Principal Contract Manager

Low Carbon Contracts Company; Leeds, Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 10%

25 days annual leave

8% pension contribution

Study support and professional member

Job summary

Low Carbon Contracts Company invites applications for a Principal Contract Manager. This senior specialist role sits in the Scheme Delivery directorate and focuses on managing a portfolio of CfD contracts, providing expert advice across technical, commercial and contractual matters, and upholding professional standards.

The role requires a STEM degree with professional accreditation and substantial experience in contract management within energy/low‑carbon schemes, plus strong stakeholder

Qualifications

• STEM-related degree and professional accreditation such as Chartered Engineer, with around 6 years of relevant experience; or 10 years of demonstrable experience in technical, engineering, project development or project management.
• Professional qualification in finance, accounting or commercial law, or a degree in economics, law, finance or related discipline, with around 6 years of relevant experience; or 10 years in a commercial or legal lead role.
• Knowledge of renewable and low‑carbon technologies, energy infrastructure, project finance or government‑supported schemes.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative advice across technical, project development, commercial and contractual matters across Scheme Delivery.
• Maintain shared professional standards, quality assurance and consistent contract interpretation, while developing guidance, process maps, best practice and lessons learned.
• Lead or support technical and project development assessments, including reviewing claims, providing challenge, and making or recommending decisions in line with the Delegated Authority Framework.
• Support development of scheme design, contractual architecture and key decisions by preparing analysis and advice for government stakeholders, including DESNZ, DfT and other clients.
• Manage an assigned portfolio of contracts, including day‑to‑day relationship management, contract administration, communications, reporting, site visits, document management, and workload oversight.
• Own and manage technical, commercial and contractual processes and issues across the portfolio, applying judgement to identify risks and escalate improvements.
• Work with counterparties, internal teams and external advisers to support project delivery, contract compliance, and readiness for payment commencement.
• Monitor construction progress, compliance requirements and portfolio risks, and provide high‑quality analysis and advisory to government and internal stakeholders.

Skills

STEM degree

Chartered Engineer

Project management

Financial management

Contract interpretation

Education

STEM degree

Job description

Principal Contract Manager

Department: Scheme Delivery

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom; Leeds, England, United Kingdom

Reporting To: Head of Account & Program Management

Description

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 / week

Vacancies: 3

Salary: circa £80,000 depending on experience

Location: Birmingham or Leeds

WFH policy: Employees are required to attend the office 2 days/week

Flexible working: Variety of flexible work patterns subject to line manager discretion e.g. Compressed 9-day fortnight.

Reports to: Head of Account & Contract Management

Deadline Note: We reserve the right to close the advert before the advertised deadline if there are a high volume of applications.

Role Summary: The Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) is a private limited company wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ). It plays a key role in transforming the UK’s electricity system by helping to ensure future supply is secure, low‑carbon and affordable as the UK progresses towards Net Zero 2050. LCCC is the counterparty to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, through which low‑carbon generation is supported to compete with conventional fossil fuel generation. There are now over 500 CfDs in total, spanning technologies including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar and biomass conversion.

LCCC also supports the Government’s net zero ambitions by enabling and supporting tens of billions of pounds of investment in low‑carbon infrastructure. This is achieved through the development of contractual mechanisms that make First of a Kind (FOAK) projects investable. LCCC will be the counterparty to a growing range of new and bespoke schemes, including CCUS, Hydrogen, Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR), Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Nuclear, and other government‑mandated programmes. It is responsible for ensuring these schemes are constructed and operated as intended, preserving value for government and maintaining investor confidence.

Given that LCCC is a not‑for‑profit organisation, this is not a typical contract or commercial management role. Performance is not measured against a bottom line, but instead by two guiding principles: to maintain investors’ confidence in the CfD and wider scheme portfolio, and to minimise cost to consumers whilst enabling the delivery of low‑carbon projects.

Principal Contract Managers (PCMs) are senior specialist roles within the Scheme Delivery directorate, defined by subject matter expertise rather than line management. PCMs act as subject matter experts across project delivery, technical assessment and commercial domains, and are the go‑to authority for complex contractual, project development, technical and commercial matters across the portfolio.

In addition to core contract management responsibilities, PCMs support the wider directorate with complex issues arising across the portfolio. They work as part of a wider PCM cohort with complementary specialisms, helping to upskill colleagues, strengthen corporate resilience, and maintain consistent professional standards. This supports two key outcomes: a professional and consistent approach to contract interpretation and delivery, and robust, defensible contractual decision‑making when assessing complex project risks.

The scope of a PCM’s work is fluid and determined by their specialism. Depending on their expertise and team needs, a PCM may focus on day‑to‑day management of a portfolio of CfDs, support the development of commercial and contractual architecture for new FOAK schemes, or undertake a combination of both. In all cases, PCMs support wider Scheme Delivery and LCCC initiatives and regularly engage with internal stakeholders such as Legal, Data & Analytics and Finance, as well as external stakeholders including DESNZ, DfT, Ofgem and EMRS.

Key Responsibilities

The role combines specialist leadership across Scheme Delivery with responsibility for managing an assigned contract portfolio.

• Serve as a subject matter expert across technical, project development, commercial and contractual matters, providing authoritative advice and supporting the resolution of complex issues across Scheme Delivery.
• Work with peers to maintain shared professional standards, quality assurance and consistent contract interpretation, while developing guidance, process maps, best practice and lessons learned to strengthen capability across the wider contract management cohort.
• Lead or support technical and project development assessments, including reviewing claims, providing challenge, and making or recommending decisions in line with the Delegated Authority Framework.
• Support the development of scheme design, contractual architecture and key decisions by preparing analysis and advice for government stakeholders, including DESNZ, DfT and other clients.
• Manage an assigned portfolio of contracts, including day‑to‑day relationship management, contract administration, communications, reporting, site visits, document management, and oversight of scheme‑specific workload and tasks.
• Own and manage technical, commercial and contractual processes and issues across the portfolio, applying judgement in line with LCCC guidance to identify risks, resolve issues, prevent disputes, and elevate concerns or improvement opportunities where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with counterparties, internal teams and external advisers to support project delivery, contract compliance, and readiness for payment commencement under the relevant scheme arrangements.
• Monitor construction progress, compliance requirements and key portfolio risks, and provide high‑quality analysis, reporting and advice to government and internal stakeholders on issues affecting contracts, projects or wider Scheme Delivery activities.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Essential

• Technical / Engineering track: STEM‑related degree and professional accreditation such as Chartered Engineer (preferred), with around 6 years of relevant experience; or 10 years of demonstrable technical, engineering, project development or project management experience in technologies relevant to the portfolio.
• Commercial / Financial track: Professional qualification in finance, accounting or commercial law (for example ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CFA), or a degree in economics, law, finance or a related discipline, with around 6 years of relevant experience; or 10 years of demonstrable experience in a commercial or legal lead role relevant to the portfolio.
• Technical or commercial knowledge relevant to the specialism, for example renewable and low‑carbon technologies, energy infrastructure, project finance, or government‑supported schemes.
• Excellent contract management and interpretation experience, including at least two of the following: contract review and interpretation, negotiation, change management and administration, or claims and dispute management.
• Good understanding of relevant legal, regulatory, commercial and contract management issues, with the judgement to analyse complex issues, develop practical solutions, and maintain effective working relationships.
• Superb financial management capability, including cost assurance, financial reporting oversight, audit support, and working knowledge of commercial value mechanisms such as gainshare or return arrangements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical, commercial and contractual issues clearly to different audiences.

Desirable

• Experience in the UK energy sector, including power generation, low‑carbon infrastructure, energy regulation, or government‑sponsored scheme delivery, supported by a good understanding of the current UK energy policy and regulatory landscape.
• Knowledge of Contracts for Difference (CfD) and/or experience of project finance transactions or project management.
• Experience of designing or advising on business models, contractual mechanisms or commercial architecture for first‑of‑a‑kind (FOAK) or government‑mandated schemes.
• Demonstrable ability to build and manage effective stakeholder relationships across multiple parties.

Employee Benefits

• Annual performance based bonus, up to 10%
• 25 days annual leave, plus eight bank holidays
• Up to 8% pension contribution
• Financial support and time off for study relevant to your role, plus a professional membership subscription
• Employee referral scheme (up to £1500), and colleague recognition scheme
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave and shared parental leave
• Free, confidential employee assistance, including financial management, family care, mental health, and on‑call GP service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• Season ticket loan and cycle to work schemes
• Family savings on days out and English Heritage, gym discounts, cash back and discounts at selected retailers
• Employee resource groups