23410 - Senior Contract Manager

The Methodist Church in Britain; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Training and development

Season ticket loan

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice, via HMPPS Wales, is seeking a Senior Contract Manager to oversee a portfolio including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, with line management responsibility and a hybrid working pattern including some London-based presence.

You will ensure performance, value for money, and compliance across contracts, engaging with national operational teams and supplier partners while leading governance boards and service improvements.

Qualifications

• Senior management experience in probation or a comparable criminal justice or public offender services environment.
• Senior-level contract or performance management, or service development and commissioning of community offender services.
• Detailed knowledge of policy and strategic developments in community and through-the-gate offender services.
• Understanding of managing and assuring large, complex commercial contracts.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of regional contracts, including CRS, for service outcomes, value for money and timely payments against performance.
• Ensure assurance on designated contracts, including on-site presence to observe operations, processes and practice.
• Identify service quality, compliance and supplier performance issues, working with the National Operational Audit Team on the assurance plan.
• Lead contract governance, including dispute resolution, chairing the Service Management Board and Contract Strategy Board, and convening the Change Management Board.
• Oversee interfaces between suppliers, the Probation Service, prisons and other community offender service providers.
• Liaise with the Probation Service in the area to inform the divisional SLA and oversight of the Rehabilitation Services system.

Skills

Staff leadership

Stakeholder management

Contract governance

Change management

Risk & audit

Job description

This Senior Contract Manager post sits within NPS HQ Support at the Ministry of Justice, in HMPPS Wales. The postholder oversees a contract portfolio, including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, and the interfaces with prisons and other providers. The role is distinct for line managing service managers and contract support staff, with hybrid working and some work in London. Senior probation or comparable offender services experience decides fit; no specific qualifications are essential.

What the job involves

• Manage a portfolio of regional contracts, including CRS, for service outcomes, value for money and timely payments against performance
• Ensure assurance on designated contracts, including on-site presence to observe operations, processes and practice
• Identify service quality, compliance and supplier performance issues, working with the National Operational Audit Team on the assurance plan
• Liaise with national and commercial contract management and other HMPPS and MoJ functions for advice on designated contracts
• Lead contract governance, including dispute resolution, chairing the Service Management Board and Contract Strategy Board, and convening the Change Management Board
• Oversee interfaces between suppliers, the Probation Service, prisons and other community offender service providers
• Liaise with the Probation Service in the area to inform the divisional SLA and oversight of the Rehabilitation Services system
• Maintain stakeholder relationships with providers and hold suppliers to account for their engagement commitments
• Critically evaluate local sentencer demand and offender needs to inform service planning and commissioning
• Plan and deliver safe exit, mobilisation and transition between old and new contracts or providers in line with commissioning intentions
• Act as strategic or subject matter expert lead for an allocated area of directorate business
• Line manage Service Managers, Contract Support Officers and Contract Administration Specialists

Experience

• Senior management experience in probation or a comparable criminal justice or public offender services environment
• Senior-level contract or performance management, or service development and commissioning of community offender services
• Detailed knowledge of policy and strategic developments in community and through-the-gate offender services
• Understanding of managing and assuring large, complex commercial contracts
• Experience leading and managing in a complex change management context
• Effective programme and project management experience

Skills & knowledge

• Leading and managing staff to achieve demanding objectives
• Influencing and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders at senior level in a multi-layered delivery landscape
• Sound judgement in building working relationships
• Decision-making on risk arising from audit and assurance activity, across organisational boundaries
• High personal resilience in a challenging environment
• Spoken English to fulfil all aspects of the role

Checks & eligibility

• Security and identity checks before taking up post
• Right to work under Civil Service nationality rules

Nice to have

• Welsh language skills

What’s offered

• Annual leave, with the holiday year running from 1 March
• 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) for bank, public and privilege holidays, added to annual leave
• Choice of two Civil Service pension schemes
• Hybrid working where business need allows
• Part-time, flexible and job-share working considered
• Season ticket advance after two months' service
• Training, development and promotion programmes
• Security, diversity and induction training on appointment