Head of Contracts

NHS Jobs; Coalville; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Jobs is seeking an experienced contracts professional with strong technical knowledge to lead a team and build relationships with senior stakeholders. The role requires postgraduate qualification or equivalent contracting experience, plus extensive ability in drafting, negotiating, and managing complex contracts.

Ideal candidates will demonstrate leadership and line management experience, plus a track record of working across NHS, independent-sector or other commercial environments.

Qualifications

• Educated to Master's level or equivalent relevant experience, with a postgraduate qualification or significant experience in contracting.
• Extensive experience in technical contract management, including drafting, negotiating, interpreting and managing complex contracts.
• Experience preparing contracts, business papers and reports for senior management.
• Experience working across multiple organisations or business entities, including NHS, independent-sector or other commercial environments.
• Leadership and line management experience.

Skills

Organisational skills

Negotiation

Problem solving

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Line management

Education

Master's degree

Postgraduate qualification

Contract management qualification

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Person Specification

We are looking for an experienced contracts professional with strong technical knowledge, excellent negotiation skills and the ability to lead a team and build effective relationships with senior stakeholders.

Essential qualifications and experience

Educated to Master's level or equivalent relevant experience, with a postgraduate qualification or significant experience in contracting. Extensive experience in technical contract management, including drafting, negotiating, interpreting and managing complex contracts. Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, building relationships across organisations and communicating complex contractual matters effectively. Experience preparing contracts, business papers and reports for senior management. Experience working across multiple organisations or business entities, including NHS, independent-sector or other commercial environments. Leadership and line management experience.

Essential skills and abilities

Strong organisational, negotiation and problem-solving skills. Ability to work independently, set priorities and deliver objectives to deadlines. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to manage sensitive or contentious discussions and secure agreement through effective negotiation. Ability to review contractual and legal documentation and advise senior managers on potential concerns. Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Understanding of financial information and its relationship to contractual arrangements and negotiations.

Desirable criteria

Senior-level NHS experience, ideally covering both primary and secondary care contracting or commissioning. Experience in procurement, tendering and project management. A relevant contract management qualification, CIPS qualification or equivalent professional experience.