Explore and Apply for Contract Manager jobs in Cheltenham, United Kingdom

Your new company

We are supporting a well-established public sector organisation in Bristol to recruit an experienced Contracts Manager on a 14-month fixed term contract. You'll sit across, Procurement, Commercial and Finance teams to deliver strong commercial outcomes and ensure value-for-money across a range of IT contracts.

Your new role

As the Contracts Manager, you will take ownership of a broad portfolio of around 200 IT‑related contracts, with varying levels of involvement based on risk and strategic importance.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage the full contract lifecycle, ensuring robust governance, service performance, supplier management, and value for money across major agreements.
• Work closely with technical teams in IT Services and key partners across procurement and finance to lead on negotiations and retenders of high value contracts.
• Advising stakeholders, and shaping the commercial direction of some of the organisation’s most significant supplier relationships.
• Drafting KPIs and reviewing management information to guiding colleagues on contractual terms and overseeing variations.
• Enabling effective, compliant, and commercially advantageous outcomes.

What you’ll need to succeed

• Proven experience managing all phases of the contract lifecycle, ideally within a complex, multi‑supplier environment
• Strong negotiation skills, including the ability to shape strategy and influence internal and external stakeholders
• Confidence working with a wide variety of contract documents
• A solid grounding in contract law, with the capability to interpret and draft contractual clauses
• Commercial awareness, including understanding budgets, financial objectives, and opportunities for savings at contract level
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build productive, positive relationships with suppliers and internal teams
• The ability to challenge constructively and guide stakeholders towards commercially sound decisions

What you’ll get in return

• A 14‑month fixed‑term maternity cover contract
• A salary between £50,000 – £58,000 depending on experience
• Flexible working policies with the expectation to be in the office 1-2 days per week in Bristol

• Access to a wide range of benefits such as competitive annual leave, access to the LGPS etc.

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.

If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.