We are recruiting for a Technical Contracts Manager to work on the New High-Speed Rail project in the UK this is a multi-billion-pound high-speed railway to directly link the city centres of: London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.  A Technical Contract Manager is an interesting hybrid commercial and technical focused position reporting to a Senior Technical Project Manager.

The role is responsible for supporting in the delivery of the contract management activities associated with key contracts in Infrastructure Technical Directorate. This relates to the non-commercial activities associated primarily with professional service contracts; large contracts with engineering consultancies who provide staff to HS2 such as Atkins & Jacobs, that support major infrastructure programmes and should focus on the key activities required to provide the necessary link between business requirements and formal commercial contract requirements.

The Technical Contracts Manager is responsible for providing contract administration management support across the Infrastructure Directorate’s contracts portfolio, monitoring and managing the technical requirements associated with delivery of these including the review of business needs, acceptance of contract schedules and budget availability.

The role works alongside the technical business leads, Senior Technical Contracts Manager, HS2’s corporate contracts team and the supply chain, assuring and supporting the delivery of technical requirements and activities to ensure HS2 maximises the value from the contract.

Ideal Candidate Background

• The successful candidate will have some contract management experience and have working knowledge of and ideally administered the NEC3 Contract – could be in a capacity of Ass PM, Engineer or indeed Commercial role.
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• Strong stakeholder management skills is key to manage both internal & external Stakeholders (supply chain) – you will be capable of having some difficult conversation with internal staff often tempering expectations around staffing levels.
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• They require someone who is use to working in an environment with heavy governance & assurance procedures, client, consultancy or indeed main contractor experience all exceptable.
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• If they have been exposed to the engineering / construction industry and so had technical experience that is a plus but not essential – ability to project manage and stakeholder manage multiple people across lots of directorates

Progression Opportunities

High Speed Two is a rapidly growing organisation with the opportunities for progression and development truly fantastic.  HS2 already have a superb reputation for progressing from within highlighted by the fact 40% of all vacancies are filled internally.  This role has huge potential for progression whether that’s within Commercial & procurement, Project management or engineering the options are endless.

Work Situation - Hybrid

The office location is Birmingham Snowhill they operate a flexible hybrid working model, in practive 1-2  days a week.  Overall this is a very flexible modern employer who cares about delivery not where you deliver from, however, if you wish to be based front the office more you can.

Salary                                        £52,152.50  + Pen(6/12) + 25 hols

Duties & Responsibilities

• Effectively and efficiently manage the assigned contracts within Infrastructure, ensuring the technical business requirements are delivered through the contract;
• Support in ensuring budgetary and governance requirements have been adhered to (HS2 & Supply Chain).
• Support with administering the HS2’s obligations within the contract, including assessment of:
  • variations and compensation events (and instruction via CEMAR if required),
  • management of Purchase Order requirements
  • contract payments
  • performance incentive
  • coordination of risk assessment and management of mitigating actions.
  • Working alongside the (Corporate) Contract Manager/s
• To support the review and analysis of supply chain monthly reports to drive supply chain performance;
• To participate and contribute to monthly contract and programme performance reviews and other ad hoc reviews, including input to HS2’s Supplier Relationship Management Framework database;
• Support the business management team in ensuring HR processes have been followed to be able to onboard co-located supplier staff.
• Provide day to day ad hoc contract and commercial advice to the team and liaise with internal corporate functions to deliver best value outcomes;
• To play a part in developing a collaborative culture within the supply chain that encourages innovation, enhances capability, creates consistency of performance, maximises the benefits of knowledge sharing and embeds industry best practice across the organisation;
• Ensuring accurate task definitions and compensation events are produced by HS2 and that the supply chains response will meet the technical requirements in as cost-effective way as possible. This would include instruction of these tasks as required;
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Candidate Specification

The successful candidate will have some contract management experience and have working knowledge of and ideally administered the NEC3 Contract – could be in a capacity of Ass PM, Engineer or indeed Commercial role.

Strong stakeholder management skills is key to manage both internal & external Stakeholders (supply chain) – you will be capable of having some difficult conversation with internal staff often tempering expectations around staffing levels.

They require someone who is use to working in an environment with heavy governance & assurance procedures, client, consultancy or indeed main contractor experience all exceptable.

If they have been exposed to the engineering / construction industry and so had technical experience that is a plus but not essential – ability to project manage and stakeholder manage multiple people across lots of directorates along side NEC contract & Contract managmentment skills the key.

Skills:

• Ability to manage the business requirements associated with managing contracts that support delivery of projects and programmes.
• Ability to develop financial and technical requirements and plans on against defined budgets and requirements.
• Ability to support the development and management of effective supply chain relationships.
• Ability to support negotiations with both internal and external parties.
• Ability to engage stakeholder parties to achieve successful project outcomes.

Knowledge:

• Processes
• Systems (including CEMAR helpful but NEC contract administration experience suffice
• Governance, Assurance & Compliance
• Strategy Development
• Project Management & Planning
• Procurement process
• Contract Management & Administration
• Cost Control
• Supply Chain engagement

Type of experience:

Experience of working a contract in a project and/or programme, with a preference for experience of high value NEC3 professional services contracts.

Experience of planning, developing and commissioning technical areas of work through an established contract.

Experience of ensuring technical requirements are correctly articulated to suppliers and the tasks can commissioned ensuring value for money.