Location: Erith/ Greenwich | Contract Type: Permanent | Working Pattern: Full-Time | Office & Site Based | Regular Travel
Pay / Benefits: Remuneration for this role is benchmarked competitively within our sector.
OCU is delivering critical substation construction, refurbishment, and maintenance programmes that support the resilience and future growth of the UK's electricity network. As a Contracts Manager, you'll take ownership of operational delivery across multiple frameworks, leading Project Managers and delivery teams to ensure projects are completed safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards.
This is a key leadership role within our Power division, offering the opportunity to shape operational performance, build strong client relationships, and drive successful delivery across a diverse portfolio of substation projects. If you're an experienced operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced infrastructure environment, we'd like to hear from you.
- Lead the operational delivery of multiple substation projects and maintenance workstreams across framework contracts.
- Manage Project Managers and project teams, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget.
- Coordinate labour, plant, materials, and subcontractor resources to maximise delivery performance.
- Monitor programme performance, identifying and resolving issues that may impact project timelines.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients, stakeholders, and supply chain partners.
- Drive compliance with company procedures, client requirements, and industry regulations.
- Champion a positive safety culture and ensure high standards of health, safety, environmental, and quality performance.
- Review operational performance, risks, and opportunities, providing regular updates to senior leadership.
- Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, consistency, and project outcomes.
- Support commercial performance through effective planning, resource management, and cost awareness.
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Significant experience in operations or project management within utilities, power, infrastructure, engineering, or construction environments.
- Proven track record of managing multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex projects.
- Strong leadership, organisational, and communication skills.
- Experience managing project programmes, resources, and operational performance.
- Strong understanding of health, safety, environmental, and quality requirements within construction environments.
- Ability to build and maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships.
- Proficiency in project and operations management systems and software.
- Full UK driving licence.
- Experience delivering substation construction, maintenance, or electrical infrastructure projects.
- Bonus if you have experience working within DNO, ICP, or Transmission & Distribution environments.
- It would be great if you hold qualifications such as SMSTS, IOSH, NEBOSH, NVQ Level 6, or equivalent.
- It would be great if you've managed long-term framework contracts and client relationships.
- Experience supporting business growth, strategic planning, and operational improvement initiatives would be advantageous.
At OCU, we believe that meaningful work should come with meaningful support. That's the principle behind Careers with Purpose, our commitment to ensuring every person at OCU feels supported, developed, and valued, not just in their role today, but throughout their career with us.
Alongside the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects, we offer a benefits package that we are continuing to develop as we grow, and the kind of career acceleration that only comes from being inside a business moving at this pace.
As a rapidly growing organisation, there are genuine opportunities to progress, broaden your experience, and build a long-term career within OCU Group.
For a confidential conversation about this opportunity, please contact
Jonathan Bryden at
[email protected].
Our vacancies are typically advertised for two weeks; however, we reserve the right to close applications early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable candidates. We therefore encourage early applications.
At OCU Group, we don’t just deliver infrastructure - we help power modern life.
As one of the UK’s fastest-growing utility and infrastructure businesses, we deliver complex, nationally critical projects across power, energy transition, water, telecoms, and digital infrastructure. Over the last five years, OCU has grown five-fold to a £1.1bn organisation, expanding both organically and through strategic acquisitions across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and India.
Our growth is driven by ambitious people, operational excellence, and a commitment to doing things properly. We work on projects that genuinely matter by supporting the UK’s energy transition, strengthening essential infrastructure, and helping build more sustainable communities for the future.
Whether you’re an experienced professional looking to take ownership of major projects and influence delivery at scale, or someone starting your career through an apprenticeship, graduate programme, or placement route, OCU offers real opportunity to grow, develop, and make an impact.
We are building a business where high performance, collaboration, innovation, and accountability sit at the centre of our culture. Our people are trusted to lead, encouraged to challenge thinking, and supported to continuously develop their skills and careers.
At OCU, you won’t just join a growing business, you’ll help shape it.
Our Culture & Values
At OCU, our values are at the heart of everything we do. We care about safety, lead with integrity, strive to be better every day, make a positive impact, and deliver to grow, together, as One Company United.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
At OCU Group, we believe diversity, inclusion, and belonging are fundamental to building stronger teams, better ideas, and a more successful business. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
As part of our commitment to fairness and equality, candidates may be asked to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form during the recruitment process. This information is used for monitoring purposes only and plays no part in hiring decisions.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to offering interviews to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions who meet the essential criteria for the role.
To ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to join our team, please inform us if you require any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment and interview process is, by emailing
[email protected].
