Construction contracts manager
Construction contracts managers oversee the contractual and legal requirements of work on building projects.
- Starter salary£30,000 a year
- Experienced£70,000 a year
- Typical hours38 to 40 a week
- Green jobPotential
What you'll do
As a construction contracts manager, you would:
- draft plans and estimates for building work
- prepare and present bid documents for tenders
- tell teams, contractors and suppliers what to do
- gather information for invoicing at the end of the project
- supply information to settle contract disagreements
- identify areas for improvement
- manage budgets and timescales
Working environment
You could work at a client's business, on a construction site or in an office.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- maths knowledge
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- leadership skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- the ability to work well with others
- business management skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a construction contracts manager
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject about construction.
Subjects that include units on contract law are useful, for example:
- civil or structural engineering
- construction management
- building studies
- quantity surveying
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, such as:
- Construction Management
- Design and Construction Management
- Project Controls Professional
These can take between 3 and 4 years to complete and involve on-site training with off-the-job study. After you finish, you can specialise in contract work.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
Work
You may be able to move into contract management after working as an administrator or contracts assistant at a construction company.
Experience and qualifications in quantity surveying or estimating could also be useful.
Direct application
If you have project management or contract experience from another industry, like civil engineering, you could use this to apply for contract management jobs in construction.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- have a full driving licence
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- move into general construction management
- work as a consultant
- become a company director
- work in support services, like health and safety inspection
- move into a related industry, such as civil engineering
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the Chartered Institute of Building for professional development opportunities and to make contacts in the industry.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleConstruction manager
- Job roleBid writer
- Job roleBuilding technician
- Job roleCivil engineering technician
- Job roleQuantity surveyor
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