Contracts Manager Job Description - Contract Lifecycle and Compliance Lead

The Contracts Manager is responsible for managing the full contract lifecycle and ensuring commercial and legal compliance across projects and supplier relationships. This role is suitable for experienced contract professionals with strong negotiation, risk management and stakeholder engagement skills who can lead contract governance and deliver consistent contractual outcomes.

Contracts Manager Job Profile

The Contracts Manager oversees contract development, negotiation, implementation and administration to protect organisational interests and enable delivery of goods and services. The role supports commercial teams, legal advisers and operational managers to ensure contracts are accurate, enforceable and aligned with business objectives.

The postholder will establish and maintain contract frameworks, manage contract performance and escalation, and advise on risk mitigation and change control. The role may include line management of contract administrators and a responsibility for continuous improvement of contract processes and templates.

Contracts Manager Job Description

The Contracts Manager prepares, reviews and negotiates a variety of commercial and procurement contracts, ensuring terms are clear, compliant and aligned with delivery requirements. The role requires assessing commercial risk, drafting contract clauses, managing amendments and ensuring contractual obligations are tracked and met throughout the lifecycle.

Working closely with procurement, finance, legal and operational stakeholders, the Contracts Manager provides pragmatic advice to support decision making, resolves disputes and oversees supplier performance. The role operates in a deadline-driven environment where accuracy, commercial awareness and effective stakeholder communication are essential.

The Contracts Manager is expected to maintain contract records, report on contract KPIs and support governance forums. This includes leading contract close-out activities, implementing lessons learned and contributing to the development of standard templates, policies and procedures to improve efficiency and reduce commercial risk.

Contracts Manager: Duties and Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial, procurement and service contracts to ensure clear, enforceable terms.
• Manage the contract lifecycle from tendering and award through to execution, variations and close-out.
• Identify, assess and mitigate contractual and commercial risk, escalating issues when necessary.
• Develop and maintain standard contract templates, playbooks and approval workflows.
• Provide commercial and contractual advice to project teams, procurement and senior stakeholders.
• Administer contract changes, variations and extensions ensuring proper authorisation and documentation.
• Monitor supplier performance against contractual KPIs and service level agreements and initiate remedial action when required.
• Manage contractual disputes, breaches and claims, coordinating with legal advisers as appropriate.
• Maintain a centralised contract register and ensure secure storage of contract documentation.
• Prepare regular reports on contract status, risks and opportunities for leadership review.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, procurement rules and organisational policies.
• Support procurement activities, including evaluation of commercial terms and participation in negotiation strategy.
• Lead or support audits and due diligence related to contractual arrangements.
• Coach and develop junior contract staff and promote best practice in contract management.

Contracts Manager: Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree in law, business, procurement, finance or a related discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• Proven contract management experience, typically five or more years in a commercial or public sector environment.
• Sound knowledge of contract law principles and procurement regulations applicable to the organisation.
• Strong negotiation and drafting skills with attention to detail and clarity of language.
• Demonstrable commercial awareness and ability to assess financial and operational risk.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills at all organisational levels.
• Experience of managing supplier relationships and monitoring contract performance.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work to tight deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure.
• Analytical skills and experience preparing management reports and contract metrics.
• Knowledge of governance, compliance and record-keeping best practice for contracts.
• Experience of implementing contractual templates, procedures or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ability to lead or mentor a small team and to work collaboratively across functions.