Contract Manager

Cambridgeshire County Council; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing package

Annual leave options

Flexible bank holidays

Additional Voluntary Contributions (AV

Professional development opportunities

Paid volunteering hours

IDEAL staff network and peer support

Employee Recognition Awards

Cambs Rewards discounts, car lease &cy

Job summary

Cambridgeshire County Council is seeking a Contracts and Quality Manager to oversee a portfolio of high-volume, lower-complexity contracts and ensure services deliver positive outcomes for adults across Cambridgeshire.

You will monitor performance, manage risk and support compliance, building strong relationships with care providers, colleagues and partners to maintain service quality and value for money. Travel to council sites may be required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day contract management processes in line with procedures, policies and legislation.
• Build positive relationships with providers, addressing concerns promptly.
• Monitor contract performance, compliance and service quality; drive improvements.
• Identify and manage service delivery risks, escalating issues as needed and ensuring continuity of support.
• Support transitions between services, managing risks to individuals and finances.
• Use performance and financial data to identify trends and inform decisions for value for money.
• Engage with local authorities and organisations to share knowledge and foster collaboration.
• Present contract management information and insights to management to support decisions.
• Share learning and best practices to improve contract management and service delivery.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion and support safeguarding adults across Cambridgeshire.

Job description

We are looking for a Contracts and Quality Manager to oversee a portfolio of high-volume, lower-complexity contracts and help ensure that services deliver positive outcomes for adults across Cambridgeshire. You will work closely with care providers, colleagues and partners to monitor contract performance, manage risk, support compliance and resolve issues promptly. Through constructive provider relationships and effective contract management, you will help maintain service quality, continuity and value for money. This is an opportunity to contribute to the continuous improvement of our contract management arrangements, using performance information and insight to identify opportunities, challenge existing approaches and support better and more consistent outcomes. You will also help strengthen knowledge and capability across the service by sharing learning and supporting the development of effective contract management practice.

• Manage day-to-day contract management processes in line with agreed procedures, Council policies and relevant legislation.
• Build positive and productive relationships with providers, encouraging open communication and addressing concerns promptly.
• Monitor contract performance, compliance and service quality, identifying areas for improvement and supporting the implementation of appropriate actions.
• Identify and manage service delivery risks, escalating concerns when required and working with colleagues and providers to maintain continuity of support.
• Support transitions between services, ensuring that risks to individuals and financial implications are managed effectively.
• Use performance and financial information to identify trends, inform contract decisions and support value for money.
• Develop relationships with other local authorities and organisations across the voluntary and independent sectors, including through provider forums and networking opportunities.
• Present contract management information, risks and insights to support management decision-making.
• Share knowledge, learning and good practice, contributing to the continuous improvement of contract management processes and service delivery.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion, contribute to the Council's Net Zero ambitions, and demonstrate a clear commitment to safeguarding adults, Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.

You will bring experience of contract management, compliance, risk assessment and performance monitoring, together with the ability to build effective relationships with providers, partners, colleagues and other stakeholders. You will be confident analysing information, identifying risks and improvement opportunities, and presenting clear insights and recommendations to managers.

You will understand the importance of value for money, financial sustainability, provider resilience and effective supplier relationship management. You will be organised, able to manage competing priorities and deadlines, and comfortable working in a busy environment where continuous improvement is expected. You will take a collaborative and transparent approach, support shared learning and accountability, and demonstrate an understanding of equality, diversity, inclusion and safe working practices. You will also need to be confident using Microsoft Office applications and able to travel to Council offices, care provider sites and other venues across Cambridgeshire when required.

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes