Job title: Contract & Performance Manager (PO4)
Hours: 37
Contract: Fixed‑term 2 years (with the option to extend if required)
Salary: PO4 £46,142 - £49,282
Location: Leeds / hybrid working
Start: From April 2026
Join Leeds City Council’s Customer Transformation Programme
Leeds City Council is embarking on an exciting 3.5‑year Customer Transformation Programme (CTP) to modernise customer contact, improve experience for residents and colleagues, and deliver significant, recurring savings as an Invest to Save initiative. We are building a skilled internal delivery team and are recruiting three posts that are critical to programme success.
Why join
These roles provide specialist capability to deliver complex transformation at pace - reducing avoidable demand, streamlining processes, and supporting digital self‑service -while strengthening internal capacity and reducing reliance on external consultants. You’ll help ensure benefits are realised and sustained beyond the life of the programme.
The opportunities
Contract & Performance Manager (PO4)
Provide rigorous performance management and contract oversight to secure value for money. Track milestones, manage benefits delivery with our strategic partner, and ensure accountability against outcomes in the business case. You’ll underpin programme assurance and sustained improvement.
What you’ll bring
1. Proven experience in your discipline and within transformation programmes.
2. Strong stakeholder engagement and the ability to translate strategy into deliverable, measurable change.
3. A commitment to public service, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
What we offer
4. The chance to make a tangible difference for Leeds City Council customers and colleagues by modernising customer contact and delivering savings that support the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.
5. A collaborative environment working alongside a strategic delivery partner and skilled internal teams, with opportunities for knowledge transfer and professional development.
Ready to help shape services that work better for everyone in Leeds? Apply now and be part of a programme that combines insight, design and disciplined delivery to create lasting impact
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job purpose Provide leadership and support to ensure the successful operational management of the Council's customer transformation contract(s) and to provide strategic contract management support to the programme.
Responsibilities:
Responsible for the planning, development, monitoring, review and performance for all contract management, risk and performance areas of the Projects, Procurement and Contract Management associated with the Customer Transformation Programme. Ensuring that the multi-million-pound contract(s) associated with this work are administered effectively, supporting the aims of the Programme.
6. Manage the programme’s risk management framework developing full reporting requirements.
7. Make recommendations on budget management and financial planning, monitoring activities in accordance with approved procedures whilst adhering to Council Financial Regulations.
8. As necessary, supervise and carry out appraisals and line management of employees in line with associated policies and procedures, maintaining employee records using appropriate documentation and associated guidance as required.
9. Ensure all relevant contracts are registered and monitored, fit for purpose and support both the operational requirements of the programme and the Councils priorities.
10. Review, recommend and redraft, if necessary, contract policies and procedures, ensuring they are fit for purpose, including statutory and legal responsibilities and protect all council’s interests, both written and implied.
11. Work in partnership with operational service managers and staff from within the programme to ensure contract policies and procedures are being adhered to and are in line with contractual commitments, reporting concerns and implications to senior management where appropriate, this may require process audits to be undertaken.
12. Ensure contracts are fit for purpose, operate on an effective commercial basis and deliver value for money to the Programme and the Council.
13. Ensure that any contractor can carry out work assigned to them and that any work assigned is well understood by all parties and that the delivery of that work is monitored and performance managed.
14. Ensure that the Programme’s delivery is appropriately managed using clearly defined measures and providing performance management of all parties associated with the delivery of the Customer Transformation Programme.
15. Ensure sufficient contract documents are recorded and evidence secured through negotiations.
16. Ensure all related contracts are managed, tendered or extended within a timely manner, in accordance with the LCC Corporate Procurement Rules
17. Ensure the programme embraces a culture of continual benchmarking and assessment.
18. Support complex negotiations of contract variation, amendment, extension or dispute with contractors and operational service managers making recommendations where appropriate.
19. To continually champion VFM from within the contractual framework, exploring areas, from within the contracts, that VFM can be improved.
20. Develop and lead a continual, commercial review programme on all related contracts ensuring full visibility, accountability and value of funds spent, advising on performance and making recommendations where
21. Implement a robust, appropriate and contract compliant approach to the management of all associated contracts, ensuring this includes effective governance; audit and risk management arrangements are in place.
22. Report regularly on all aspects of the programmes contracts as required.
23. Work with colleagues to promote a culture that drives real efficiency savings through active supply chain management and collaboration.
24. Provide support to complex supply chain arrangements and negotiations including specification of products to support lifecycle planning.
25. Continually benchmark contract costs and performance and quality.
26. Maintain a culture of positive communication with all internal and external partners and stakeholders during all negotiations.
27. Keep up to date with relevant and changing legislation and best practice and respond proactively to all issues affecting the programme.
28. Develop a positive can-do culture amongst all colleagues, key stakeholders, and partners.
29. Provide advice, training and support to other colleagues across the programme on the specifics of contract and performance management.
30. Advise that work is stopped if it contravenes agreed standards, quality controls or costs and is putting the programme or wider organisation at risk Identify, assess, and mitigate contractual and operational risks.
31. Seek out opportunities to create effective change and suggest innovative ideas for process improvement. Review ways of working, including seeking and providing feedback.
32. Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, tackling problems and taking effective steps to address them including.
33. Use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice.
34. consider alternative options, implications and risks of decisions.
35. Focus on continuous learning and development for self, others and the organisation.
36. Takes responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
37. The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
Qualifications Degree level or equivalent knowledge and experience gained in a relevant service area or role.
Practitioner Civil Service Contract Management Accreditation *Practitioner level usually requires 6–12 months of experience managing medium/high-value contracts
Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.
38. Able to and experience of working effectively as part of a team and demonstrating organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines
39. Able to and experience of developing constructive working relationships and working in partnership with others both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
40. Able to analyse and gather a wide range of information and accurately enter and retrieve data and information from digital and manual systems preparing and presenting reports and data to a wide range of audiences
41. Able to communicate appropriately and effectively with a wide range of people including senior leaders, internal and external partners, customers and members of the public, through a variety of different methods, influencing views and behaviour.
42. Able to use initiative to develop solutions to issues and problems to ensure effective delivery of the service
43. Understand UK public procurement law, contract terms, and compliance requirements.
44. Familiarity with commissioning, sourcing, and best practice procurement processes.
45. Knowledge of KPIs, SLAs, OKR’s and frameworks for monitoring supplier performance.
46. Knowledge of managing agile delivery models and associated performance management practices.
47. Strong understanding of budgeting, cost control, and financial analysis to ensure value for money.
48. Knowledge of social value obligations and sustainability goals in local government contracts.
49. Experience of contract Lifecycle Management experience - From drafting and negotiation to execution, monitoring, and exit planning.
50. Experience of Negotiation & Influencing - Securing favorable terms, varying contracts as needed and resolving disputes effectively.
51. Experience of Supplier Relationship Management - Building collaborative partnerships and managing performance issues actively.
52. Experience of interpreting contract data, performance metrics, and producing actionable reports for stakeholders.
53. Experience of Change Control & Governance, preferably in a local government setting, managing variations and ensuring compliance with delegation schemes.
54. Experience of contract management, ideally within local government or public sector.
55. Experience in setting and monitoring KPIs and performance framework
56. Experience of implementing contract management systems and tools in fast paced programmes of work.
Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics
57. Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
58. Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities and a resilient sustainable city
59. Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
60. Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
61. Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
62. Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
63. Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
64. Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
65. The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
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