Senior Contracts Manager

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is looking for a Senior Contracts Manager to oversee and improve contracts management processes. The role involves strategic development of contracting strategies, negotiation with clinical commissioners, and ensuring compliance with national guidelines. Ideal candidates will have comprehensive experience in acute contract management, exceptional financial oversight skills, and a Master's level education.

Qualifications

• Educated to Master's Level with demonstrable experience.
• Five years' experience in acute contracts management.
• Extensive professional knowledge in various relevant disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a Trust Contracting Strategy.
• Negotiate the Trust's legal contracts with clinical commissioners.
• Manage and coordinate communication over policies and performance targets.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Financial management

Performance management

Data management

High level IT skills

Education

Masters Level education

ECDL Qualified or equivalent

Job description

Go back King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Contracts Manager

The closing date is 24 June 2025

The Trust's Contracting Function is embedded within a very well-led Finance Department that offers fantastic opportunities for training and career growth. The team provides a highly effective and responsive contracts management service to the Trust, ensuring Trust compliance with contractual requirements, identifying and mitigating contractual risks (to minimise Trust's exposure), whilst delivering its operations in line with Trust's values and objectives.

Day-to-day team function involves developing, negotiating and agreeing NHS patient-treatment contracts on behalf of the Trust, providing ongoing contract management by proactively monitoring and managing contract performance to ensure maximum income recovery (on income generating contracts) and value for money (on expenditure contracts).

To bring a high level of expertise to the management of the Trust's contracting process and act as the main interface with Commissioners. To ensure that the Trust's Executive is made aware of developments with regard to national and local commissioning. To ensure Trust compliance with all contractual obligations and to interpret, advise and implement national guidance in respect of the National Tariff. To manage complex and challenging discussions with Trust clinicians with regard to a range of contractual requirements, such as the implementation of clinical Service Specifications.

Main duties of the job

Develop and implement a Trust Contracting Strategy in conjunction with the Head of Contracts and colleagues across the Trust.

Responsible for the negotiation of the Trust's legal Contracts with clinical commissioners.

Be the Trust's expert on commissioned Services, The National Tariff and the NHS Operating Framework ensuring that key staff are fully briefed, and implement, where required, changes mandated by national guidance.

Interpret and implement national and local Commissioning policies and business intentions.

Responsible for the production of Contract proposals and that subsequent sign off with commissioners is in line with national timetables, ensuring that funded activity levels are robust and enable the Trust to meet national Access targets.

Ensure timely production and distribution of monthly contract monitoring reports to Commissioners and, working with Operational leads, to respond to issues from commissioners on contract performance.

Develop contract workshops for key Trust user groups to improve the levels of understanding, increase transparency and improve engagement of NHS Contracts.

Manage and co-ordinate communication over policies and performance targets between commissioners and Trust clinical services, including understanding the clinical implications of managing particular services and making judgements about when activity management is appropriate.

About us

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD;Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• To develop and implement a Trust Contracting Strategy.
• To be responsible for the negotiation of the Trusts legal Contracts with clinical commissioners.
• To deputise for the Head of Contracts as required.
• To be the Trusts expert on commissioned Services, The National Tariff and the NHS Operating Framework ensuring that key staff are fully briefed and implement, where required, changes mandated by national guidance.
• To interpret and implement national and local Commissioning policies and business intentions.
• To manage day-to-day relationships with commissioners and ensure responses to any activity or performance issues raised are both timely and coordinated.
• To ensure that the production of Contract proposals and subsequent sign off with commissioners is in line with national timetables. To ensure that funded activity levels are robust and enable the Trust to meet national access targets.
• To ensure timely production and distribution of monthly contract monitoring reports to Commissioners and, working with Operational leads, to respond to issues from commissioners on contract performance. To develop contract workshops for key Trust user groups.
• To manage and co-ordinate communication over policies and performance targets between commissioners and Trust clinical services. To understand the clinical implications of managing particular services and to judge when activity management is appropriate.
• To manage the implementation of the continued roll out of The National Tariff and to advise the Finance Director and Assistant Director of Performance & Contracts on issues relating to The National Tariff that could impact upon Trust income and performance.
• To support QIPP initiatives and engage commissioners and Trust clinical and service leads to help deliver service improvements to quality and innovation of delivery whilst delivering better value for money for commissioners.
• To lead on shared care contract arrangements relating to specialised services and management with other NHS or Private Sector providers.

External Communication

• To manage the day-to-day relationships and communication with a range of Commissioners and Providers, and initiate formal review meetings to ensure that all contractual issues are raised and resolved promptly and effectively.
• To manage the provision of complex information to commissioners relating to contract activity performance.
• To assess and action commissioner requests on information and contract performance and manage the process of responding in a timely manner.
• To maintain links and close communication with other London Teaching hospitals and act as the main interface for the Trust on issues that are common to all Trusts such as the implementation of The National Tariff.

Internal communication

• To manage and coordinate communication with clinical services in respect of any implications of NHS guidance and the Operating Framework. To be the Trusts strategic lead on developing robust contract monitoring tools for the NHSE contract.
• To manage and coordinate communication with clinical services in relation to requests for information on Trust services and the treatment of individuals. To prioritise information requests and ensure that responses are set to an appropriate timescale.
• To ensure that Managers are implementing the Trusts Contracting Strategy and are kept up to date with the Trusts contracting and funding processes including an understanding of the implications of commissioning and resource constraints on the management of clinical activity. To be responsible for ensuring that regular contract workshops are held with key clinical servicel users.
• To be responsible for developing specifications for data reporting to be provided by the Contract Information team and the modification of specifications in the light of discussions with commissioners.
• To manage the production of internal and external reports to agreed deadlines and quality standards.

Policy Development and Interpretation

• To interpret and implement DH guidance on The National Tariff in order that Trust income is maximised.
• To interpret and implement a Trust Contracting Strategy in light of national guidance and local agreements with Commissioners.
• To keep abreast of National Service Frameworks and identify any associated risk/gain to the Trusts income.
• To ensure that the Trusts contract income is maximised by comprehensive negotiation with commissioners.
• To ensure that all possible opportunities to recover income are identified and invoiced for.
• To ensure that contract over performance income is received by the Trust.

Please refer to the job description for further details.

Person Specification

Education

• Educated to Masters Level or equivalent with demonstrable experience of working at that level
• Committed to Continuing Professional Development
• ECDL Qualified or equivalent

Experience

• Experience of data management including analysing complex information and production of reports
• Educated to Masters Level or equivalent with demonstrable experience of working at that level
• A minimum of five years' experience in acute contracts management
• Extensive in-depth professional knowledge in a number of disciplines e.g. contract negotiation, financial management, performance management, information systems, acute operational management. Staff management acquired through training and experience over an extended period
• Extensive knowledge and in depth understanding of the management and delivery of healthcare services in an acute setting

Skills

• Detailed knowledge of the commissioning regime; knowledge of the structure of the national tariff, and also the effects of policies such as QIPP, CQUINS and emergency readmissions on divisional income
• High level financial management skills, ability to work proactively to identify and appropriately mitigate emerging financial risks in a complex and rapidly changing environment
• High level IT skill on the usage of systems including financial ledgers systems, budget setting, costing, payroll etc.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

£70,387 to £80,465 a yearper annum, inc HCAS