Who we are.

In Melbourne, water is essential to our way of life. As caretakers of Melbourne’s water cycle and catchments, we care for water, life, and land across the city. From protecting storages and preparing for floods, to designing infrastructure and managing complex assets, our work shapes how Melbourne lives and grows.

At the same time, we plan for the future, strengthening the system to respond to climate change and population growth, and making sure this essential system works for generations to come.

If you want your work to make a real difference, are willing to dive into complex challenges, and believe in doing what’s right, you’ll find your place here.

About the Role

Lead a high-impact portfolio and shape commercial outcomes in a critical service environment. As Manager Contracts, you will oversee the end-to-end management of a diverse portfolio of 70+ contracts worth over $530M annually, leading a team of contract professionals to deliver strong financial, operational, and compliance outcomes. Partnering closely with procurement and key stakeholders, you’ll drive strategic contract governance, negotiate complex agreements, manage risk, and enhance supplier performance—while fostering a high-performing, accountable team culture and continuously improving systems and processes.

• Lead and foster a high performance and safe culture by setting clear goals and objectives, holding people accountable and effectively managing performance.
• Establish and report on contract governance within the team covering off safety, financial, commercial, resourcing, operational, etc issues.
• Develop contract renew strategies (as required) with procurement, contract owner, and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure the effective management of Service Delivery contracts through post-award lifecycle on all contract matters.
• Identify, assess, and manage contractual and commercial risk, including reviewing and recommending outcomes on complex claims, invoices and variations, and acting as an escalation point for the team.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (legal, insurance, finance, procurement) to develop contractual documentation, analyse EOI and tender responses for value for money, and support the annual contract renewal program.
• Assist Procurement to prepare, manage, and issue expressions of interest and requests for tender.
• Develop robust commercial models and support contractual negotiations with tenderers.

For more information, please refer to the attached Role Mandate

The ideal candidate for this role is a commercially astute, strategic leader who thrives in complex, high-value environments.

About you:

• Significant experience working with complex government or private industry framework contracts.
• Demonstrated advanced competency in understanding contracts in significant / complex engineering infrastructure or similar projects.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse, understand, and interpret conditions in all contracts, and ability to assess complex claims and variations.
• Ability to build and maintain constructive relationships with key service providers and contractors.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a range of stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.
• Robust understanding of relevant legislation and ability to interpret and apply to contracts. Ability to analyse relevant data and provide reports.
• A Tertiary degree in one or more of the following subject areas: Engineering, Legal, Finance, Project Management / Quantity Surveying is required for this role.

This will suit a confident individual who thrives in leading a team in managing large, multi-faceted contract portfolios and bring deep expertise in contract governance, risk management, and negotiation.

Why join us:

At Melbourne Water, we care deeply about water and the life it sustains. 

Our team is inspired by passion and purpose, with an unwavering commitment to safety. We are on a mission to protect every Melburnian’s way of life, one drop at a time.

We don’t just talk about flexible working - we live it. Our culture of purpose, safety, results, and learning flows through everything we do. We're dedicated to doing what's right, and this commitment extends to the meaningful work we do in a supportive and inclusive culture that encourages you to make the most of your talents.

Our long-standing commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ individuals, Neurodivergent Individuals, people living with disability, mature age and young jobseekers from all cultures can apply with confidence knowing they are safe, affirmed, and celebrated.

If you’re curious, action-orientated, outcomes-focused, and passionate about public resources, community, and the environment, we'd love to receive your application and learn if you could be a great fit. 

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button below and complete our online application form.

Closing date: Sunday 28th June 2026, 2026, at 11:55pm AEST