Supplier & Contract Analyst (Fixed Term Contract)

West Northamptonshire Council; Northampton; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

West Northamptonshire Council is seeking a Supplier & Contract Analyst to help maximise value from technology and digital investments. You will work in the DDaT service, supporting management of a significant portfolio of suppliers and contracts that underpin service delivery.

You’ll combine commercial awareness, data analysis and relationship management to monitor performance, manage renewals and provide insights for procurement activity across software, hardware, cloud, telephony and networks.

Qualifications

• Commercial awareness and data analysis experience in a contracts or supplier context.
• Ability to interpret financial, contractual or performance information for decision-making.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Support lifecycle management of DDaT suppliers and contracts, ensuring records are accurate and compliant.
• Monitor performance, manage renewals and procurement activity, and develop supplier scorecards.
• Analyse supplier, contract and expenditure data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Assist with procurement for lower-value contracts and maintain positive supplier relationships.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Data analysis

Relationship management

Tools

Excel

Job description

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people and the difference they make. As a Supplier & Contract Analyst, you’ll play a key role in helping us maximise the value we receive from our technology and digital investments. Working within our Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT) service, you’ll support the management of a significant portfolio of suppliers and contracts that underpin the delivery of services across the Council and its partner organisations.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys combining commercial awareness, data analysis and relationship management. You’ll work closely with contract owners, budget holders and suppliers to ensure contracts perform as expected, suppliers meet their obligations and spending remains aligned with agreed budgets and forecasts. With a varied portfolio spanning software, hardware, cloud, telephony, network and digital services, no two days will be the same.

We offer a flexible and supportive working environment, with a hybrid approach that includes a minimum of two days per week in the office, helping colleagues balance collaboration, development and wellbeing.

Our Benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

What will you be doing?

You’ll support the full lifecycle management of DDaT suppliers and contracts, ensuring records are accurate, contracts remain compliant and key milestones such as renewals, reviews and procurement activity are proactively managed. Working with contract owners and suppliers, you’ll help monitor performance, maintain supplier relationships and contribute to the development of supplier scorecards and performance measures that drive accountability and continuous improvement.

A key part of the role will involve analysing supplier, contract and expenditure data to identify trends, risks, opportunities and future requirements. You’ll compare forecasts against actual spend, review contract utilisation, monitor budgets and provide meaningful reporting that supports informed decision-making. You’ll also support procurement activity for lower-value contracts, helping to ensure compliance with procurement legislation and internal processes.

You’ll act as a key point of contact for supplier and contract-related queries, working with colleagues and suppliers to resolve issues, provide updates and maintain positive working relationships. From monitoring invoices and supporting contract renewals through to meeting directly with suppliers, your work will help ensure the Council's technology investments deliver value, performance and reliability.

About You

You’re a commercially minded and analytical professional who enjoys working with data, contracts and suppliers to deliver positive outcomes. You have experience interpreting financial, contractual or performance information and can confidently use that information to identify issues, make recommendations and support effective decision-making.

You’ll be a confident communicator with strong relationship-building, engagement and negotiation skills. Comfortable working with both internal stakeholders and external suppliers, you can balance attention to detail with a proactive and customer-focused approach. Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, are essential, together with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain high levels of accuracy.

Most importantly, you’ll be someone who enjoys improving processes, solving problems and working collaboratively as part of a supportive team. You’ll share our THRIVE values and our commitment to delivering efficient, innovative and value-driven services for the residents and communities of West Northamptonshire.

About Us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.