Contracts Administrator

The Contracts Administrator supports the Procurement and Commercial Department in managing the contractual and commercial lifecycle of tenders and awarded contracts. The role focuses on contract preparation, commercial review, pre- and post-contract administration, payment and variation assessment, claims support, cost control, contract governance and close-out. Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities 1. Contract Preparation & Pre-Contract Administration - Prepare contracts, agreements, purchase orders and related contractual documents for successful tenders using approved templates and standard forms. - Adapt standard templates to the agreed scope, pricing mechanism, programme, payment structure and risk allocation. - Ensure final contracts capture the tender, clarifications, negotiated terms, commercial offer and agreed deliverables. - Review payment terms, retention, securities, insurance, warranties, liquidated damages, termination, variation and other commercial provisions. - Identify contractual inconsistencies, omissions and commercial risks and escalate material matters to the Procurement Manager and Commercial Director. - Coordinate contractual input with Legal, Finance, Operations, Projects and other stakeholders as required. 2. Tender & Commercial Support - Support the Procurement Manager and Procurement Officers on tender activities requiring contractual or commercial input. - Assist with RFPs, RFQs, pricing schedules, commercial schedules and Bills of Quantities where applicable. - Review bidder submissions for commercial compliance, qualifications, exclusions, assumptions and departures. - Carry out arithmetic checks, normalization and like-for-like commercial comparisons. - Assist with commercial clarifications, negotiations, tender evaluation reports and award recommendations. - Ensure agreed tender clarifications and negotiated positions are incorporated into the final contract. 3. Post-Contract Administration - Administer awarded contracts from execution through completion, expiry or close-out. - Maintain contract registers covering values, dates, payment terms, securities, insurance, notice periods, renewals and expiry obligations. - Monitor compliance with key contractual and commercial obligations and milestones. - Prepare contractual correspondence, notices, instructions, amendments, addenda, extensions and renewals for review and approval. - Maintain complete and auditable records of contractual communications, approvals, payments, variations and claims. - Support the Procurement Manager and Commercial Director in contractual issues, negotiations and disputes. 4. Payment & Commercial Assessment - Review contractor, consultant and service-provider invoices and payment applications against contractual entitlement. - Verify rates, quantities where applicable, milestones, supporting records, deductions, retention and other adjustments. - Confirm compliance with contractual payment prerequisites, including securities, insurance, warranties and supporting documentation. - Prepare payment assessment sheets and recommendations for approval. - Coordinate with Operations, Projects and Finance to verify performance and resolve payment discrepancies. 5. Variations, Change & Claims - Review variation proposals, change requests and supporting documentation. - Assess variations using contract rates, agreed rates, quotations, cost build-ups or other appropriate valuation methods. - Review proposed new rates and cost build-ups and support commercial negotiations. - Maintain variation and claims registers and monitor cumulative exposure against contract value and budget. - Assist in reviewing claims for additional payment, time or other contractual entitlement. - Support preparation of contractual responses and settlement positions while maintaining appropriate contemporaneous records. 6. Cost Control & Commercial Reporting - Prepare estimates, budgets, benchmarks and market-rate comparisons where required to support commercial decisions. - Monitor commitments, expenditure, approved changes and forecast final cost against contract values and budgets. - Identify potential overruns, savings and commercial risks and report them promptly. - Support value engineering and cost-saving exercises. - Maintain contract, payment, variation, claims and close-out trackers. - Prepare periodic commercial reports for the Procurement Manager and Commercial Director, highlighting overdue actions, expiring contracts and unresolved commercial matters. 7. Contract Governance & Compliance - Ensure contract administration complies with the Procurement Policy, Delegation of Authority and other Company procedures. - Maintain organised, accurate and auditable commercial records. - Support implementation of standard contract templates, checklists, registers and administration procedures. - Assist with commercial audits and provide supporting documentation when required. - Support the use and improvement of Yardi and other procurement or contract-management systems. - Identify recurring contractual or process issues and recommend practical improvements. 8. Stakeholder Coordination - Work closely with Procurement Officers to ensure an effective transition from tender and award into contract administration. - Coordinate with Operations and Projects on scope, performance, progress, payments and variations. - Coordinate with Finance on payment, budget and financial records and with Legal where legal review is required. - Support meetings and negotiations with contractors, consultants, suppliers and service providers. - Promote consistent contractual and commercial practices across the organisation. Education & Professional Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Engineering or a related discipline. - A Quantity Surveying professional background is preferred due to the contractual, valuation, cost and claims competencies required for the role. - Professional membership or progress towards RICS, AIQS or an equivalent body is advantageous. - Training or qualifications in contract management, procurement or construction law are advantageous. Experience - Minimum 5 years' relevant experience in contract administration, commercial management, quantity surveying or a related role. - Demonstrable experience in both pre-contract and post-contract commercial activities. - Experience preparing and administering operational, FM, maintenance, consultancy, service and/or works contracts. - Experience reviewing payment applications, variations, claims, commercial terms and contract close-out. - Experience in tender commercial evaluation and negotiations is preferred. Skills & Competencies - Strong contract administration and commercial management capability. - Good understanding of contractual principles and standard forms of contract. - Ability to interpret contract provisions and convert them into practical commercial actions. - Strong payment, valuation, variation, cost-analysis and claims-assessment skills. - Strong numerical, analytical and written communication skills with high attention to detail. - Advanced Microsoft Excel capability; experience with Yardi or similar ERP/procurement systems is advantageous. - Ability to manage multiple contracts, deadlines and stakeholders while maintaining clear audit trails. - Commercial judgement, integrity, confidentiality and a proactive approach to risk.