Head of Contracts

Salisbury; Salisbury; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS Pension Scheme

Annual leave entitlements (Agenda for

Job summary

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust in Salisbury invites applications for Head of Contracts. The role leads the contracting function, negotiating and managing NHS contracts, ensuring compliance, forecasting income, and mitigating financial risk.

You will influence strategy with ICS/BSW partners and guide a Contracts Team toward continuous improvement. Applicants should be a qualified accountant with NHS contracting experience, strong negotiation skills and the ability to engage at senior levels.

Qualifications

• Role requires NHS contracting or income experience, strong analytical and negotiation skills.
• Ability to influence at senior levels within a healthcare system.
• Experience leading contract negotiations and risk management in NHS settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and delivery of the contracting strategy aligned with priorities.
• Oversee governance, performance and reporting of NHS contracts.
• Provide expert advice on contractual and financial risks and opportunities.
• Lead complex negotiations with commissioners and system partners.
• Support implementation of national payment mechanisms and reforms.
• Develop collaborative relationships with ICS/BSW partners and internal teams.
• Direct the Contracts Team and foster continuous improvement.

Skills

Qualified Accountant

Knowledge of NHS Contracting

Experience working in NHS Contracting

Job description

Site Salisbury District Hospital Town Salisbury Salary £79,504 - £91,609 per annum pro rata if part time Salary period Yearly Closing 01/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and strategic leader to join our Finance team as Head of Contracts.

This pivotal role will lead the Trust's contracting function, ensuring effective negotiation, management and performance of commissioning and provider contracts. Working closely with senior finance, operational and system leaders, you will maximise income, manage contractual and financial risk, and ensure compliance with national contracting frameworks and NHS Standard Contract requirements.

You will play a key role in supporting the Trust's financial sustainability, leading complex negotiations with commissioners, advising on national payment mechanisms and developing strong partnerships across the Integrated Care System (ICS) and BSW Group. The role offers an excellent opportunity to influence organisational strategy, support service transformation and drive continuous improvement within a high-performing team

Main duties of the job

As Head of Contracts, you will lead the development and delivery of the Trust's contracting strategy, ensuring contracts support organisational priorities, activity plans and financial objectives.

You will:

• Lead complex contract negotiations with commissioners and system partners.
• Oversee the management, performance and governance of NHS contracts.
• Ensure robust income forecasting, reconciliation and income recovery processes.
• Provide expert advice on contractual, commercial and financial risks and opportunities.
• Lead contract performance reporting and assurance processes.
• Support the implementation of national payment mechanisms and contracting reforms.
• Develop strong collaborative relationships across the Trust, BSW Group and IC­S partners.
• Lead, motivate and develop the Contracts Team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

We are looking for an experienced NHS contracting, commissioning or healthcare finance professional with excellent analytical, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, and the ability to influence at senior levels.

This role may require travel across sites and partner organisations and is subject to rotational opportunities.

Working for our organisation

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) is part of the Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Hospitals Group, alongside Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. Together, we are committed to delivering outstanding, sustainable healthcare through collaboration, innovation and excellent patient care.With a history spanning more than 250 years, SFT combines a proud heritage with a forward-looking approach to healthcare. We employ more than 4,000 staff, provide around 470 beds and deliver acute, specialist and regional services across Wiltshire and beyond.
Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace where colleagues feel valued, developed and empowered to reach their potential. Flexible working helps colleagues balance work and personal commitments while meeting the needs of patients.We offer NHS benefits including the NHS Pension Scheme, generous annual leave, staff discounts and onsite facilities.
Salisbury offers an exceptional quality of life, combining a historic city with beautiful countryside, access to the south coast and excellent transport links. Find out more at Experience Salisbury.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please find attached to the vacancy a detailed person specification and job description for further information about this role.

This role may require travel across sites and partner organisations and is subject to rotational opportunities.

Qualifications

• Qualified Accountant
• Knowledge of NHS Contracting
• Experience working in NHS Contracting or Income

Accounting Experience

• Understanding of Income within the NHS
• Experience reporting Income within the NHS

These include but aren't limited to:-

• Holiday starting at 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years for Agenda for Change staff
• Holiday entitlement for Medical and Dental staff starts at 27 days for Junior/Senior Clinical Fellows, Specialty Doctors and rises to 32 days after 5 years. Consultant entitlement starts at 32 days and rises to 34 days after 7 year.
• Access to a career average revalued earnings pension scheme
• Life assurance if a member of the pension scheme
• An extensive Health and Wellbeing offer to help you deal with life's challenges
• Exclusive deals and discounts websites saving you money on everyday purchases, treats for the family, eating out and utility bills for home
• Cycle to work scheme
• Uniform provided (where required)
• 40% bus discount exclusive to SFT employees (period tickets only)
• On site Day Nursery and Holiday Play scheme
• On site health and fitness club
• On site car parking (fees and restrictions apply)
• Opportunities to get on - take advantage of our ongoing learning opportunities and training, to help you achieve the job and career you want.

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa eg those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying

We continue to encourage and support our staff to participate in the seasonal respiratory vaccination programme in order to protect themselves, colleagues and their patients.

We offer parking on site at Salisbury District Hospital, a daily charge applies. We encourage our staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible, and our Trust is well connected through the bus services to the city centre and other areas.

We are committed to making Salisbury an inclusive and welcoming place for every single staff member, regardless of who they are and where they come from. Equality sits at the heart of everything we do, and we ensure that all employees have equal opportunity to develop, to apply for promotions and to work flexibly.

The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for staff to ensure this happens. We also closely monitor recruitment activity, training, development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, martial status and age.

If this job requires you to have DBS check to enable you to properly fulfil the requirements of the job, on appointment, you will be required to replay the cost of obtaining a DBS check and this amount will be reclaimed in instalments from your salary. Many staff use the DBS update service at a cost of £16 per annum but you need to sign up for this via their website.

Please read the job description and person specification carefully and ensure that your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience required.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Sarah Wisher-Davies Job title Associate Director - Income and Contracts Email address [e-mail]