Contracts Manager

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Contracts Manager


 Contracts Manager – KZN
 
 
POSITION PURPOSE:
The Contracts Manager will have overall responsibility for the successful delivery and commercial management of glass and aluminium construction projects, from contract award through to final completion and handover.
The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, according to specification and to the required quality standards.
The role will manage the relationship between the company, clients, main contractors, consultants, suppliers, subcontractors, factory and installation teams.
The Contracts Manager must be commercially minded and understand that the successful delivery of a project is not only about completing the installation, but also about protecting the company’s margins, recovering variations, controlling costs and maintaining strong client relationships.
 
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
 
CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
    • Take overall responsibility for assigned contracts from award to completion.
    • Review contracts, specifications, drawings, scope of works and commercial conditions.
    • Ensure that the company fully understands its contractual obligations.
    • Monitor contractual deadlines and deliverables.
    • Identify contractual risks and escalate issues to management.
    • Manage contract correspondence and maintain proper records.
    • Ensure contractual notices are submitted within the required timeframes.
    • Manage claims, variations and extensions of time where applicable.
    • Ensure all contractual documentation is properly maintained.
 
Contract Knowledge
Strong knowledge of construction contracts is required, particularly:
    • JBCC
    • Main contractor/subcontractor agreements
    • Standard construction terms and conditions
A strong working knowledge of JBCC, variation procedures, extension-of-time claims and time-bar requirements will be highly advantageous.
 
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & DELIVERY
    • Take responsibility for the overall delivery of multiple projects.
    • Develop and monitor project programmes.
    • Ensure projects are properly planned before installation commences.
    • Coordinate project activities between the office, factory and site.
    • Ensure materials are available when required.
    • Monitor manufacturing and delivery schedules.
    • Coordinate installation teams and subcontractors.
    • Ensure site teams understand their scope of work.
    • Monitor progress against project programmes.
    • Identify delays and implement corrective action.
    • Ensure projects are completed within agreed deadlines.
    • Conduct regular site inspections.
 
PROJECT EXPERIENCE
The candidate must preferably have direct experience in the glass and aluminium construction industry.
Experience should include some or all of the following:
Aluminium
    • Aluminium windows and doors
    • Shopfronts
    • Curtain walling
    • Aluminium façades
    • Aluminium cladding
    • Louvres
    • Sliding doors
    • Folding doors
    • Flashings and pressings
    • Aluminium framing systems
 
Glass
    • Toughened glass
    • Laminated glass
    • Double glazing / IGUs
    • Low-E glass
    • Solar control glass
    • Structural glazing
    • Frameless glazing
    • Balustrades
    • Glass doors
    • Shopfront glazing
    • Curtain wall glazing
The candidate must understand the relationship between drawings, manufacturing, procurement, delivery and installation.
 
SITE MANAGEMENT
    • Manage and coordinate site supervisors and installation teams.
    • Allocate manpower according to project requirements.
    • Monitor productivity and installation output.
    • Ensure installation teams meet daily and weekly targets.
    • Monitor site attendance and productivity.
    • Ensure tools, vehicles and equipment are available and properly managed.
    • Ensure sites are adequately resourced.
    • Conduct regular site inspections.
    • Identify installation problems and implement solutions.
    • Ensure site teams follow company procedures.
    • Address poor performance or unacceptable workmanship.
    • Ensure all site staff conduct themselves professionally.
 
PROGRAMMING & PLANNING
    • Prepare and maintain project programmes.
    • Plan installation sequences.
    • Coordinate factory production with site requirements.
    • Identify long-lead materials.
    • Monitor procurement against programme requirements.
    • Ensure site measurements are completed timeously.
    • Coordinate shop drawings and approvals.
    • Monitor client approvals and outstanding information.
    • Identify potential delays before they affect the project.
    • Communicate programme changes to management and clients.
    • Maintain project trackers.
The Contracts Manager must be proactive rather than reactive and must identify problems before they become project delays.
 
CLIENT & CONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT
    • Act as a key point of contact for clients and main contractors.
    • Attend site meetings and progress meetings.
    • Maintain professional relationships with clients and consultants.
    • Handle client complaints and contractual disputes.
    • Resolve site-related issues efficiently.
    • Communicate project progress clearly.
    • Manage expectations regarding programme, quality and scope.
    • Ensure all client instructions are properly documented.
    • Ensure verbal instructions are confirmed in writing where necessary.
 
VARIATIONS & CLAIMS
This is a critical responsibility of the position.
The Contracts Manager must:
    • Identify variations immediately.
    • Record additional work instructed by the client/main contractor.
    • Ensure variation work is properly documented.
    • Obtain written approval where required.
    • Price variations in conjunction with the QS/commercial team.
    • Submit variation claims within contractual timeframes.
    • Track outstanding variation approvals.
    • Identify potential extension-of-time claims.
    • Maintain a variation register.
    • Ensure the company does not perform significant additional work without appropriate commercial protection.
The Contracts Manager must actively protect the company against unrecoverable additional work and margin erosion.
 
COMMERCIAL & COST CONTROL
    • Monitor project budgets.
    • Monitor project profitability.
    • Track labour and installation costs.
    • Monitor material usage and wastage.
    • Monitor subcontractor costs.
    • Review supplier costs against budgets.
    • Monitor project expenditure.
    • Identify cost overruns.
    • Assist with project forecasting.
    • Review monthly project financial reports.
    • Ensure approved budgets are maintained.
    • Work closely with the Quantity Surveyor and Finance Department.
 
PROCUREMENT & MATERIAL CONTROL
    • Coordinate material requirements with Procurement and Factory.
    • Ensure materials are ordered according to project programmes.
    • Monitor supplier lead times.
    • Ensure materials arrive on site when required.
    • Minimise unnecessary stock and wastage.
    • Monitor material shortages.
    • Ensure material requisitions are properly authorised.
    • Coordinate glass and aluminium requirements with production.
    • Escalate procurement issues that could affect project deadlines.
 
QUALITY CONTROL
    • Ensure installations comply with approved drawings and specifications.
    • Monitor workmanship on site.
    • Conduct quality inspections.
    • Ensure defects are identified and rectified.
    • Manage snagging processes.
    • Coordinate final inspections.
    • Ensure glass and aluminium installations meet project requirements.
    • Ensure correct products and systems are installed.
    • Investigate recurring quality issues.
    • Work with Factory and Installation teams to prevent repeat defects.
 
HEALTH & SAFETY
    • Ensure all sites comply with company health and safety requirements.
    • Ensure site teams follow applicable construction safety procedures.
    • Ensure required safety documentation is maintained.
    • Monitor subcontractor compliance.
    • Ensure employees use appropriate PPE.
    • Report and escalate safety incidents.
    • Work closely with the company’s Health & Safety representatives.
    • Ensure unsafe working practices are immediately addressed.
Knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Construction Regulations is essential.
 
SUBCONTRACTOR MANAGEMENT
    • Appoint and manage approved subcontractors where applicable.
    • Ensure subcontractors understand their scope of work.
    • Monitor subcontractor performance.
    • Monitor quality and productivity.
    • Verify subcontractor claims against work completed.
    • Ensure subcontractors comply with company and site requirements.
    • Monitor subcontractor programme performance.
    • Address poor performance.
    • Ensure subcontractors provide required compliance documentation.
 
FACTORY & INSTALLATION COORDINATION
The Contracts Manager will act as the link between Sales / Estimating / QS / Draughting / Factory / Procurement / Logistics and Site.
The candidate must ensure that:
Contract → Drawings → Approval → Procurement → Manufacturing → Delivery → Installation → Snagging → Handover
is properly coordinated.
Any breakdown in this process must be identified and resolved quickly.
 
REPORTING
The Contracts Manager will be required to provide regular reports to senior management covering:
    • Project progress
    • Programme status
    • Project costs
    • Project profitability
    • Variations
    • Claims
    • EOTs
    • Client issues
    • Site issues
    • Material shortages
    • Procurement
    • Labour requirements
    • Subcontractor performance
    • Quality issues
    • Safety issues
    • Outstanding payments
    • Project risks
    • Expected completion dates
 
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Contracts Manager will be measured on:
Project Delivery
    • Projects completed on time.
    • Projects completed within budget.
    • Achievement of project milestones.
 
Financial Performance
    • Project gross profit.
    • Cost control.
    • Reduction of unnecessary expenditure.
    • Recovery of variations.
    • Recovery of approved additional work.
 
Site Performance
    • Installation productivity.
    • Labour utilisation.
    • Reduction of rework.
    • Reduction of defects and wastage.
 
Client Management
    • Client satisfaction.
    • Reduction of complaints.
    • Effective resolution of disputes.
 
Administration
    • Accurate reporting.
    • Timely submission of claims.
    • Accurate project documentation.
    • Timely identification of contractual risks.
 
Leadership
    • Performance of site teams.
    • Subcontractor management.
    • Staff accountability.
    • Effective communication between departments.
 
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Experience
Minimum 5 years’ experience in a Contracts Manager / Project Manager / Senior Site Management position within the construction industry.
Preference will be given to candidates with:
5–10+ years of direct experience in glass and aluminium construction.
Direct industry experience should include:
    • Aluminium fabrication
    • Aluminium installation
    • Glass installation
    • Shopfronts
    • Curtain walling
    • Façades
    • Commercial construction
    • High-rise construction
    • Residential developments
 
QUALIFICATIONS
A relevant qualification in one of the following would be advantageous:
    • Construction Management
    • Quantity Surveying
    • Building Science
    • Civil Engineering
    • Project Management
    • Construction-related qualification
 
Equivalent practical industry experience will be considered.
Professional registration with SACPCMP or another relevant professional body would be advantageous depending on the scope and legal requirements of the projects.