Associate Director

Contracts Manager / Associate Director

Swindon (Hybrid) | Projects across M4/M3 corridor (Bristol to London)

Salary up to £85,000 + £5,000 car allowance + guaranteed bonus (Year 1)

Overview

An established and growing design & build specialist delivering highly technical construction projects is seeking a Contracts Manager or Associate Director to join its South region team.

This is a senior role combining project leadership, commercial ownership, and client engagement across complex design & build environments. You will take ownership of projects from early design and commercial stages through to site delivery and completion.

The role suits a commercially aware project leader with a strong construction management mindset and quantity surveying capability, capable of overseeing multiple projects while maintaining exceptional delivery standards.

You will be based from the Swindon office twice per week, with the remainder of your time spent across client sites along the M4/M3 corridor, typically covering Bristol, Swindon, Reading, Oxford, and London.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the successful delivery of design & build construction projects from pre-construction through to completion
• Act as the primary client contact throughout the project lifecycle
• Coordinate design, construction, and delivery teams to ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget
• Manage project risk, programme, and delivery milestones

Commercial Management

• Take ownership of project commercial performance from initial design fees through to final account
• Manage budgets, cost planning, procurement, and commercial reporting
• Apply strong contractual understanding across NEC and JCT forms of contract
• Ensure commercial decisions support both project and business objectives

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong client relationships
• Support proposal development and contribute to securing new project opportunities
• Represent the business professionally across client sites and industry environments

Leadership & Growth

• Provide leadership and direction to project teams
• Mentor and support junior engineers and project managers
• Support senior leadership with regional growth and project delivery strategy

Candidate Requirements

Essential:

• Proven experience as a Contracts Manager, Project Manager, Commercial Manager, or similar senior construction role
• Proven background within MEP or building services projects, with strong commercial ownership across project delivery.
• Strong project management mindset with commercial and quantity surveying capability
• Experience delivering design & build construction projects
• Strong commercial awareness and contract management experience (NEC and/or JCT)
• Ability to manage projects autonomously
• Full UK driving licence
• Willingness to travel across the M4/M3 corridor

Desirable:

• MCIOB, Chartered status, or equivalent professional qualification
• Degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or related discipline
• Experience working on technically complex construction projects
• Leadership experience managing project teams

Location & Working Pattern

• Swindon office: 2 days per week
• Site-based: 3 days per week across South region projects
• Coverage area: Bristol to London via M4/M3 corridor

Package

• Salary up to £85,000 depending on experience
• £5,000 car allowance
• Guaranteed bonus in Year 1
• Performance bonus typically 20–30% from Year 2 onwards
• Pension
• Private healthcare
• Life assurance
• Excellent career progression to senior leadership level