Contract Management Lead - Procurement Team

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued February 2025 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Contract Management Lead ▪ Post Number: TBC ▪ Grade and SCP: Band 14 (SCP 44 - SCP 48) ▪ Directorate: Commissioning Where your role fits at Shropshire Council As Shropshire Council we are rightly proud of our achievements and we have proven to be a resilient local authority in our response to the many challenges we overcome, particularly over recent years. We will be continuing this momentum with ambition and a focus on delivering our four key priorities outlined within the Shropshire Plan: Healthy People, Healthy Environment, Health Economy and Healthy Organisation. We are committed to achieving this by aligning everything we do to our vision 'Shropshire - living the best life'; to tell everyone that Shropshire Council is a great place to be. We will enable a skilled, happy, healthy, diverse, inclusive, empowered, and proud workforce that influences and leads change, addressing any inequalities. As a member of the Procurement and Contract Management Team within Commissioning Development and Procurement, you will support the achievement of these key priorities, making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire. Overview of your role To provide a strategic business partnering approach to lead the development of commercial contract management best practice across the Council in order to drive commercial outcomes for non-pay spend. To be accountable for the ownership and management of the full repository of agreed contracts in the council's contract management framework. The Contract Management Lead will be responsible and accountable for ensuring that key supplier relationships are developed and maintained across the full range of categories and/or contracts. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? You will be: Reporting to the Procurement and Contract Management Service Lead who is in turn responsible for your health and safety, training and development. ▪ Responsible and accountable for three FTE members of staff, acting in a supervisory/managerial capacity, monitoring performance, supporting development and undertaking annual appraisals. ▪ Expected to lead and/or contribute to a range of projects and build relations with both internal and external partners in order achieve specified outcomes but will not have direct authority over those involved. ▪ Responsible for preparing responses in line with Shropshire Council's corporate processes and national/regulatory/statutory processes (e.g. complaints, MP enquiries, Information Governance requests, customer enquiries, media enquiries, HR staff investigations etc..). These responses should be in line with the quality and timescale expectations set out within Shropshire Council's published procedures and/or case allocation emails and discussions. ▪ Responsible for completing within expected timescales all mandatory corporate and role specific training. Training requirements will be detailed in your corporate induction and Personal Development Plan (PDP). Courses are accessed via the council Learning Management System via the Intranet. What will you be doing? Horizon Scanning • Lead the continuous development of the Council's contract management framework, training and tools to ensure innovative and commercial contract management of all contracts to align to best practice, minimise risk and deliver best value. • Champion the Commercial Improvement Programme and advocate for Best Value and Continuous Improvement. Leading People • Line management responsibility for the Contract Managers, Contract, Systems & Data Performance Officer and the Social Value & Business Support Officer. • Lead regional subgroups as required and liaise with other public bodies and public sector contract management organisations to ensure best practice and take advantage of any relevant opportunities for collaboration and market shaping. ▪ Embed organisation wide understanding of the Council's Contract Management Framework, Corporate Procurement Strategy, Contract Rules, Financial Regulations, and UK Legislation in relation to contract management. Managing Resources • Own the Contracts Register, develop the teams Contract Management Plan(s), and ensure they remain 'live' by very close engagement with the operational contract managers within the directorates they support. Managing Performance • Actively lead the continuous development of systems and staff training requirements to ensure effective council wide contract management is in place. • Peer review contract management activities undertaken directly by services to determine compliance and inform improvements in strategy. • To act as the Council's lead to support internal audit regime for contract management to drive compliance and continuous improvement. Managing Self • Support the Procurement and Contract Management Service Lead to create organisational excellence in commercial contract management. • Be a key player and help drive the agenda of the Strategic Procurement Board. • Manage a portfolio of selected high value, risk, complex and impact contracts across various directorates working as the Council's contract management lead in line with contract classification best practice. • Proactively collaborate with internal stakeholders, and Senior Responsible Officers, to support and influence the proactive management of risks and issues arising in complex contracts which are managed in service. • Proactively collaborate with internal stakeholders, establish best practice arrangements for the overall management and development of contracts and ongoing maintenance of strategic relationships between the Council and the Contractors and/or Sub-contractors as appropriate. • Deputise for the Procurement and Contract Management Service Lead as required including representation at senior management meetings and external third-party forums. • Work closely with the Procurement and Contract Management Service Lead and Category Managers to ensure the Procurement & Contract Management team provides a coherent service to its stakeholders. The above duties are an illustrative outline and are not an exhaustive list. You will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce. What we expect of you You will: ▪ Adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile. ▪ Act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire. ▪ Meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Personal Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council. ▪ Work with colleagues to meet your team's key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council's corporate and service objectives. ▪ Meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work. ▪ A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm. ▪ Expected to undertake all relevant training requirements specifically to the role including formal Hearing / Investigating Officer training relating to Disciplinary / Grievance policies and procedures. What are your conditions of Service The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. The post is hybrid; primarily remote, with travel as required to Guildhall Shrewsbury (which will be your mileage base). Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Permanent, for 37 hours per week. ▪ Normal office hours are 9am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday. ▪ The post is subject to the Council's annualised hours scheme as implemented within the specific work area. This post carries eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Information about this will be sent with any formal offer of appointment. Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee's allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the two days leave (pro rota) can be carried over into your next leave year but must be used by the end of March. The appointment is subject to three months' notice in writing on either side. The appointment is subject to six months' satisfactory probationary service during which time the notice period will be one week on either side. Smoking is not allowed in Council buildings, in Council vehicles or in any Council place of work. It is a condition of your appointment that you provide a suitable vehicle for the performance of your duties and that this is readily available for use during normal working hours. You are entitled to claim for reimbursement of the costs of travel on council business at the rate of 45 pence per mile. What ...