6293 - Environmental Contracted Services Senior Officer

Natural England; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An environmental agency in the UK is seeking an Operations Senior Officer to manage Framework Contracts and provide key support to internal staff and external partners. This role requires strong budget and contract management skills, as well as excellent communication abilities to effectively oversee various projects. The ideal candidate will have a background in finance and procurement, and knowledge of agricultural sectors is a plus. The position involves overseeing a team and ensuring the delivery of quality services while fostering innovation.

Benefits

Disability Confident Scheme accreditation

Opportunities for training and development

Qualifications

• Experience in budget and contract/project management including finance and procurement.
• Familiarity with contractor/supplier management and risk management.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively.

Responsibilities

• Manage Framework Contracts and serve as a key contact for staff and partners.
• Provide support and training to the Framework Delivery team.
• Oversee the project plan and advocate the use of the Framework.

Skills

Budget management

Contract management

Excellent communication

Rapid response to customer needs

Agri-environment knowledge

IT skills (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Job description

The Environmental Training, Advice and Facilitation Framework (ETAFF) is a flexible tool used by NE and other Defra family bodies to contract in farm and land management advice services from vetted and approved Suppliers. The Environmental Contracted Services (ECS) Team run the operation of the Framework and is comprised of Senior Contract Managers, Contract Managers, and a claims team, all supported by an Operations Senior Officer and the Framework Manager. They work closely with the commissioning team’s key staff, Defra Group Commercial (Procurement) and the Suppliers themselves.

Job description

The Operations Senior Officer will help manage the application of our Framework Contracts and be a key contact for our own staff, strategic delivery partners including CSF, Defra and others using this delivery vehicle. You will support the Framework Manager in giving sound advice on Framework interpretation and actively promoting take up by Natural England and other Authorities who may apply the Framework to their projects and programmes. You will also support the Framework Contract Management team in delivering best practice, provide technical and operational guidance and ensuring effective governance and framework management, quickly developing excellent relationships internally and externally.

Key tasks / tasks / principle accountabilities.

• Work across the whole Framework, providing support for the Farm Advice Framework Manager.
• Provide technical and operational support and training to the wider Framework Delivery team (Senior Contract Managers, Contract Managers and Claims Team).
• Act as the main contact with the CSF national team on the development and management of advice specifications/reports/guidance.
• Work with the Framework Delivery team and the external Suppliers to support the delivery of the mini contracts ensuring that the training/advice is delivered to the contracted quality, timescales and volumes whilst encouraging innovation & continuous improvement.
• Ensure the Framework documentation is up to date and meets current legislation/guidance, updating and developing new guidance when required.

Finance and reporting

• Provide functional management of the Claims team including large claim authorisation.
• Provide an oversight of Framework claim processing, providing guidance and support and be able to handle data responsibly and understand delegations, governance and follow policies and procedures.
• Have oversight of budgets for tendered work, providing updates as requested to the Framework Manager, Finance team, Defra, CSF Programme team and RPA.
• Oversee the programme of National Audit Office (NAO) audits and inspections in relation to Framework contracts, acting accordingly on the outcomes of these.

Project planning and delivery

• Oversee the project plan (pipeline) for delivery and work with the Framework Delivery Team to ensure progress against delivery requirements.
• Work with contract commissioners to understand their advice requirements in support of their programmes and schemes.
• Work with the Framework Manager, GFF Programme and Area Teams to advocate the use of the Framework and horizon scan for future work and new opportunities.
• Support and work with NE and Defra Group Commercial (DGC) to ensure the timely procurement of mini contracts.

Skills and knowledge

• Knowledge and experience of budget and contract/project management including finance and procurement (Essential)
• Knowledge and experience of contract and contractor/supplier management tools and techniques including risk management and benefits realisation (Essential)
• Possess excellent communication skills. An ability to analyse and present findings succinctly is required, so written and verbal skills are important. On occasions you may have to provide outputs quickly and robustly to defend NE positions. (Essential)
• Be able to address the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses (Essential)
• Knowledge of Agri-environment Schemes, Catchment Sensitive Farming and the agricultural/land management sectors would be useful but not essential (Desirable)
• Good IT skills including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint and SOP. (Desirable)

How to Apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview.

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment

We’ll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:

• Technical Skills
• Personal Effectiveness
• Work Delivery
• Leading and Managing people

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your doing so.