Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join a newly established Contract Management Team and help shape how contract management is embedded across the Trust.
The post-holder will lead the operational management of a defined portfolio of contracts, ensuring effective monitoring of activity, finance, and quality performance to deliver value for money and high-quality service delivery. Working closely with clinical, operational, and finance colleagues, the role supports contract negotiation, implementation, and resolution of performance issues, while contributing to annual contracting cycles and the Trust's wider Contract Management Strategy.
Bringing strong knowledge of contract management and procurement legislation, the role ensures compliance with Trust governance and audit requirements, supports the development of standard processes, and provides expert contractual and financial advice through high quality analysis and reporting. With line management responsibility and a strong focus on stakeholder engagement, the post-holder will build effective relationships across the organisation and with external providers, promoting best practice and confidently representing the contract management function.
Main duties of the job
In addition to the below summary you need to familiarise yourself with full Job Description and Person Specification documents attached to this advert.
You will have the discipline to work to an agreed work plan, develop forward plans for your contract portfolio, and demonstrate strong data management and analytical skills.
As a Contract Manager, you will be responsible for managing a defined portfolio of complex contracts across the Trust, ensuring effective performance monitoring, compliance, and value for money within a challenging healthcare environment, while supporting the management of key supplier and stakeholder relationships.
About us
With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.
Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Job Responsibilities
Contract Management and Service Delivery
1. Lead the operational management of a defined portfolio of contracts, ensuring compliance with Trust policies, Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) and procurement legislation.
- Undertake contract monitoring, including analysis of activity, finance, and quality performance indicators, to ensure value for money and effective service delivery.
- Support the negotiation, variation, and implementation of new and existing contracts, working with senior colleagues as required.
- Identify risks, performance issues, and under-delivery within contracts, escalating concerns appropriately and supporting resolution with providers and colleagues.
- Contribute to the Trusts annual contracting processes and wider financial and service planning cycles.
- Resolve highly complex contract resolutions between the Trust and suppliers.
- Lead the design and delivery of contract management training programmes for staff across the organisation, ensuring colleagues understand procurement regulations, internal governance processes, and category specific best practice. Provide expert guidance and coaching to embed compliant and efficient procurement behaviours.
- Contributes to the Trusts Contract Management Strategy.
Governance and Compliance
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all contracts, ensuring adherence to audit, governance, and statutory requirements.
- In depth specialist knowledge of contract management processes, ensuring compliance with Trust policies, SFIs and procurement legislation (Procurement Act 2023, Provider Selection Regime 2024 and Public Contracts Regulations 2015).
- Support the development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and contribute to continuous improvement of contract management systems and processes.
- Changes and implements process improvements to the contract management function.
Advisory and Analytical Responsibilities
- Provide expert contract and financial contracting advice and guidance to clinical and corporate teams, ensuring services understand and comply with contractual obligations.
- Analyse highly complex contract performance, financial information and produce high-quality reports for senior colleagues, committees, and operational teams.
- Use financial and performance data to identify risks and trends, recommending actions to ensure effective contract delivery.
- Produce high-quality analytical reports, dashboards, and spend-analysis tools to support strategic decision-making, contract performance monitoring, and savings delivery. Interpret complex data and present insights to senior stakeholders, enabling informed and compliant contract management actions.
People Management and Leadership
- Provide direct line management to a team of contract management staff, including the Contract Support Officer and Contract Administrator.
- Oversight and workload planning, including allocation of tasks for their team.
- Oversee objective setting, appraisals, supervision, and professional development to support a skilled and motivated workforce.
- Act as a role model in contract management, promoting best practice, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Communication, Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, including operational, finance, and clinical teams.
- Engage with external providers to resolve performance issues, negotiate variations, and maintain collaborative partnerships.
- Communicate complex contractual and financial information in a clear and accessible manner to a range of stakeholders.
- Represent the contract management function in internal and external meetings, ensuring the Trusts interests are effectively represented.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Job Responsibilities
Contract Management and Service Delivery
1. Lead the operational management of a defined portfolio of contracts, ensuring compliance with Trust policies, Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) and procurement legislation.
- Undertake contract monitoring, including analysis of activity, finance, and quality performance indicators, to ensure value for money and effective service delivery.
- Support the negotiation, variation, and implementation of new and existing contracts, working with senior colleagues as required.
- Identify risks, performance issues, and under-delivery within contracts, escalating concerns appropriately and supporting resolution with providers and colleagues.
- Contribute to the Trusts annual contracting processes and wider financial and service planning cycles.
- Resolve highly complex contract resolutions between the Trust and suppliers.
- Lead the design and delivery of contract management training programmes for staff across the organisation, ensuring colleagues understand procurement regulations, internal governance processes, and category specific best practice. Provide expert guidance and coaching to embed compliant and efficient procurement behaviours.
- Contributes to the Trusts Contract Management Strategy.
Governance and Compliance
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all contracts, ensuring adherence to audit, governance, and statutory requirements.
- In depth specialist knowledge of contract management processes, ensuring compliance with Trust policies, SFIs and procurement legislation (Procurement Act 2023, Provider Selection Regime 2024 and Public Contracts Regulations 2015).
- Support the development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and contribute to continuous improvement of contract management systems and processes.
- Changes and implements process improvements to the contract management function.
Advisory and Analytical Responsibilities
- Provide expert contract and financial contracting advice and guidance to clinical and corporate teams, ensuring services understand and comply with contractual obligations.
- Analyse highly complex contract performance, financial information and produce high-quality reports for senior colleagues, committees, and operational teams.
- Use financial and performance data to identify risks and trends, recommending actions to ensure effective contract delivery.
- Produce high-quality analytical reports, dashboards, and spend-analysis tools to support strategic decision-making, contract performance monitoring, and savings delivery. Interpret complex data and present insights to senior stakeholders, enabling informed and compliant contract management actions.
People Management and Leadership
- Provide direct line management to a team of contract management staff, including the Contract Support Officer and Contract Administrator.
- Oversight and workload planning, including allocation of tasks for their team.
- Oversee objective setting, appraisals, supervision, and professional development to support a skilled and motivated workforce.
- Act as a role model in contract management, promoting best practice, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Communication, Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, including operational, finance, and clinical teams.
- Engage with external providers to resolve performance issues, negotiate variations, and maintain collaborative partnerships.
- Communicate complex contractual and financial information in a clear and accessible manner to a range of stakeholders.
- Represent the contract management function in internal and external meetings, ensuring the Trusts interests are effectively represented.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent relevant experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development in contract management, procurement, or NHS management.
Desirable
- Chartered membership of CIPS (or working towards) Leadership or management qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience of contract management in a large, complex organisation, preferably within the NHS.
- Significant experience of leading contract negotiations or contributing to commercial decision-making.
- Significant experience of managing a portfolio of contracts with a high level of autonomy.
- Experience of identifying and managing contract risks, escalating as appropriate.
- Extensive experience of interpreting and applying contractual terms and NHS standards.
- Experience of managing staff, including appraisals and development planning.
Desirable
- Experience of working directly with healthcare providers or commissioners.
- Experience supporting contract negotiations and service redesign.
Communication and Relationship Skills
Essential
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain highly complex information clearly.
- Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and external providers.
- Ability to influence and challenge providers constructively to ensure contractual compliance.
- Experience chairing meetings or leading contract review discussions.
Desirable
- Experience of contributing to stakeholder meetings, contract review boards, or committees.
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse complex data and performance information to identify issues and recommend solutions.
- Good problem-solving and judgement skills in a contract management environment.
- Ability to undertake highly complex financial analysis, forecasting, or scenario modelling to support decision-making.
- Confident in making recommendations on contractual variations, performance interventions, or financial implications.
Planning and Organisation Skills
Essential
- Ability to manage own workload and meet deadlines in a busy environment.
- Ability to plan and lead contract transitions, service changes, or procurement-related activities.
- Experience of coordinating contract monitoring processes and reporting.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent relevant experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development in contract management, procurement, or NHS management.
Desirable
- Chartered membership of CIPS (or working towards) Leadership or management qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience of contract management in a large, complex organisation, preferably within the NHS.
- Significant experience of leading contract negotiations or contributing to commercial decision-making.
- Significant experience of managing a portfolio of contracts with a high level of autonomy.
- Experience of identifying and managing contract risks, escalating as appropriate.
- Extensive experience of interpreting and applying contractual terms and NHS standards.
- Experience of managing staff, including appraisals and development planning.
Desirable
- Experience of working directly with healthcare providers or commissioners.
- Experience supporting contract negotiations and service redesign.
Communication and Relationship Skills
Essential
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain highly complex information clearly.
- Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and external providers.
- Ability to influence and challenge providers constructively to ensure contractual compliance.
- Experience chairing meetings or leading contract review discussions.
Desirable
- Experience of contributing to stakeholder meetings, contract review boards, or committees.
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse complex data and performance information to identify issues and recommend solutions.
- Good problem-solving and judgement skills in a contract management environment.
- Ability to undertake highly complex financial analysis, forecasting, or scenario modelling to support decision-making.
- Confident in making recommendations on contractual variations, performance interventions, or financial implications.
Planning and Organisation Skills
Essential
- Ability to manage own workload and meet deadlines in a busy environment.
- Ability to plan and lead contract transitions, service changes, or procurement-related activities.
- Experience of coordinating contract monitoring processes and reporting.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).