Contract management officer

Main area Contract Management Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (This is an initial term and may become a substantive post at the end of the period.) Hours

* Full time
* Flexible working
* Home or remote working
* Compressed hours
* Annualised hours
37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday (hybrid working considered)) Job ref 179-7068917-P

Employer West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site West Suffolk Hospital Town Bury St Edmunds Salary £38,682 - £46,580 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 25/07/2025 23:59


Contract Management Officer


NHS AfC: Band 6


Job overview

This is the kind of job for someone who has had some experience of Contract Management that covers a commissioning environment where contracts are more about services and people. An understanding of Goods or IT contracts is helpful as sometimes there can be a mix of required knowledge. You may not realise it, but you can have exchangeable skills from a current or previous role. Experience you can draw upon so please think carefully before rejecting a role and remember, And remember, even if you don’t think you have the skills, we will train and support you to become the bast you can be.

Think about how you would be working with other team members, finance, performance, clinicians, partner Trust’s and the ICB to support effective management of commissioned or contracted services. Reflect on how this requires good interpersonal skills and an ability to negotiate even when the environment seems tough.You will need to build effective relationships with internal partners, other NHS providers, ICB officers, Voluntary Sector and other stakeholders. This is not just another desk job but one that works with and alongside people on a one-to-one basis, at virtual meetings and of course old-fashioned face to face meetings.

The Team makes a wide contribution to many parts of the Trust and our partner organisations. We can, and have, saved money or contained costs through effective Contract Management that interprets Key Performance Indicators, making coherent arguments and through fair negotiated settlements. It can take tact, diplomacy and honest conversations to make the difference in what can be a very commercial environment.


Main duties of the job

To provide Administrative Support across a variety of contract related projects delivered by the Trust Contracting & Commissioning Team with touch points in Finance, Performance, Project Management and Business Planning. Agile working across a broad range of programmes and work streams. Reviewing and updated key actions and assisting team members to achieve their outcomes or timeframe for delivery. Sounds simple but it does mean there will be a wide variety of issues and subjects covered daily. You do not need to be an expert in all disciplines, but you will need an enquiring mind and be able to research new subjects and unfamiliar areas of NHS work with an eye towards integrated working across the ICS and understand the impact of key dependencies such as the New Hospital and commissioning priorities such as Fit for the Future the NHS 10 year Health Plan for England 2025.

As a Team we track and maintain a log of all Business Cases and review their benefits whilst supporting the Investment panel and Business Case approvals process.

You will be aware of and sensitive to the changing contracting environment through technical reading and engagement with personal development opportunities outside of normal planned training events. You will use Project Management skills to guide sensitive and often complex contract negotiations.

This role suits someone who likes a variety of challenges and can work in an agile manner to meet project deadlines in a Team environment. Yes, you will need an eye for detail, and this means we all need to be able to speak up and highlight where we see error or risk. It can feel daunting but as experts in Contracts and Project Management we are relied upon for our balanced objective opinion. We are not passive meeting attenders but actively engage in the content and may have spec

Your base will be the main Administrative Office Quince House at the West Suffolk Hospital site.

Your base will be the main Administrative Office Quince House at the West Suffolk Hospital site. You will be expected to work from there under direct supervision from more senior members of staff. Occasional travel or work at other Trust / partner / ICS or supplier sites as required but unlikely to need overnight stays. Mileage and public transport rates in line with Trust policy are paid for travel on official business


Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 450+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyone's voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?


Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY TASKS :

Strategic relationships

· The post-holder will develop, with the support of the Senior Contracts Manager, an understanding of the main contracts that support commissioning and inter trust agreements.

· Develop proactive personal relationships with ICB/ICS/Network contracting or commissioning teams in ensuring compliance with agreed contract regimes and timetables.

· Act as a key point of contact between local health economy colleagues, including managing incoming information and enquiries.

· Initial point of contact for early advice or signposting concerning aspects of contract management or relationships.

· Work flexibly across a wide range of projects, providing general coordination and business support. Undertake administrative tasks including arranging and coordinating meetings, taking minutes or action notes, maintaining action logs and following up agreed actions as required.

· Collating and analysing data and presenting finding to appropriate colleagues where necessary.

· Ensure close and effective working and relationships with the other members of Finance, Contracts and Provider Performance team.

· Any other duties and ad-hoc support as required by the Senior Contracts Manager or Deputy Director of Finance.

General Responsibilities

· Support work with agreed partner Trusts on identified projects in order to develop skills pertinent to the contracting cycle that will include an understanding of procurement, contract management, finance and project management.

· Develop and deploy ICT skills in the use of Excel, Word and other in-house packages as required to support the production of contracts, service level agreements, reports and management information.

Technical / Procedural

· Resolve queries and signpost individual members of staff to the relevant contract related Trust Standing Financial Instructions.

Communication and Relationship Skills

· The post holder will develop and maintain good working relationships with relevant Trust operational and technical teams to ensure understanding of performance planning and delivery.

· The post holder will develop the ability to offer advice, sometimes within a politically sensitive environment.

· To provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious activity where persuasive, negotiating or training skills are required i.e. finance and performance information relating to a broad range of commissioned services in varying formats

· To support the presentation of complex, sensitive or contentious information with the ability to extract and explain the key messages to groups - for example commissioning and other colleagues.

· To support the provision of core contract and performance.

· Communicate information about a project in a developmental stage where the message is constantly changing.

Knowledge, Training and Experience

· An understanding of a range of work procedures and practices, the majority of which are non-routine. Knowledge is acquired through formal training or equivalent experience.

· Minimum requirement - NVQ level 4 / Diploma / Higher National Certificate or Equivalent level of knowledge.

· Report writing and information presentation.

· Knowledge of NHS provision of services using contracts and the techniques used for contract management.

· An awareness of national access targets and reporting achievement against these.

· Working with stakeholders across a range of organisations.

· Knowledge of risk management as it impacts on the project and contracting environment.

· Good working knowledge and applicable computer skills gained through experience and / or training using Microsoft packages.

· Appropriate educational level, work experience acquired through study, training / placement or other higher level subject related to the above (see Person Specification).

· Knowledge of relevant administrative procedures, and how to deal with a range of non-routine activities, such as specification development with stakeholders, problem solving for a team or area of work, as well as answering queries and progress chasing, developing alternative or additional procedures.

· An understanding or experience of Project Management principles and application.

Analytical and Judgement Skills

· Ability to consider or refer upwards enquiries that encompass:

Ø Referring service pathway or contract for procurement advice;

Ø Whether a contract breach may have occurred requiring escalation; or

Ø Supporting Commissioners / Finance and Contracting senior staff with investigating service delivery options in order to assess the delivery market.

· Excellent attention to detail.

· To work with other contract team colleagues in routine and ad hoc contract performance monitoring and review work.

· Understand who provides or could provide contracted services for the Trust.

· Methodical approach to all work, using own initiative to escalate issues to relevant colleagues where required.

· Ability to work flexibly across a number of project areas, planning time appropriately to ensure that all required deadlines are met.

Planning and Organisational Skills

· Ability to organise and coordinate the ongoing work of the team, ensuring that all relevant tasks are undertaken to meet required deadlines. Including knowledge of minute taking, action logs and agenda’s.

· Ability to ensure that monthly reporting sessions run to an agreed schedule of required tasks.

· Work with colleagues to ensure regular updating of key work programmes.

· Support to identified projects is provided as required.

· Work closely with ICB/ICS/ Network project leads to ensure that links are made across functions and consistency of approach.

· Support relevant meetings by agenda planning and note taking as required.

Physical Skills

· The possession of standard keyboard skills and ability to use a range of IT packages and applications.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care

· Contact with patients is incidental to this role.

Responsible for Policy and Service Development Implementation

· The post holder may be required to implement or propose changes to working practices or procedures in relation to their role or the wider Contract team.

· Be involved with areas that require service change by working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams in order to deliver service transformation.

Responsibilities for Financial and Physical Resources

· The post holder has a personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources used in the course of their work. The post holder is not a budget holder.

· Engagement with projects that involve co-ordination between Procurement Officers and multidisciplinary teams by supporting the process from project initiation, tender, award of contract, business as usual and the Contract Management phase.

Responsibility for Human Resources

· The post holder may be required to demonstrate their own activities or workplace routines to new or less experienced staff in their own work area.

· This role does not have direct line management responsibility. However, there will times when a more junior member of staff will need technical advice, supervision, direction, basic training or assistance.

Responsibilities for Information Resources

· Regular requirement to use different programmes and information systems to create reports (using formulae) and presentations. Packages used regularly are:

Ø Word to prepare contract status reports for Contract team and Finance Mangers

Ø Excel for tracking or analysing information on contract cost or amendment by creating simple formula’s or charts.

· To support the individual Trust contract and finance teams in ensuring accurate and useful contract and commissioner information for performance reports.

· Responsible for supporting the management and maintenance of internal contract and provider performance files and information. Information is held on the drives by contract and the post holder will be expected to ensure that the information is maintained in a logical and accessible format.

· Responsible for maintaining the Contract Register, including Service Level Agreements and the Register of Service or Contract Variations.

· As a part of this role the post holder will support contract development and delivery work which may require additional training and ongoing continuing professional development.

· Supporting the Investment Panel, Contracts and Procurement Panel through receiving reports, tracking activity, advising other staff on submissions and providing administrative support.

Responsibilities for Professional sector specific research

· The post-holder will be expected to regularly review and if required summarise national and local research and documentation as published by NHS England and other bodies to ensure that best practice is adopted at all times. This should not be less than annually and may initially be restricted to the requirements and understanding of the NHS Contract.

Freedom to Act

· The post holder will be expected to develop skills within set milestones that ensure they work effectively and independently. Managing the core set work areas working with the Senior Contracts Manager or other relevant leads to address any issues that arise. In particular, the post-holder will be expected, within set milestones, to manage their own workload without direct supervision.

· The post holder will be guided by clearly defined occupational policies and procedures. Work is managed, rather than supervised with outcomes/objectives assessed at agreed intervals not less than quarterly but can be more often during periods of heightened commercial activity.

Physical Effort

· Daily use of keyboard and VDU

· Light physical effort, driving to meetings, inputting on keyboard. Moving and handling of paper files as necessary.

Mental Effort

· Frequent requirement for periods of focussed activity and concentration (i.e. checking documents, report writing and analysing statistics)

· Focused activity subject to interruptions requiring change of focus to another activity

· Manage conflicting priorities within an unpredictable working pattern.

Emotional Effort

· Some occasional exposure to distressing and emotional circumstances / situations (with key stakeholders). In particular, where there is service change that is not universally accepted, the post holder may be in attendance at meetings where there is robust challenge that has to be accurately recorded for official records.

Working Conditions

· Exposure to unpleasant working conditions is rare but could be caused by temporary external factors such as electrical failure or inclement weather impacts etc.

· This is not an essential vehicle driver role, however, the ability to drive or be driven to various locations in a timely and efficient manner may be of assistance. Staff are encouraged to use public transport, cycling, walking or car sharing – see website. When using your own vehicle you are required to insure the vehicle for business use in line with Trust policy and procedures. Where mobility or access matters arise these will be assessed and reasonable adjustments made for the post holder.

· Occasional travel across the Trust delivery area and flexibility to work effectively from multiple bases as and when required.


Person specification


Education & Qualification

* Degree – In a relevant discipline is acceptable OR knowledge of working in a complex multi contracting environment.
* Minimal requirement: NVQ level 4 / Diploma / Higher National Certificate OR equivalent level of knowledge / certification / will be taken into consideration.
* Continuing Professional Development in a contract related discipline will be considered
* Understanding of Project Management. Completion of Government


Experience & Knowledge

* Demonstrable experience of an office environment through placement, voluntary work or previous experience would be helpful for this position.
* Experience of working effectively within a team.
* Experience of working to and achieving tight deadlines.
* Contribute to the development and implementation of complex Performance Management information and reporting systems
* Experience of changing processes and maximising benefits of IT systems.


SKills & Abilities

* Able to influence and bring about change through understanding the contractual approach and bringing people together.
* Recognise and/or practice the skills that help bring all parts of the Team together by sharing knowledge and helping one another.
* A desire to work as part of a Team.
* Ability to prioritise effectively and communicate those priorities.
* Experience of working to and achieving tight deadlines.
* Intermediate skill with IT systems and ability to use Outlook, Word (minute taking and simple report writing), Excel (simple formula and worksheet creation), PowerPoint (simple presentation prep) and financial systems when required or trained.
* Ability to write and communicate effectively; extract key points from complex information; understand, analyse and summarise intermediate financial or performance information; and concentrate on documents to understand the meaning of them as they are presented for signature
* Understanding the NHS or a large complex organisation where there can be multiple dependent activities or associated projects is useful. This should not be seen as a barrier as we all bring our personal work experiences no matter how large or small the organisation.
* Analytical skills.
* Innovative thinking concerning why we do things and asking whether it can be changed.
* Contract and service level agreement development and the legal framework
* The relationship between procurement and contracts in terms of interface and impacts of one on the other
* An understanding of Leases, Licences, Service Level Agreements as an impact on contractual arrangements and Estate managemen
* Risk management in respect of contracts and project management; and
* Awareness of a methodology like PRojects In Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) with a willingness to learn project management skills.
* Committed to continuing personal development
* Team player and have personal initiative and drive.
* Commitment to equality, diversity and an inclusive workplace.
* Look after your wellbeing and aware of the wellbeing of others.
* Flexible approach to working hours/duties
* Commitment to open and transparent governance and standards in public life.
* A communicator with all levels of responsibility within the organisation.
* Examples of self –development in a personal or work environment.
* Curiosity to research unfamiliar subjects and present findings of that research.


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