Client Contracts Officer (Highways)

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Pension scheme

Discounts (Costco)

Gym membership discounts

Arriva travel discounts

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is recruiting for a Client and Commissioning Officer in the Highways and Technical Services team. The role focuses on contract management, performance reporting and value for money to improve service delivery for Buckinghamshire residents.

You will develop and deliver investment in highways maintenance, oversee contract performance, and provide technical highways guidance to stakeholders while ensuring health and safety compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience in highways maintenance and contract management.
• Strong budget and performance management capability.
• Ability to analyse issues and implement solutions with competing demands.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder relationship skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and monitor highways maintenance and related service contracts.
• Ensure contractual arrangements remain effective and fit for purpose.
• Oversee contract performance, financial reporting, auditing and compliance.
• Support budget management, programme delivery and forward planning.
• Identify and mitigate operational and contractual risks.
• Provide technical highways advice to stakeholders and partners.
• Drive continuous improvement through performance analysis, research and consultation.
• Support the mobilisation of new contracts and development of asset management systems.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.

Skills

Highways maintenance

Contract management

Budget management

Performance management

Communication skills

Job description

Buckinghamshire Council are recruiting for a new and exciting Client and Commissioning Officer role in the Highways and Technical Services team. This is an important role in the delivery of the current highway service for Buckinghamshire Council.

The post holders will be integral in the development and delivery of contract management activities and associated contracts and frameworks, ensuring the Council maximises service outcomes in relation to value of money, quality of service to customer and performance to ensure the efficient and effective service delivery to the people and community of Buckinghamshire.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

About the role

• Manage and monitor highways maintenance and related service contracts.
• Ensure contractual arrangements remain effective and fit for purpose.
• Oversee contract performance, financial reporting, auditing and compliance.
• Support budget management, programme delivery and forward planning.
• Identify and mitigate operational and contractual risks.
• Provide technical highways advice to stakeholders and partners.
• Drive continuous improvement through performance analysis, research and consultation.
• Support the mobilisation of new contracts and development of asset management systems.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.

Any-Desk:

As an 'any-desk' worker, you'll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

To be a successful candidate, you will ideally have relevant experience in highways maintenance, contract management, finance and performance management and critically, understand value for money.

Experience of project management would be an advantage as would a wide knowledge of the service area and wider sector/external influences.

You should have experience of commissioning technical work as an informed client, with budget and performance management experience, with an ability to quickly analyse issues and identify and implement solutions, taking account of conflicting demands will also be advantageous.

You will need to be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills and have the proven ability to work with sensitive and contentious issues. You will also have the ability to build relationships and successfully work in team environments.

You must be able to show a clear understanding of when and what operational decisions can be undertaken with delegated authority and which require senior management and political awareness and it will be an advantage to have previous experience of working in a political environment.

For full details please see the attached job summary.

Other information

Number of positions available: 1

For an informal chat about this role in more detail, please contact Ryan Curtis on 01296 506247. [emailprotected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are - Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we're working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it's important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day.

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment.

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That's why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.