United Utilities
Contract Formulation Professional
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Location: Lingley Mere, Warrington
Salary: Competitive + Annual Bonus
Work Type: Hybrid | Full-time | Permanent
About Us
At United Utilities, our purpose is simple but powerful — to deliver great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation with a bold vision, a commitment to sustainability, and a culture where people can grow, innovate and truly make an impact.
We value diversity, inclusion and fresh thinking. Whether you’re collaborating with experts across the business or shaping major infrastructure programmes, you’ll find a supportive environment where your expertise is recognised and your contribution matters.
And yes — we offer a fantastic benefits package too.
Why this role matters
We’re entering a major period of growth and transformation, and our Commercial function is expanding to support some of the largest and most ambitious construction and infrastructure programmes in the region.
We’re looking for a Contract Formulation Professional — someone who thrives on shaping robust, commercially sound construction contracts, navigating complex procurement landscapes, and ensuring our major projects start on the strongest possible footing.
If you have deep experience in construction contracts, pre-contract development, commercial risk, and especially NEC4, this is your opportunity to influence projects that deliver real environmental and societal value.
What You’ll Be Doing
Contract Strategy & Formulation
- Lead the creation, development and quality assurance of sourcing and contract documentation.
- Shape contract structures, commercial terms and risk allocations for major construction and infrastructure programmes.
- Provide expert guidance on contract specifics, commercial risk and cross-business impacts.
- Ensure all pre-contract activity aligns with regulatory requirements, including the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016.
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Procurement & Tender Management
- Manage end-to-end tendering processes: reviewing scopes, preparing contract data, issuing tender packs, managing queries, evaluating bids and recommending awards.
- Develop commercially robust contract packages, including clustered frameworks and one-off works contracts.
- Ensure procurement activity is compliant, transparent and aligned with internal governance.
Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement
- Build strong relationships with internal teams including Operations, Engineering, Finance, Legal and Regulatory Procurement.
- Act as the first point of contact for contract-related queries within your category.
- Influence suppliers and contractors, promoting best-practice commercial behaviours and protecting UU’s interests.
Commercial Assurance & Risk Management
- Identify, assess and mitigate commercial and contractual risks.
- Maintain effective contract and supplier relationship management.
- Support the business in managing commercial claims, working closely with UU Legal.
- Ensure all documentation, decisions and audit trails are complete and compliant.
What You’ll Bring
We’re looking for someone with strong contract formulation experience, ideally within construction or infrastructure environments.
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You’ll need:
- Significant experience developing and managing construction contracts, with strong working knowledge of NEC4 (highly desirable).
- Experience running tender processes and evaluating complex technical and commercial submissions.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills — able to influence, challenge and collaborate effectively.
- A solid understanding of regulated procurement and contract law.
- Commercial negotiation skills and the ability to balance risk, value and compliance.
- Experience working with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
- The ability to manage competing priorities and operate confidently in a fast-moving environment.
(No QS degree required — we welcome applicants from a wide range of commercial, procurement, contract management or construction backgrounds.)
What You’ll Get In Return
- 26 days annual leave (rising to 30 with service) plus bank holidays
- Up to 14% employer pension contribution
- Up to 10.5% performance-related bonus
- Company-funded healthcare plan
- Discounts, wellbeing benefits, EV scheme and more
- Flexible hybrid working (typically 3 days on site)
- A supportive environment where your expertise shapes real-world outcomes
Impact
Ready to Shape the Future of Construction Contracting in the North West?
If you’re passionate about building strong, resilient and commercially robust contracts — and want to play a key role in major infrastructure programmes — we’d love to hear from you.
Join us and help deliver a greener, stronger future for the North West.
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