Location: Aberdeen
Employment: Full-time, permanent
Sector: Construction and civil engineering
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are recruiting an experienced Contracts Manager to oversee the successful delivery of construction and civil engineering projects in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.
This is a senior operational position with responsibility for managing projects from pre-construction through to completion. You will provide leadership and direction to project teams, ensuring work is delivered safely, on programme, within budget and to the required quality standards.
Working closely with operational, commercial, design, procurement and health and safety colleagues, you will maintain effective project controls, develop strong client relationships and ensure potential risks are identified and managed at an early stage.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage the delivery of multiple projects or a single large and complex contract from pre-construction through to final handover.
- Provide leadership and direction to Project Managers, Site Managers, Engineers and operational support teams.
- Ensure each project has an appropriate delivery strategy, management structure, programme and resource plan.
- Set clear expectations for safety, quality, programme, cost and customer service.
- Monitor project performance and intervene promptly where delivery moves away from the agreed plan.
- Chair project progress, coordination and performance meetings.
- Ensure actions, decisions, risks and opportunities are clearly recorded, assigned and managed.
- Coordinate labour, plant, materials, subcontractors and professional support across the project portfolio.
- Maintain regular communication with clients, consultants and other key stakeholders.
- Provide accurate and timely reports to senior management.
- Support the development and consistent application of company procedures and project-management systems.
- Ensure projects are completed, handed over and closed out efficiently, including defects and outstanding documentation.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION AND PROJECT MOBILISATION
- Participate in tender reviews, adjudications and pre-construction meetings.
- Review contract documents to understand the project scope, obligations, risks and opportunities.
- Contribute operational input on buildability, logistics, sequencing, temporary works, resources and programme.
- Work with design, commercial and procurement teams to establish a practical delivery strategy.
- Ensure a structured handover from estimating and pre-construction teams into operations.
- Confirm that project teams understand tender assumptions, contractual requirements and key delivery risks.
- Develop mobilisation plans covering site establishment, logistics, resources, procurement and statutory approvals.
- Ensure project execution plans, construction-phase plans and other required documentation are in place before work begins.
HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT
- Provide visible health, safety and environmental leadership across all assigned projects.
- Promote a culture in which everyone takes responsibility for safe working and is empowered to challenge unsafe practices.
- Ensure projects comply with applicable legislation, CDM requirements, client standards and company procedures.
- Work closely with health and safety colleagues to review inspections, audits, observations and performance trends.
- Ensure incidents and near misses are reported, investigated and followed by effective corrective action.
- Confirm that project teams and subcontractors have the required competence, training and resources.
- Monitor environmental risks and ensure agreed controls are implemented.
- Lead by example during site visits, project reviews and interactions with the supply chain.
PROGRAMME AND OPERATIONAL DELIVERY
- Establish and maintain realistic construction programmes with clear milestones and critical-path activities.
- Review project progress against the agreed programme and implement recovery measures when required.
- Ensure short-term programmes, procurement schedules, design programmes and resource plans support the master programme.
- Identify operational constraints before they affect key milestones or client commitments.
- Coordinate interfaces between design, procurement, commercial, construction and commissioning activities.
- Ensure temporary works, logistics and construction sequencing are properly planned and controlled.
- Monitor project resources and arrange additional support where required.
- Ensure handover, commissioning, completion and defects-management activities are planned from an early stage.
COMMERCIAL AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
- Work in partnership with the commercial team to protect the financial performance of each contract.
- Maintain a clear understanding of contractual obligations, notices, deliverables and timescales.
- Support accurate forecasting, cost-value reconciliation and cash-flow management.
- Identify and manage variations, compensation events, extensions of time and other contractual changes.
- Ensure instructions and changes are properly recorded before additional work proceeds wherever possible.
- Review project risks and opportunities regularly with operational and commercial colleagues.
- Support the preparation and negotiation of interim applications, claims and final accounts.
- Ensure operational decisions are commercially informed and supported by appropriate records.
- Challenge avoidable cost, delay and inefficiency across the project portfolio.
- Contribute to lessons-learned reviews and use findings to improve future project performance.
QUALITY AND TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT
- Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with contract specifications, drawings, approved designs and relevant standards.
- Promote a right-first-time approach to construction and installation.
- Ensure inspection and test plans, quality records and handover documentation are established and maintained.
- Work with design teams and consultants to resolve technical queries promptly.
- Ensure design information is reviewed, coordinated and issued in line with the construction programme.
- Monitor defects and recurring quality issues, ensuring root causes are understood and addressed.
- Confirm that subcontractors understand and achieve the required quality standards.
- Ensure completion information, operation and maintenance manuals and as-built records are accurate and submitted on time.
CLIENT AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT
- Act as a senior point of contact for clients, consultants and key project stakeholders.
- Build trusted working relationships through clear communication, reliable delivery and professional conduct.
- Attend client progress meetings and provide accurate updates on performance, risks and required decisions.
- Manage issues constructively and escalate significant concerns at the appropriate stage.
- Coordinate with local authorities, utility providers, statutory bodies and community stakeholders where required.
- Maintain a strong focus on customer satisfaction, reputation and opportunities for repeat business.
PEOPLE AND SUPPLY-CHAIN LEADERSHIP
- Lead, support and develop project teams, setting clear objectives and standards.
- Provide coaching and practical guidance to Project Managers and Site Managers.
- Promote collaboration between operational, commercial, design, procurement and support functions.
- Review team performance, capability and development requirements.
- Support workforce planning, recruitment and succession planning.
- Ensure responsibilities and reporting lines are clearly understood.
- Set clear expectations for subcontractors and suppliers before and during delivery.
- Monitor supply-chain performance in relation to safety, quality, programme, cost and conduct.
- Address underperformance promptly and work with procurement colleagues to develop reliable supply-chain relationships.
- Encourage the sharing of lessons learned and good practice between projects.
REPORTING AND GOVERNANCE
- Produce accurate and timely project reports for senior management.
- Report clearly on safety, quality, programme, commercial performance, resources, risks and opportunities.
- Maintain effective risk, action and decision registers.
- Ensure project records provide an accurate account of progress, instructions, changes and key events.
- Participate in internal audits and project reviews.
- Ensure actions arising from reviews and audits are completed within agreed timescales.
- Escalate material risks early and provide clear recommendations for action.
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Significant experience in a Contracts Manager or comparable senior project-delivery role.
- Experience working for a principal contractor, civil engineering contractor or similar construction business.
- A proven record of delivering multiple projects or a large, complex contract.
- Strong knowledge of construction methods, project planning, design coordination, procurement and temporary works.
- Good working knowledge of commonly used construction contracts and change-control procedures.
- Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of project forecasting, cost control and cash management.
- Experience managing clients, consultants, subcontractors and multidisciplinary project teams.
- A sound understanding of UK health and safety legislation and CDM requirements.
- The ability to interpret programmes, drawings, specifications, contracts and commercial information.
- Strong leadership, communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to manage competing priorities and make effective decisions under pressure.
- Competence in standard project-management, reporting and document-control systems.
QUALIFICATIONS
- A relevant degree, HNC/HND, apprenticeship or equivalent experience in construction management, civil engineering, building or a related discipline.
- An appropriate health and safety qualification; SMSTS or equivalent is desirable.
- Membership of a relevant professional body, such as CIOB or ICE, would be advantageous.
- A valid CSCS card appropriate to the seniority of the position is desirable.
- A full UK driving licence is required.
LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS
The successful candidate will be:
- Visible and accountable, taking ownership of delivery and following actions through to completion.
- Safety-focused and willing to challenge behaviours or decisions that could place people at risk.
- Commercially aware, balancing programme, quality, client and financial priorities.
- Calm and decisive when managing complex or time-sensitive issues.
- Collaborative, building productive relationships across different functions.
- Organised and disciplined, with strong attention to project controls and reporting.
- People-focused, setting high standards while supporting teams to succeed.
- Improvement-minded, using feedback and lessons learned to raise performance.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Performance in the role will be assessed against:
- Health, safety and environmental performance.
- Achievement of programme milestones and completion dates.
- Commercial performance, forecasting accuracy and margin protection.
- Quality performance, defect levels and right-first-time delivery.
- Client satisfaction and the effective resolution of issues.
- Timely management of risk, change and contractual obligations.
- Project-team capability, stability and performance.
- Supply-chain performance and reliability.
- Quality and accuracy of project reporting.
- Effective handover, close-out and defects management.
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Internal:
- Senior management and directors
- Operations management
- Project and Site Managers
- Commercial and estimating teams
- Design and technical teams
- Procurement
- Health, safety, environment and quality teams
- Finance, HR and business-support colleagues
External:
- Clients and employer’s representatives
- Architects, engineers and other consultants
- Subcontractors and suppliers
- Local authorities and statutory bodies
- Utility providers
- Community and neighbouring stakeholders
LOCATION AND TRAVEL
The role is based in Aberdeen and will involve regular travel to construction sites and project meetings. The Contracts Manager will be expected to maintain a visible presence across their assigned projects.
ROLE FLEXIBILITY
The responsibilities listed describe the principal requirements of the position and are not exhaustive. Duties may change in response to project, client and business requirements.
For further information please contact Perry Robinson on 07549729424 or perry@paxtonpersonnel.co.uk