The electrical contract manager is the contractors equivalent to the electrical systems project manager, it will be the electrical contract manager that takes control of the works after the award of the contract on behalf of the contractor and will appoint the electrician foreman and any site support staff. The position is unique to the new works and has no equivalent in either maintenance or production work.
Depending on how the electrical installation contract for a project is set up will influence the duties of the electrical contract manager. The position may be site based for the larger contracts or office based when the contract manager is responsible for multiple projects.
The most important duties of the contracts manager is to manage the health and safety of his own staff and where necessary that of the other contractors and client whilst on site, to co-ordinate the works with other disciplines and ensure that the project is financially rewarding, ie the contractor makes a profit. To this end the contract manager will make the applications for payment, ensure that orders are received for additional works or other variations to the contract and will when any part of the contract is cancelled negotiate any reductions of the contract price. In respect of all the financial matters relating to a project the contract manager is often supported by an electrical quantity surveyor.
When the contract manager receives the drawings and specifications the first duty is to verify the viability of the design, and then to determine what works will be carried out in house and what will be sub-contracted. Where works are to be sub-contracted he will invite tenders and award sub-contracts and then manage those sub-contracts to ensure the timely delivery of the services or goods contracted and the proper integration of those services or goods into the project. The contract manager will monitor the project program and endeavour to keep the constituent parts of the contract delivered to that program.
The contract manager will be the nominated contact with the client, main contractor and all other contractors on a particular project, although the day to day contact is more often the electrical foreman. As such the contract manager will attend site meetings with the client, main contractor and other contractors.