Commissioning and Contracts Support Officer

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Commissioning and Contracts Support Officer for a hybrid role in Ipswich. The successful candidate will provide essential administrative support and help manage key contracts within a fast-paced team. This position offers flexibility, opportunities for professional growth, and a commitment to community improvement.

Benefits

29 days annual leave (pro rata)

Local Government Pension Scheme membership

Travel and wellness benefits

Performance-related pay progression

Training and development opportunities

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience supporting business operations within Adult Social Care.
• Good IT skills, including Excel and LAS.
• Ability to develop systems and support team operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for co-production of service vision and strategy.
• Conduct market research for service needs.
• Manage contract management processes in accordance with guidelines.

Skills

IT skills

Research skills

Problem-solving

System development

Communication

Education

Experience in Adult Social Care or similar

Tools

Excel

Job description

• Suffolk County Council - Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX - Hybrid
• £27,711 per annum (pro rata if part time)
• 37 hours - Flexible working options available
• Post 1: Fixed Term or Secondment for up to 8 months
• Post 2: Fixed term or Secondment for up to 9 months

As a modern, flexible and effective organisation, we're driven to make a positive difference to the environment, the communities we serve and the careers of our people. That's why, when you join us as a Commissioning and Contracts Support Officer, you'll be encouraged to share your fresh thinking and empowered to explore new ideas that will shape and improve our services as well as your career.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to ensure effective co-production of service vision, strategy, and delivery plans through engagement with social work teams, commissioning partners, service users, suppliers, and delivery partners.
• Work to support with undertaking market research using a range of different approaches.
• Be actively involved in setting up and supporting the management of contract management processes, in accordance with Suffolk County Council Contract Management guidelines.
• Support the establishment of administrative systems for effective reporting on contractors' experience based on the contract risk profile, scope, and importance.

You will need

• Experience and skills in supporting the business of Adult Social Care or a similar organisation.
• Good IT skills across a range of programmes/ systems such as Excel or LAS.
• Skills to research and resolve problems.
• Skills in developing systems and providing team support.
• Knowledge of the social care business gained through previous experience, education and/or training.
• Experience of successfully communicating with service providers, social care teams and/or other professionals.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word) . If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

Commissioning and contracts teams operate in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment. These teams must remain agile - balancing strategic commissioning activities with the routine, methodical management of contracts - while also being flexible enough to respond quickly to opportunities and challenges in the local market. As part of the Care Market Hub or the Supported Housing and Day Opportunities teams within the Strategic Planning and Resources Team, you'll contribute to this dynamic work. The team is based at Endeavour House in Ipswich, working from the office twice a week and adopting a hybrid working model for the remainder of the week.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report (suffolk.gov.uk) .

For more information

Post 1: Please contact Hazel Smith (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach her by either calling 01473 260547 or emailing [e-mail] .

Post 2: Please contact Amy Rowntree (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach her by calling 01473 265103 or emailing [e-mail]

If you want to apply for a secondment, read the secondment policy first. Make sure you get permission from your current manager before submitting your application.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).

Step 2 - Click Apply Now' to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload asupporting statementanswering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template .

1. Tell me about a situation where you had to manage multiple administrative tasks with competing deadlines. How did you prioritise your workload and ensure quality wasn't compromised?
2. Tell me about a time when you identified a problem in a system or process you were supporting. How did you investigate the issue and what solution did you implement?
3. Give me an example of when you had to find a creative solution to overcome a barrier or challenge in your work. What was your approach and what was the result?
4. Describe a situation where you had to quickly learn new skills or knowledge to support your role. How did you approach this learning and apply it in practice?

Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format. If you would like an adjustment to this process due to a disability, please contact us at 03456 014412 or [e-mail]

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We ask you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing [e-mail] or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 7 July 2025.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .