Service Area: Environmental Services & Port Health Team: Port Health Salary: Band 8 Location: Felixstowe (with travel across the district and beyond as required) Make an Impact Where It Matters Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) plays a vital role in protecting public health, supporting international trade, and safeguarding our environment. We are now seeking an experienced and driven Contracts Officer to lead and manage all aspects of our contracting and contract management activity. This is a key role within the Port Health team, ensuring that contracts are compliant, high performing, value for money, and aligned with governance and procurement regulations. If you thrive on building strong partnerships, driving performance, and making complex processes work smoothly — we would love to hear from you. The Role As our Contracts Officer, you will: Lead and manage the full contracting lifecycle – from specification and procurement through to monitoring, renewal, and improvement. Act as the subject matter expert for SCPHA on all contracting matters. Be the primary point of contact between suppliers, customers, and internal teams. Monitor performance against KPIs, identifying and resolving non-conformances quickly and effectively. Work closely with Procurement, Legal and Finance colleagues to ensure full compliance with legislation and Council procedures. Prepare and present reports (including Cabinet-level reports where required). Manage and monitor contract budgets, ensuring value for money. Drive continuous improvement through performance benchmarking and data-led reporting. Support smooth transition of new contracts into business as usual delivery. This role reports directly to the Port Health Business Manager. About You We are looking for someone who brings: Essential Experience A proven track record in procurement and contract management. Strong understanding of Local Government procurement processes. Experience in contract negotiation, specification, performance management and resolving deviations. Budget monitoring and financial awareness. Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders and service users. Skills & Attributes Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving ability. Confident communicator who can influence at all levels. Highly organised with the ability to manage competing priorities. Commercially aware with strong business acumen. Skilled in stakeholder management and relationship building. Able to deliver complex projects within deadlines and budgets. Strong report writing and IT skills. Qualifications Degree level (Level 6) qualification or equivalent technical experience in a contract-related field. Why work for us? East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work. Here are some of the main benefits Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays). Local government pension scheme. Flexible working arrangements. Learning and development tailored to your role. A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes. Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services. Find more information about what we offer in our Benefits Brochure (pdf). For more information For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Bradley Borley by emailing bradley.borley@scpha.gov.uk Closing date: 11.30 pm, 13 April 2026 Interview date: TBC How to apply Step 1 - Read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification (Word). Step 2 - Complete the Supporting Statement template (Word). Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification. Please use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted). Step 3 - Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note, CVs are not accepted. For more information, check out the ' How to Apply' section of our Career site. East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work and a great place to make a real difference to people’s lives, delivering vital services to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk. We hugely value our staff and know that in order for us to remain successful, it is essential for us to recognise talented employees, developing and retaining them within the organisation. We are therefore committed to investing in our staff and providing first-class support to ensure a positive culture and rewarding careers. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council and to hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work, take a look at our video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSWedQksWt0