Contracts Manager

Trant Engineering Ltd.; Southampton; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Company car or car allowance

Company pension

Free onsite parking

Discretionary bonus

24 days holiday + 8 bank holidays

Bike to work

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Trant Engineering Ltd. is seeking a Contracts Manager to lead commercial and contractual management across multiple projects. You will drive NEC 4 contract alignment, manage client and subcontractor relations, and mitigate contract risks to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery.

You will provide commercial guidance to project teams and promote best practices, while upholding safety, environmental, and quality standards across UK operations.

Qualifications

• NVQ/HND/HNC in Engineering, Construction, Commercial Management, or related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of UK construction and engineering contract law (NEC, JCT, FIDIC).
• SMSTS.
• Proven experience managing multiple contracts across engineering or construction projects.
• Experience negotiating, drafting, and administering contracts.
• Budget management, cost control and risk mitigation on multiple projects.
• Strong client and stakeholder management, including dispute resolution.

Responsibilities

• Manage project delivery and commercial performance across projects.
• Lead contracts under NEC 4 or similar, ensuring compliance.
• Develop and maintain relationships with clients and operators.
• Monitor cost, schedule, safety, carbon and customer impact; report metrics.
• Provide risk and issue resolution; support audits and quality assessments.

Skills

Contract management

Budget control

Risk management

Client management

Contract law

Negotiation

Multi-project

SMSTS

Education

Engineering/Construction qualification

Professional membership (CIOB/RICS)

Job description

Contracts Manager

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: South East England

Reporting To: Sean Sweeney

Description

Join Trant Engineering and help shape the delivery of complex, high-impact projects.

Trant Engineering is a leading EPC contractor with a strong reputation for delivering innovative engineering solutions across the UK and internationally. With over 1,000 employees and a £150m turnover, we’re growing—and now looking for a Contracts Manager to play a key role in our project delivery teams.

As a Contracts Manager you'll be responsible for the commercial and contractual management of multiple engineering projects ensuring that projects are delivered within budget, on time, and in accordance with contractual obligations. The Contracts Manager will provide commercial guidance to project teams, manage client and subcontractor relationships, and mitigate risks associated with contracts and project delivery.

What You’ll Be Doing

1) Technical Responsibilities - Contract & Commercial Management

• Manage successful project delivery and commercial performance across projects.
• Manage projects under specific contract terms for example NEC 4 ensuring compliance and proactive contract management.
• Develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with clients including transmission operators, network operators, EPC partners and fuel and gas operators.
• Ensure project delivery aligns with client business plans and programme constraints.
• Monitor and report on projects including performance metrics on cost, schedule, safety, carbon and customer impact.
• Support resolution of technical, commercial or programme risk and issues.
• Drive consistent application of company processes, systems and best practice.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and company standards.
• Develop and implement processes for contract administration, risk management, and reporting.
• Support audits, inspections, and quality assessments relating to contracts.

2) Safety, Health, Environmental, Quality & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all SHEQ, industry and client standards.
• Ensure compliance with environmental permits.
• Drive delivery of carbon reduction, sustainability and biodiversity targets in line with client commitments.
• Promote innovation in construction methods, digital delivery and sustainable solutions
• Monitor and audit sites in all aspects of safety, quality and compliance

3) Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for contractual and commercial matters with clients and site team.
• Maintain positive working relationships with clients, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Resolve contractual disputes or issues in a timely and professional manner.

4) Leadership & Support

• Provide leadership, guidance and support to project managers, site teams, and the wider construction and support teams.
• Promote consistent application of company processes and best practice Support the professional development of project staff as required.
• Collaborate with commercial teams on contractual management of the contract

5) Key Interfaces: Internal Interfaces

• Directors/Framework Managers
• Project Managers / Site Managers
• Operations / Engineering Teams
• SHEQ Teams
• Finance & Commercial Teams

External Interfaces

• Clients / End Users / Asset Owners
• Subcontractors / Suppliers
• Consultants
• Regulators / Authorities (where applicable)

6) Core Values

• Uphold and promote the Company’s Core Values – Care, Trust, Respect and Sustainability.

You may be required to undertake additional duties, consistent with the responsibilities and level of this role, beyond those specified above.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• NVQ/HND/HNC in Engineering, Construction, Commercial Management, or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of UK construction and engineering contract law (e.g., NEC, JCT, FIDIC).
• SMSTS
• Proven experience managing multiple contracts across engineering or construction projects, preferably in water, energy, or infrastructure.
• Experience negotiating, drafting, and administering contracts, including variations and claims.
• Demonstrable experience in budget management, cost control, and risk mitigation on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong track record of client and stakeholder management, including dispute resolution.

Desirable

• Membership of a professional body such as CIOB, RICS, ICWCI, or AACE.
• Formal training or qualification in project management (e.g., PRINCE2, APM). SMSTS
• Experience in procurement and subcontractor management for engineering projects.
• Familiarity with regulatory compliance and reporting in the water or energy sectors.

Why Join Trant?

At Trant, we offer the opportunity for career development and progression within a professional working environment, and we strongly encourage employees to gain professional qualifications and fully support individuals on their journeys towards chartership.

• Work on complex, meaningful engineering projects.
• Be part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team.
• Strong pipeline of secured work and career progression opportunities.
• Innovative environment with in-house design and manufacturing capability.
• Long-term secured framework work.
• Clear career development opportunities.
• Strong safety and wellbeing culture.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

• Competitive salary.
• Company car or car allowance (some levels).
• Mentored support within our ‘Career Development Association’, to work towards chartership.
• 24 days holiday (increasing with service) + 8 bank holidays.
• Options to buy additional holiday via salary sacrifice.
• Company Pension Scheme.
• Flexible working based on a ‘core hours’ system.
• 1 x Professional Membership paid annually.
• Hybrid working.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Free onsite parking.
• Bike to Work Scheme.
• Discretionary annual bonus.