Devon County Council is seeking two highly motivated and strategically minded Senior Contract Officers to join our Quality and Contract Management Team within Integrated Adult Social Care.
The Senor Contract Officer is a key leadership role focusing on strategic contract management in a dynamic and evolving adult social care environment.
You’ll play a key role in shaping the care market, leading crisis response efforts, and driving innovation.
About the role
As a Senior Contract Officer in Devon County Council’s Quality and Contract Management Team, you will play a strategic and influential role in shaping the future of adult social care across the county.
You will lead the oversight of high-value and complex contracts, ensuring services are high-quality, sustainable, and responsive to the diverse needs of Devon’s communities. Your work will directly support system-wide transformation, crisis response, and the development of innovative, outcome-focused commissioning practices.
Collaboration is key in this role. You’ll work closely with senior colleagues across Devon County Council, the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB), Devon Partnership Trust (DPT), and other partners including commissioning, legal, finance, IT, and operational services.
You’ll be responsible for designing and implementing contract management approaches that are not only compliant and efficient, but also agile—capable of adapting to market fluctuations, policy changes, and evolving local priorities. Your ability to develop new models of engagement, co-production, and performance monitoring will be central to driving continuous improvement and delivering value for money.
Regular engagement with senior leaders, commissioners, and operational teams will be a core part of your role, providing market intelligence, risk assessments, and strategic advice that inform key decisions across the adult social care system.
Responsibilities
• Lead strategic and operational contract management across adult social care services.
• Monitor provider performance using KPIs and governance frameworks.
• Conduct market analysis and risk assessments to inform commissioning decisions.
• Support co-production of services with providers and service users.
• Line manage a team of Contract Officers and Commissioning Support Officers.
• Represent the team in strategic forums and cross-agency collaborations.
• Provide commercial insight on pricing, inflation, and incentivisation.
• Support CQC assurance and monitoring processes.
• A strong understanding of commissioning, partnership arrangements, and statutory frameworks.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including experience of working with senior leaders.
About you
To succeed in this role, you will need
• Proven experience in managing strategic contracts and provider relationships.
• Strong understanding of the Care Act, CQC regulations, and adult social care commissioning.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to lead in high-pressure situations and drive service improvement.
• Experience in team management and stakeholder engagement.
• Degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
What we offer
• A supportive and forward-thinking team working at the heart of system transformation.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• Flexible working arrangements with a healthy work-life balance.
• A chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Devon’s residents.
Interview Date: 22/09/2025
Interested?
We welcome informal conversations about the role. Please contact Carly Trego at
How to apply
Please ensure when completing your application form that you provide a supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as described in the person specification of the job description. Applications may not be taken forwards if the supporting statement is not adequately completed.
Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.
Please click Apply Now to see the Job Description.
1. DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our.
2. - The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
3. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
4. This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
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