NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Programme and Contracts Manager

The closing date is 27 July 2025

Job summary

Here at The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) we are going through an exciting period of change and rapid growth. There could not be a better time to join us! As an organisation we all collaborate to achieve the same goal through empowering our workforce to do great things. We understand the importance of creating a respectful, supportive and transparent environment for all our employees which is why your health and wellbeing is a top priority for us!

We are looking for an experienced Programme and Contracts Manager to join the Programme Management Office (PMO) within the Centre for Guidelines for a fixed period of 12 months. The Programme and Contracts Manager is responsible for contract management across the Centre for Guidelines. They also oversee reporting on resource utilisation and project delivery across the Centre, lead on risk management and programme wide prioritisation.

Please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Main duties of the job

The Programme and Contracts Manager will have a portfolio of responsibilities which will include:

  • Managing external contracts across the work of the Centre for Guidelines. This includes holding all providers to account through contract reporting and monitoring processes, managing the annual business planning cycle, day to day liaison and management and managing and chairing quarterly review meetings.
  • Assisting the Deputy Director and Associate Directors with long-term planning and strategy development for the Centre for Guidelines, including analysis of capacity and resources.
  • Ensuring regular monitoring of the Centre for Guidelines work programme, including risk management and the financial position.
  • Leading the business planning process within the team to establish annual volume and quality targets for the Centre.
  • Line managing Project and Contracts Managers within the PMO.

About us

The Centre for Guidelines develops guidance on the promotion of good health and social care and the prevention of ill health, the appropriate treatment and care for people with specific diseases and conditions, and service delivery. The guidance is used by those working in the NHS, local government, social care, and patients and their families. The NICE guidelines programme is one of the largest in the world, having produced more than 300 guidelines since it was established in 2001.

The Programme Management Office (PMO) manages central, programme wide prioritisation and coordination and tracks delivery of products to ensure operational efficiency for all products developed by the Centre for Guidelines. It also leads on contract and budget management for the Centre.

Benefits include:

  • Generous NHS Pension - Secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK.
  • Flexible Working - Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options like remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times.
  • Exclusive Discounts - Save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light Card.
  • Time to Recharge - Start with 27 days' annual leave plus Bank Holidays.
  • Inclusive Staff Networks - Join supportive communities like Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and more - we celebrate diversity.
  • Tailored Development - Grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities.

Details

Date posted

14 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

907-769

Job locations

3rd Floor

3 Piccadilly Place

Manchester

M1 3BN


Job description

Job responsibilities

To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.

Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.

Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Master's degree or Doctorate or Equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience and further training/development

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of programme management

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of contracting and contract management

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent numerical, oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences and to generate trust and confidence in individuals at all levels both within and outside the organization.

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to engage effectively with a range of colleagues and stakeholders, both internally and externally

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to think and plan strategically

Knowledge

Desirable

  • Knowledge or experience of guideline development processes

Knowledge

Desirable

  • An understanding of the social, political and economic influences on the NHS and social care and other organisations with responsibility for improving the health of the population
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Master's degree or Doctorate or Equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience and further training/development

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of programme management

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of contracting and contract management

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent numerical, oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences and to generate trust and confidence in individuals at all levels both within and outside the organization.

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to engage effectively with a range of colleagues and stakeholders, both internally and externally

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to think and plan strategically

Knowledge

Desirable

  • Knowledge or experience of guideline development processes

Knowledge

Desirable

  • An understanding of the social, political and economic influences on the NHS and social care and other organisations with responsibility for improving the health of the population

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Address

3rd Floor

3 Piccadilly Place

Manchester

M1 3BN


Employer's website

https://www.nice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Address

3rd Floor

3 Piccadilly Place

Manchester

M1 3BN


Employer's website

https://www.nice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Associate Director

Rachel Neary-Jones

Rachel.neary-jones@nice.org.uk

Details

Date posted

14 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Reference number

907-769

Job locations

3rd Floor

3 Piccadilly Place

Manchester

M1 3BN


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)