybrid position offers a competitive annual salary and a range of benefits, including 26 days of holiday and a generous pension scheme. Join us in making a difference for millions of customers while enjoying meaningful career opportunities.

Benefits

26 days holiday per year

Generous Pension Scheme

Private Medical Health Care

Access to health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of engineering contracts and procurement processes.
• Proven performance management background within utilities or engineering.
• Experience in project or programme management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee contractors against agreed terms, KPIs and SLAs.
• Drive partner performance and hold partners accountable.
• Lead collaborative performance management with teams.

Skills

Contract management

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Problem solving

Collaboration

Education

Relevant engineering, procurement or commercial qualification (degree or equivalent)

Job description

Job title Contract & Performance Manager Ref 43366 Division Retail Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Offering an annual salary salary between £65,000 and £80,000 per annum depending on skills and experience Job grade C Closing date 25/12/2025

We’re looking for someone with strong contract management experience ideally from the water industry who can confidently oversee contractors against agreed terms, KPIs and SLAs, resolve commercial issues and approve contract variations where needed. You’ll act as the key escalation point for the Commercial team when work falls outside standard agreements, using sound judgement and strong relationship skills to keep delivery on track.

This role involves regular face-to-face engagement, holding contractors to account and ensuring performance and behaviours meet expectations. Developer Services experience would be an advantage, along with the ability to drive positive health and safety standards across all partners.

• Champion value for money by ensuring consistent, compliant delivery across all service partners, supported by strong contractual understanding.
• Drive partner performance through regular SLA, KPI and metric reviews, holding partners accountable and ensuring actions and outcomes are fully tracked.
• Lead collaborative performance management with PDMs and wider DS teams, identifying challenges early and resolving issues in a timely, customer‑focused way.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, supporting better ways of working across delivery partners and internal DS teams.
• Promote high health & safety standards, supporting investigations, audits and the timely completion of corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Delivery and external service providers to ensure a joined‑up, consistent approach that strengthens partnerships and improves the overall customer experience.

Based in our Clearwater Court office in Reading

This is a Hybrid role and will require visits to other sites.

What you should bring to the role

• Strong knowledge of engineering contracts and procurement processes, with hands‑on experience using them day to day.
• Proven performance management background within utilities or engineering, supported by solid data analysis and confident decision‑making.
• Skilled collaborator with excellent stakeholder management, able to influence effectively at all levels and work within high‑performing teams.
• Resilient problem solver with strong commercial and financial awareness, supported by a relevant engineering, procurement or commercial qualification (degree or equivalent).
• Experience in project or programme management, with the ability to support operational delivery when needed.
• Understanding of Developer Services processes and the broader operational environment, ideally with previous leadership exposure.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary between £65,000 and £80,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.