Senior Contracts Manager

Senior Contracts Manager GBP63,263 - GBP66,968 Permanent The Opportunity Are you an experienced Contract Manager with a background in rail, engineering or manufacturing looking to take ownership of high-value maintenance contracts within a complex operational environment? We are recruiting on behalf of a leading UK transport operator for a Senior Contracts Manager to lead the commercial management and delivery assurance of Heavy Maintenance (HM) activities across a large, safety-critical fleet operation. Reporting into the Fleet Commercial function, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring maintenance work delivered by both internal teams and third-party suppliers is completed safely, on time, to specification and within budget. With responsibility for approximately GBP15m of materials expenditure and GBP7m of external contract spend, this is a highly visible position with direct influence on fleet reliability, operational performance and commercial outcomes. Working closely with depot teams, engineering departments, planning functions and key suppliers, you'll lead supplier performance initiatives, manage contractual compliance, challenge costs, assess additional work requirements and ensure your organisation's commercial interests remain protected. This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially focused contracts professional looking to make a tangible impact within a critical engineering and operational environment. Senior Contracts Manager Responsibilities Heavy Maintenance Contract Management: Lead and assure the delivery of Heavy Maintenance activity across internal operations and third-party providers, ensuring safety, quality and contractual compliance. Supplier Performance Management: Manage supplier relationships and challenge performance against agreed safety, quality, cost and delivery objectives. Commercial & Budget Control: Take ownership of approximately GBP15m in HM materials expenditure and GBP7m in external contract spend, ensuring effective financial management and budget adherence. Additional Arising Work (AAW): Assess, challenge and approve additional maintenance work requests, ensuring the most commercially viable solution is selected. Contract Governance: Lead contract review meetings, manage supplier obligations and ensure contractual commitments are achieved. Cost Reduction Initiatives: Identify opportunities to improve value, reduce maintenance costs and improve operational efficiency. Commercial Risk Management: Manage warranty claims, liquidated damages and contractual disputes to protect the organisation's commercial position. Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with depot operations, engineering teams, planning functions and supply chain partners to ensure successful programme delivery. Performance Reporting: Provide clear reporting and assurance to senior stakeholders regarding contract performance, budgets, risks and delivery outcomes. People Leadership: Support and guide the Heavy Maintenance team, ensuring workloads are delivered safely, effectively and to agreed standards. Safety & Compliance: Champion a strong safety culture and challenge any activity that falls below required operational or maintenance standards. Ideal Senior Contracts Manager Contract Management Experience: Proven contract management experience, ideally within the rail sector; however, candidates from engineering or manufacturing backgrounds will also be considered. Commercial & Financial Management: Experience managing substantial budgets, supplier contracts and commercial performance within a complex operational environment. Heavy Maintenance Knowledge: Strong understanding of heavy maintenance activities, depot operations or asset-intensive engineering environments. Stakeholder Management: Demonstrable experience building effective relationships across operational, engineering, commercial and supplier functions. Commercial Acumen: Strong commercial awareness with the confidence to challenge costs, supplier performance and contractual commitments. Supplier Management: Experience driving improvements in supplier performance, quality, delivery and value. Problem Solving: Proactive approach to identifying issues, mitigating risks and implementing sustainable solutions. Resilience & Accountability: Confident holding suppliers and stakeholders accountable to agreed standards and contractual obligations. Analytical Mindset: Ability to interpret performance data, identify trends and drive cost and performance improvements. Leadership Skills: Previous experience leading teams and managing workloads within a demanding operational environment. Salary & Benefits Salary: GBP63,263 - GBP66,968 per annum Benefits Include: Free travel for you, your partner and dependants.Significant discounted travel across other UK and European rail networks.Enhanced pension scheme with employer contributions above standard levels.Enhanced maternity and paternity benefits.Cycle to Work scheme.Employee discount platform.Employee Assistance Programme.Ongoing training, recognised qualifications and career development opportunities. Location & Working Arrangements Location: York, Leeds or Manchester Working Pattern: Monday to Friday Hours: 37 hours per week Working Arrangement: Site-based role with flexibility to work from York, Leeds or Manchester, requiring regular travel across maintenance and operational sites throughout the North. About Ford & Stanley Group Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floor to boardroom. Ford & Stanley TalentWise Business specialising in blue collar trade & technical services.Ford & Stanley Recruitment Business specialising in white collar spanning all company functions.Ford & Stanley Executive Search Business specialising in Executive Search & Executive Interim Solutions.Ford & Stanley Genius Performance Performance coaching, training, and mental fitness. Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy. Ref: Senior Contracts Manager