Contracts administrator, contracts engineer, and contracts supervisor
In the building and construction sector, the management of construction contracts is the responsibility of someone called a contracts manager. Before drafting legal agreements that specify terms of service and project deliverables, they research the legal aspects of contracts and assist in negotiations of terms and conditions with clients and third parties.
How to get a job as a manager of contracts
The path to become a contracts manager may be taken in a few different ways. You may enroll in a course at a university, start an apprenticeship, or submit your resume to a potential company directly.
You need to investigate these many ways to become a contracts manager so that you can choose which one is the most suitable for you. Even while some of these opportunities call for certain qualifications, many businesses are more interested in hiring individuals who have a positive attitude, are ready to learn new things, and are able to follow directions.
University
You might become a contracts manager or a contracts engineer by earning a foundation degree, a Higher National Diploma (HND), or an undergraduate degree in a field that focuses on contract law. Some examples of such fields include:
Engineering of the civil or structural kind
Construction management
Management of business affairs or contracts
Building studies
Surveying of quantities.
You'll need:
1 - 2 A levels, or equivalent (foundation degree or HND)
2 - 3 A levels, or equivalent (undergraduate degree).
Apprenticeship
You may want to consider enrolling in a higher or degree apprenticeship in construction management so that, after you have qualified, you can specialize in contract work.
You'll need the following items to be eligible for a higher or degree-level apprenticeship:
4 - 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent
Up to 3 A levels, or equivalent.
Apprenticeships are available to anybody over the age of 16 who meets the requirements. You will be considered a full-time employee of the firm you apprentice for, and you will be required to put in a minimum of thirty hours of labor each week. Your time will be divided between getting experience on the job and attending school or working with a training provider.
Work
If you have past experience working in quantity surveying or estimating, you could be able to get employment in a construction business as a contracts assistant. This would require that you have relevant work experience. It's possible that your current company may assist you in gaining the necessary experience and education to advance into a career as a contracts manager or a contracts engineer.
Practice in the workplace
To be successful in finding a job in the construction sector, you need to have previous work experience. You may be able to acquire this knowledge via education, or by working weekends and holidays for a firm or a relative who is employed in the field of contracts management. On a resume, previous job experience is always going to be something that prospective employers find very appealing.
Skills
The following are examples of desirable abilities and expertise for a contracts manager:
A familiarity with the building and construction business
A comprehension of the paperwork required for judicial proceedings
Mathematics and computer science savvy
Strong leadership skills
Business management skills
The capacity to act on one's own initiative
Strong abilities in communicating verbally.
What does a contracts manager do?
When you take on the role of contracts manager, one of your primary responsibilities will be to maintain the key legal papers that are associated with building projects and to make certain that any problems that develop are addressed as soon and efficiently as is humanly feasible.
The following are examples of some of the responsibilities of a contracts manager:
Putting together bids for customers as well as commercial ones, in order to assist bring in new business
Creating business concepts and presenting them to potential investors
Attending meetings with customers in order to ascertain their demands
Developing strategies, as well as making estimates of costs and timelines
Having commercial contract discussions, then writing, going through, and negotiating the details of these contracts
Getting the clients to agree on costs and timelines for the project.
Keeping construction timelines and finances under control
coping with any unanticipated financial obligations
Participating at site meetings to keep an eye on the progress
Taking the lead role in serving as the primary point of contact for customers, site managers, and project managers
Collaborating with outside organizations to ensure that everyone is aware of their respective roles and responsibilities
ensuring that building projects satisfy the technical criteria that have been agreed upon
maintaining communication with the client's own representatives, as well as technical and financial personnel, subcontractors, and legal teams
Taking charge of the billing process at the conclusion of a project
Combining shifts at an office and a physical location.
How much money may you make working in contracts management?
The amount of money that a contracts manager may anticipate to make depends on how much experience they have.
The salary range for contracts managers with little to no experience is between £25,000 and $35,000.
Contracts managers who have received some training and have some experience may earn between £35,000 and £45,000.
Contracts managers with senior, chartered, or master status might make between $45,000 and $70,000 per year*.
Both your hours and your pay are determined by your location, your company, and any overtime that you put in.