Soft Services Manager

For jobs located in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is one of the governments largest public service departments with a sizeable annual budget, serving over 20 million citizens.

The estate spans 1.4 million square metres across 800+ sites and supports around 78,000 colleagues.

Our vision includes DWP colleagues, supply chain, partners and, most fundamentally, the customers the Department exists to serve. They are the reason for our existence.

We are responsible for the day-to-day operation of our vast Estate by managing a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as Security Guarding, Maintenance, Property and Leasehold Management, Construction, Cleaning and Facilities Management.

DWP Estates is not just about maintaining buildings - its about transformation. Our strategic goals include:

• Transitioning to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estate to meet future needs
• Investing in infrastructure through planned replacement works
• Embedding sustainability in line with Government Greening Commitments (GGCs)
• Delivering cost-effective services while maintaining high standards
• Creating a professional, best-in-class working culture across the Government Property profession

Our Estates strategy ambitions have been refreshed to take us through to 2030:

OPTIMISE: Continue to transition to a more affordable and adaptable DWP estate that creates productive environments

INVEST: Investment in an improved environment that better meets the needs of customers and colleagues and minimises service disruption

SUPPORT the drive for sustainability throughout DWP

DELIVER: Expertly deliver improving, cost-effective services for DWP

THRIVE: Continue to develop a working culture for DWP Estates that is best in class across government

There is no better time to join the award winning DWP Estates team.

This role will represent DWP Estates as the intelligent client against agreed performance metrics and will foster a collaborative relationship to drive innovation and identify improvement opportunities.

Government Property Profession Career Framework (Link)

This role sits within the following:

• Job Family Workplace & FM
• Core Role Workplace Management
• Level Senior Practitioner

Key accountabilities

Performance and Governance

• Reporting into the Services & Supplies Supply Chain Delivery Managers, this role will support the Supply Chain Delivery Managers in the overall management of Estates Supply Chain Partners.
• As directed by the Supply Chain Delivery Managers this role will work in conjunction with internal stakeholders and external parties as listed below.
• Supporting the performance management of the applicable supplier, providing ongoing performance and risk management against the agreed contractual performance obligations and ensuring contract management is effectively discharged. Overseeing the development of corrective actions to improve performance, working closely with DWP Category Management (Commercial team) on issues that require commercial input or escalation as well as working closely with DWP Estates H&S teams to obtain operational insights.
• Responsible for supporting Service Delivery management, and governance of the applicable supplier, undertaking review of Management Information, identifying potential gaps in service and collaboratively developing corrective actions with our Total Facilities Management/ Furniture Supplier(s).
• Working with the DWP Estates Performance & Audit team to develop a performance framework to set out performance data and reporting requirements that are aligned to contractual obligations / KPIs reflecting DWPs business requirements. Support review of performance audit against contractual obligations.
• Supporting the management and coordination of the Integrator CAFM system and associated supplier systems.

Relationship management

• Effectively supporting the supplier/client relationship across the Estates stakeholders, this role will support translation of Estates business requirements into the services required and support DWP Category Management team to oversee the contractual relationship between DWP and the Supplier Partner.
• This role will work collaboratively to ensure Estates Control Framework and End 2 End processes are effectively embedded and articulated across with the Supplier Partner and monitor the Service Delivery and performance of the Supply Chain and the health of the relationships.
• Supporting to build a strategic and collaborative relationship with the Supplier Partner to foster innovation and actively identify risks, continuous improvement opportunities to improve service, efficiencies and value for money.
• Ensuring the Supplier Partner delivers outcomes that our customers need and at the requisite service quality.
• Representing Service Delivery, to manage supplier related queries and issue management. To include but not limited to Furniture Management, Furniture Co-ordinator, Pest Control, Waste Services, Window Cleaning, Grounds maintenance, and Catering. Complete service reviews and quality checks to ensure best value for money and Supplier Operational performance.

Strategy

• Working alongside the wider DWP Estates Supply Management Team, providing support in development and implementation of DWP Estates Integrator and the Supply Chain performance management framework and category strategy.
• Have detailed understanding of the relevant supplier category strategy to support implementation and development plans as agreed by the DWP Category Management team and the Estates stakeholders.

Health & Safety

• Support in channelling requests for information for personal injury claims related to the Supplier Partner to enable receipt of timely information to support development of DWPs response to personal injury claims
• Working with the DWP Estates H&S team to monitor the Supplier Partner in meeting their Health and Safety obligations and reporting when any commensurate corrective action is necessary

Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of performance management best practice and awareness of innovations and changes within the industr
• Understanding of CAFM systems
• Experience of working with facilities management and security services contracts and with a range of suppliers
• Ability to work on multiple complex projects across multiple locations, delivering projects to plans and developing reports
• Proven stakeholder management skills, confident in communicating with internal and external stakeholders at different levels of seniority, engaging and collaborating to build effective networks in order to deliver goals and objectives
• Understanding of Continuous Improvement Programme implementation with Strategic Supplier
• Awareness of Supplier and Customer Relationship Management tools and techniques
• Understanding of risk management strategies and processes and ability to build effective client and stakeholder relationship
• Ability to comprehend data and forecasts and strong commercial acumen

Desirable

• Understanding Real Estate and related Statutory, Regulatory and Professional requirements

Qualifications / Professional memberships

Desirable

• Working towards membership of a recognised supply chain management professional body, e.g. IOSCM, ASCM, CIPS