Senior Contract Manager

You'll hold day-to-day responsibility for a defined portfolio of provider contracts -- leading regular contract and performance review meetings, ensuring reporting is relevant and timely, and driving remedial or reinforcing action where provider performance needs to improve. You'll lead and assist in the annual contract negotiation cycle, including arbitration or mediation where necessary, and ensure contract levers are used in full and within agreed limits.

You'll translate NHS GM's commissioning intentions and priorities into signed contracts that meet national and local requirements, support the delivery of the organisational quality strategy, and challenge providers on poor quality performance where needed. You'll also provide specialist contract advice and guidance to colleagues, lead contract project meetings with internal and external stakeholders, and -- where line management responsibilities are assigned -- provide supervision, guidance and support to members of the Contract Management Team.

Manage a portfolio of provider contracts, monitoring contracted levels of activity and expenditure, contract, performance and quality issues, and general service delivery. Lead regular contract and performance review meetings with providers, ensuring reporting is relevant and timely and that remedial and reinforcing action improves performance. Ensure the financial, quality and operational performance of contracts are efficiently and effectively managed, and support the development and monitoring of Provider CQUIN schemes.

Negotiation and contract developmentLead and assist in the annual contract negotiation cycle and documentation of contracts for your portfolio, including arbitration or mediation where necessary. Ensure NHS GM's commissioning intentions and priorities are translated into signed contracts meeting national and local requirements, and ensure contract levers are enacted in full within delegated limits.

Communication and stakeholder managementAct as a key point of contact for procurement projects with third-party procurement specialists, providing contract support for healthcare service procurements requiring a tender process. Communicate complex and business-sensitive information to a broad range of internal and external stakeholders in formal and informal settings, and lead or chair regular provider performance meetings.

Analysis and reportingPlan, develop and evaluate methods for gathering, analysing and presenting contract data. Develop key performance indicators for contracting workstreams, and produce or contribute to reports summarising provider performance, risks and issues, and contractual options for resolution including reporting to Contract Performance Groups, Boards or Chief Officers.

People managementSupport an effective matrix approach across NHS GM, provide mentorship to junior colleagues in contract management, and where assigned line manage members of the Contract Management Team, providing guidance, supervision and performance management as required.

You'll be joining a supportive, knowledgeable team that takes real pride in getting complex contracting right for the benefit of patients and communities. Matrix working is central to how we operate -- you'll build close working relationships across finance, quality, BI and other functions, and with providers and other commissioners, valuing different perspectives and working collaboratively toward shared goals.

Equality, inclusion and human rights sit at the heart of everything we do, and we're committed to a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and able to thrive -- with a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. As part of the NHS, you'll benefit from the wider NHS package: membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, generous annual leave that grows with service, flexible and hybrid working arrangements, and genuine support for your ongoing development and career progression.

Qualifications

Essential: - Degree level or equivalent experience; postgraduate management diploma

Desirable: - CIPFA Contract Management, CIPS Procurement, or Prince2

NHS/Commissioning Experience

Essential: - NHS commissioning experience, including negotiations with providers on contract, procurement, performance or quality issues

Desirable: - Project management experience (ideally procurement or NHS contract management); leadership experience in NHS or related sector

Contract & Performance Knowledge

Desirable: - Knowledge of the healthcare commissioning process or national commissioning landscape

Stakeholder & People Management

Desirable: - Leadership experience in the NHS or related sector; experience of leading complex change or strategy development in a politically sensitive environment