Senior Contract Manager | Water Sector Civils | South East England
Location: South East England
Contract: Permanent, Full-Time
Industry: Water & Wastewater Infrastructure, Civil Engineering, Capital Programmes
Package:£110K- £120K salary, company car/allowance, benefits package + bonus
Why This Role Exists
A growing capital delivery framework serving one of the UK's regulated water companies needs an experienced civils leader to run its day-to-day operations.
Annual turnover on this framework is expected to climb from around£50m within the current regulatory cycle, and the successful candidate will be central to making that growth happen.
If you've spent years managing civils contracts in the water industry — pumping stations, mains replacement, tunnelling, reservoirs — and you're looking for a role where you can shape strategy rather than just execute it, read on.
The Work You'll Own
Programmes under this framework cover a broad spread of water and wastewater infrastructure work:Rising main replacementsNew-build pumping stationsDeep drainage schemesTunnelling activityService reservoirsLarge-diameter water main installation and renewalEvent Duration Monitoring (EDM) rollouts
You'll be the operational lead across this portfolio, reporting into a Contract Director and working alongside a separate operational lead who handles the mains replacement side of the framework (delivered under a different model).
The Role
People & Safety
Full accountability for the safety and wellbeing of everyone working on your programmes
Building a culture where safety, quality and continuous improvement are non-negotiable
Delivery & Commercial Performance
Hitting time, cost and quality targets across all live projects
Owning revenue, profitability and cash performance for your patch
Managing cash flow proactively, resolving payment friction before it becomes a problem
Spotting cost-saving and efficiency opportunities that improve overall contract health
Client & Stakeholder Management
Acting as a trusted operational contact for the client, hitting agreed KPIs and SLAs
Keeping end-user and stakeholder satisfaction high, not just meeting the contract on paper
Handling disputes with clients and suppliers quickly and professionally
Team & Supply Chain
Coaching, developing and building succession plans for your direct and indirect reports
Building a supply chain capable of scaling with the framework's growth
Working closely with the Contract Director to support wider account growth
What You'll Need to Bring
Background as a Contract Manager, Senior Contract Manager, or Operations Manager in civil engineering — water/wastewater experience is a strong advantage
Experience running capital investment programmes in a regulated utility environment (AMP knowledge is a bonus, not a requirement)
Comfort owning budgets, margins and cash targets
A track record of building trust with senior client stakeholders
Genuine people-leadership skills and a safety-first mindset
The drive to help scale a framework, not just maintain it
Is This You?
You're a Contract Manager or Senior Contract Manager with water sector civils experience, ready to step into a role with more strategic weight, more influence over how a growing framework is run, and a benefits package that reflects the seniority of the position.
Apply today.
Diversity & Inclusion
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We're committed to fair, inclusive recruitment and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Building diverse teams isn't a tick-box exercise for us — it's how we get better outcomes for our clients and our people.