Procurement And Contract Officer
Location: Hornton Street, W8 7NX
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 3+ Months
Working Hours: Mon – Fri, 09:00 – 17:00, 37 Hours per week
Pay rate: £ 20.86 per hour
Job Ref: (phone number removed)x
Responsibilities
Support the Procurement and Contract Management Team Managers in enhancing the development, efficiency, and success of the Temporary Accommodation and Resettlement department.
Commission, procure, and manage the supply of accommodation, including temporary accommodation, direct lets, and private rented sector accommodation.
Ensure effective supply of accommodation for households in housing need and provide effective contract monitoring.
Contribute to ad hoc accommodation-related projects, property decant programs, and new contract development.
Assist with the management of accommodation units within the Council’s private leasing portfolio.
Develop and deliver strategies, policies, and programs to manage accommodation for homeless cases, focusing on reducing usage and promoting value for money.
Successfully tender, evaluate, and let contracts to providers, ensuring quality, value for money, and compliance with financial regulations and legal requirements.
Develop and maintain relationships with private sector landlords, managing and letting agents, and owners of empty properties to secure privately rented properties for households in need.
Carry out property inspections to assess suitability for housing needs, investigate disrepair complaints, and take property inventories.
Collect, analyze, and act upon demand and supply data, performance, and financial information to shape commissioning decisions and manage service problems.
Review, monitor, and evaluate the performance of accommodation-related projects, contracts, and service level agreements, addressing under-performance and service failures.
Ensure systems are in place for effective move-on from emergency accommodation to minimize high-cost placements and subsidy loss.
Interpret and assess customer needs, prepare forecasts and supply plans, and identify trends in accommodation needs.
Assess and authorize payments related to the accommodation portfolio and work with finance teams to monitor and evaluate the accommodation budget.
Promote the Council’s procurement options at landlord forums, trade events, and one-to-one meetings.
Manage property and tenancy aspects for properties under direct Council management and liaise with landlords, agents, tenants, and contractors.
Actively liaise with landlords and managing agents to resolve accommodation-related problems.
Support senior managers in contract and performance management of accommodation providers, analyzing contract performance data and complaints.
Act as a contact for landlords with established tenancies facing difficulties and negotiate to resolve issues and sustain tenancies.
Encourage landlords to develop good property management and standards.
Stay informed on legislation and policy related to temporary accommodation supply and use, including housing benefit legislation.
Ensure value for money is considered in all decisions and recommendations.
Respond promptly to enquiries and complaints from temporary accommodation clients and attend court cases as required.
Maintain accurate service records to comply with reporting arrangements and provide management with performance information.
Develop and maintain positive relationships with clients, residents, council officers, housing providers, and other stakeholders to achieve high customer satisfaction.
Ensure health and safety responsibilities are met by attending relevant training and complying with health and safety policies.
Person Specification
Demonstrate understanding and commitment to Council policies on Equal Opportunity, Customer Care, and service delivery.
Essential: Grade C or above in GCSE Maths and English or equivalent qualifications.
Desirable: Qualified to undertake property inspection under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System or ability to obtain qualification.
Experience of procurement and contract management, including addressing under-performance (Desirable).
Understanding of the private rented sector and issues related to accommodation acquisition, security of tenure, health and safety, housing standards, and housing benefit regulations (Essential).
Experience working with private landlords and lettings agents (Desirable).
Experience working in a social/private sector housing environment or related field (Essential).
Good verbal and written communication skills, including negotiation with accommodation providers and writing reports and procedures in plain English (Essential).
Experience communicating effectively to customers and at all organizational levels (Essential).
Ability to relate Department’s objectives and policies to service and communicate them concisely to colleagues, customers, and partners (Essential).
Ability to manage a varied workload and provide high-quality work with limited supervision (Essential).
Ability to take responsibility for personal and team performance in delivering a customer-focused service (Essential).
Ability to assess and communicate service issues, identify and cost appropriate responses and solutions (Essential).
Commitment to equalities issues and understanding of their relevance to the Procurement and Contract Management Team and diverse customer needs (Essential).
DISCLAIMER: By applying for this vacancy, you consent to your personal information being shared with our client and any relevant third parties we engage with, for the purpose of assessing your suitability for the role. You acknowledge that it is your responsibility to inform i-Jobs in advance if there are any specific organisations or hirers to whom you do not wish your details to be disclosed