23410 - Senior Contract Manager
About The Position
The Senior Contract Manager (SACM) is a senior management team member accountable to the Deputy Director or Head of Community Integration. The role oversees the delivery and development of a regional portfolio of contracts, including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, and manages interfaces with providers such as prisons, Electronic Monitoring, and the Bail Accommodation Support Service. It also leads related stakeholder engagement, service planning, development, commissioning, mobilisation, transition, and exit activity. The post holder manages a complex and innovative portfolio of high-risk services, including services not previously commissioned in this way. They evaluate sentencer demand and service delivery against local and national priorities, and may lead a strategic or subject-matter area at Area or national level. The role involves collaboration with colleagues across HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice, providers, and regional partners, and may include representing or deputising for the Deputy Director or Head of Community Integration in senior-level discussions. At the discretion of the Deputy Director or Head of Community Integration, the Senior Contract Manager may line-manage Service Managers, Contract Support Officers, and Contract Administration Specialists. The geographical base is flexible within the contract management area, with some work required in London and other locations. The role is based in Wales and may be performed under hybrid arrangements where business needs allow.
Requirements
- Senior management experience in probation or a comparable environment, such as the criminal justice system or delivery of offender or public services.
- Senior-level experience and skills in contract or performance management, and/or service development and commissioning of community-based offender services.
- Highly developed understanding and detailed knowledge of policy and strategic developments relating to community-based and through-the-gate offender services, and how these apply to operational practice and contract management.
- Knowledge of contract management requirements and a highly developed understanding of the challenges involved in managing and assuring large, complex commercial contracts.
- Experience and skills leading and managing in a complex change-management context.
- Effective programme and project management experience and skills.
- High-quality skills in leading and managing staff to achieve demanding objectives.
- Sound judgement and the ability to build effective working relationships and influence and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders at senior level in a complex, multi-layered delivery environment.
- Ability to make decisions about risks identified through audit and assurance and manage them sensitively across organisational boundaries, taking political and economic considerations into account.
- Ability to work effectively in a challenging environment with a high level of personal resilience.
- Ability to fulfil the spoken aspects of the role confidently in English or, where specified in Wales, Welsh.
Nice To Haves
- Welsh language skills.
Responsibilities
- Manage a regional portfolio of contracts, including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services contracts, to deliver service outcomes and value for money.
- Ensure appropriate assurance of designated contracts, including on-site observation and monitoring of operations, processes, and practice when required.
- Ensure financial payments are made in line with contract performance.
- Identify service quality, contract compliance, and supplier performance issues and priorities, and liaise with the National Operational Audit Team to inform assurance activity.
- Work with National Strategic Contract Management, Commercial Contract Management, the Contract Improvement Team, System Development, and other HMPPS and Ministry of Justice functions to obtain advice and support for contract management.
- Lead governance processes for designated contracts, including dispute resolution and chairing relevant boards and groups as required.
- Liaise with Commercial Contract Management to convene the Change Management Board when required.
- Oversee interfaces between designated suppliers, Probation Services, prisons, and other providers of community-based offender services.
- Liaise with Probation Services in the designated area, including contributing to the setting and oversight of the divisional service-level agreement and oversight of service delivery across the Rehabilitation Services system.
- Maintain effective relationships with providers and wider stakeholders, and hold suppliers accountable for their stakeholder-engagement commitments.
- Evaluate local sentencer demand, offender needs, and priorities to inform service planning, development, and commissioning.
- Plan and deliver safe and orderly exits, mobilisation, and transitions between contracts or providers across the regional portfolio.
- Lead an allocated strategic or subject-matter area of Directorate business at Area or national level.
- Manage Service Managers, Contract Support Officers, and Contract Administration Specialists when assigned.
Benefits
- Attractive holiday allowance.
- Nine days of bank, public, and privilege holidays, added to annual leave allowance.
- Choice of two Civil Service pension schemes, including employer pension contributions.
- Flexible working arrangements, subject to business needs and applicable conditions.
- Season ticket advance eligibility after two months of service.
- Training and development opportunities, including equality and diversity, challenging behaviour, suicide prevention, and anti-bullying programmes.
- Access to promotion programmes.
- Security and diversity training and an individual induction programme.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
