Contract manager (Contractmanager)
Information on this skill...
A contract manager is responsible for drafting clear and correct contracts between suppliers, contractors, and other types of businesses that an organization deals with. In short, we can therefore say that a contract manager is responsible for drawing up good and legally clear contracts, in which all expectations and obligations of the contractors are included. The work of a contract manager goes beyond just recording the price agreement. Within complex purchasing processes, many more matters are important, such as product warranty, delivery conditions, quality guarantees and agreements about possible liability with regard to products or services. In addition, there may be certain laws and regulations that must be complied with. It is therefore the responsibility of the contract manager to record everything clearly, so that no misunderstandings can arise during and after delivery. A contract manager is usually also the right person if certain ambiguities arise between different parties. A contract manager will generally have a legal background and work with various other specialists. Which activities a contract manager performs exactly depends on where exactly the contract manager works. A contract manager generally has a lot to do with purchasing managers and product managers, who have to deal with purchasing processes or sales processes. If a purchasing manager wants to purchase products, he or she will in many cases consult with the contract manager about the conditions. It is the contract manager, who will draw up the contracts before the purchasing manager will conclude the contract. As a contract manager, you therefore have a responsible job, in which you are responsible for the interests of the organization.
One of the most important activities of a contract manager is to make contracts legally correct. Because companies often work internationally, a contract manager may also have to deal with complex contracts, which must also be binding from an international point of view. A contract manager is not only concerned with finances, because all matters are important, such as mutual expectations, mutual obligations, mutual services and the assessment of possible risks, which relate to the contract. As described earlier, as a contract manager you will regularly work together with internal colleagues, such as purchasing managers and product managers. Supervising outsourcing processes is also generally part of the work of the contract manager. If it concerns complex work and therefore contracts, the contract manager can be regarded as a negotiator. In that case, the contract manager will actively negotiate in order to achieve the best results.
WHERE DO CONTRACT MANAGERS WORK
A contract manager can usually be found at the larger companies that typically outsource large complex assignments to subcontractors. Think of complex construction assignments such as railway lines, highways, waterways and, for example, large new construction assignments. But housing associations also usually employ contract managers because they also make many agreements with contractors about new construction or possible renovation projects. For these types of companies, it is very important to record provisions in a good way so that no problems can arise afterwards due to ambiguities or the shifting of responsibilities.
Nowadays, the profession of contract manager is occurring within more and more organizations, because contracts are important for organizations. Manufacturers who supply the retail sector can therefore also make use of contract managers. Depending on the type of organization, a contract manager may also have to deal with project administrators and with potential auditors. This is the case, because a contract manager knows exactly how certain things look administratively. Without proper administration, the contract manager cannot determine the operational and financial state of affairs. In that respect, the contract manager can also be regarded as an administrator.
TASKS OF A CONTRACT MANAGER:
- Informing all parties involved;
- Estimating and hedging risks;
- Making contracts legally watertight;
- Maintaining contacts;
- Establishing guarantees;
- Establishing quality requirements;
- Conducting consultations with all parties involved;
- Monitoring progress;
- Watching over the budget.
WHAT DOES A CONTRACT MANAGER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A CONTRACT MANAGER
A contract manager will usually have at least a completed HBO education such as the Hbo programme Business Management, the Hbo programme Commercial Economics or the HBO programme Business Administration. In addition, there are certainly enough courses that train to become a contract manager for the more experienced managers. It is also possible to work as a contract manager with another hbo programme, but in practice preference will generally be given to someone with a legal education. It is not easy to indicate exactly which training courses a contract manager must have, because this also depends entirely on the type of contracts that an organization has to deal with. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A CONTRACT MANAGER CAN BE EMPLOYED
A contract manager can work for a variety of companies and governments because they all have to do with contracts. As indicated earlier, it is usually the larger companies that have complicated tenders where the contract manager will be found. The smaller companies usually do not have a specific contract manager appointed. Think, for example, of large manufacturers, small and medium-sized businesses, project developers and miniseries. It is conceivable that a contract manager works as an interim manager.
COMPETENCES CONTRACT MANAGER
The most important competence of a contract manager is the general legal knowledge. In addition, you must have excellent communication skills and be commercial. But the right knowledge of laws and regulations is also important as a contract manager. In addition, networking can be regarded as an important competence. Generally important words are empathy, persuasiveness, performance, analytical, analyzing, collaborating, consulting, insight, control, vigilance and stress resistance.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A CONTRACT MANAGER
The labour market perspective of a contract manager is generally good. Nowadays, companies and governments are paying more and more attention to drawing up watertight contracts to exclude as much risk as possible. In other words, you can work as a contract manager for many different organizations. A good contract manager will therefore not easily be out of work. The career opportunities of a contract manager should be seen in gaining more responsibilities. Consider, for example, the position of team leader or the position of department manager. The career opportunities can also depend on the type of employer, the level of education and your own competencies.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY CONTRACT MANAGER
There are no specific employment conditions for the profession of contract manager because you can work for different types of companies and governments in different industries, but these will generally be well arranged. A contract manager in paid employment with a completed hbo education will usually earn a salary between 3000 and 5000 euros gross per month depending on age, years of service and specific responsibilities. Incidentally, a higher salary as a contract manager is certainly conceivable when it comes to large responsibilities.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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