Job summary
The Contract Manager position within the ICB is a crucial role responsible for contract management, support and advice across a significant portfolio of Mental Health and Children's contracts throughout the healthcare contracting cycle. The Contract Manager role provides the foundation of high-quality contract support within a fast-paced contract team primarily aligned to healthcare commissioning.
The post holder will support the team with the negotiation and management of the ICB's contract portfolio of commissioned services including high value in system, non-NHS and voluntary sector contracts, having responsibility for developing effective, flexible, and innovative solutions for the management of the contract portfolio. The role would be particularly suitable for applicants with experience of the negotiation and performance management of services commissioned via an NHS Standard Contract and use of commercial agreements where necessary. An understanding and awareness of the commissioning cycle and the Provider Selection Regime will be a key requirement, as well as knowledge of the NHS Payment Scheme including all payment mechanisms within it would be highly desirable.
The role involves collaborative working across Trusts and between Trusts, neighbouring ICBs and the NHSE Regional team.
Main duties of the job
Adept at operating within a changing environment, the role will incorporate managing a sub-portfolio of contracts across a range of services within Mental Health, Children and Young People and support for the wider portfolio of contracts led by the Senior and Lead Contract Managers. Supporting portfolios to forward plan the recommissioning cycle including internal governance to adhere to the Provider Selection Regime when modifying existing and awarding new contracts will be key priorities. Responsible for meeting all statutory, regulatory and NHS contractual and procurement requirements, and ensuring alignment and delivery of Commissioning Organisations' requirements.
Also; providing high quality support for the Team to facilitate delivery of its objectives, including some basic business administration tasks such as maintenance of trackers, meeting administration etc. Manage the Team's business support function, including developing and managing the team's business plan, progress and reporting risk and issue management. Preparing concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required.
Developing contracts for providers using the national standard contract as a template but ensuring appropriate local tailoring to match system requirements. Responsible for integrating multi-disciplinary involvement in developing and agreeing contracts, handling negotiations as required to deliver signed contracts.
About us
NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board was formed on 1 July 2022 under the Health and Care Act 2022, replacing NHS Frimley Clinical Commissioning Group.
The ICB is the new statutory NHS organisation responsible for planning and delivering health and care services. It will work collaboratively with partner organisations including the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, people and communities across theFrimley Health and Care Integrated Care System (ICS).
We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all. We believe that the best employers are those that reflect the communities they serve. We want to increase the diversity of our NHS leadership and particularly encourage applications from women, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBT communities, younger candidates and from people with lived experience of disability, who we know are all under-represented in these important roles.
We are committed to delivering a trustworthy, flexible and responsible staff culture.
Benefits include:
- Fringe HCAS payment
- NHS Pension Scheme
- Agile Working; currently 1 day a fortnight office based.
Supportive team, flexible working arrangements and access to NHS leadership development and training opportunities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will ideally possess existing knowledge of commissioning, procurement, contracting and performance management within the NHS or Local Authority, including use of the NHS Standard Contract in order to make a strong start in a challenging role. Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Payment Scheme including payment mechanisms within it would also be beneficial but an understanding of the public sector is essential. The candidate must be confident to handle difficult conversations successfully including holding suppliers to account for performance and contractual delivery whilst maintaining a productive working relationship. They also must be numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills. An ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources is also key. The candidate will also be able to demonstrate capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.
The candidate should also demonstrate the ability to manage and motivate teams with a commitment to equality of opportunity, and support us continue with building a collaborative and accountable working environment that our team can thrive in.
The ideal candidate should be committed to personal and professional development, act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for NHS Managers and adhere to relevant legislation and organisational policies. Overall, we are seeking a candidate who is dedicated, experienced, and capable of contributing to the operational success of our organisation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will ideally possess existing knowledge of commissioning, procurement, contracting and performance management within the NHS or Local Authority, including use of the NHS Standard Contract in order to make a strong start in a challenging role. Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Payment Scheme including payment mechanisms within it would also be beneficial but an understanding of the public sector is essential. The candidate must be confident to handle difficult conversations successfully including holding suppliers to account for performance and contractual delivery whilst maintaining a productive working relationship. They also must be numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills. An ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources is also key. The candidate will also be able to demonstrate capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.
The candidate should also demonstrate the ability to manage and motivate teams with a commitment to equality of opportunity, and support us continue with building a collaborative and accountable working environment that our team can thrive in.
The ideal candidate should be committed to personal and professional development, act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for NHS Managers and adhere to relevant legislation and organisational policies. Overall, we are seeking a candidate who is dedicated, experienced, and capable of contributing to the operational success of our organisation.
Person Specification
Knowledge, Training and Experience
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
- Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment.
- Evidence of continued professional development.
- Demonstrated experience of co-ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments.
- Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes.
- Understanding of the public sector.
Desirable
- Demonstrated experience in a Healthcare environment.
- Comprehensive knowledge of project principles, techniques and tools, such as Prince 2 Foundation and Microsoft Project.
- Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Payment Scheme including payment mechanisms within it.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required.
- Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.
- Confident to handle difficult conversations successfully including holding suppliers to account for performance and contractual delivery.
Analytical
Essential
- Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
- Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
- Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills.
- Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
- Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement.
Planning Skills
Essential
- Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
- Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
Autonomy
Essential
- Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.
- Must be confident assimilating and/or navigating large volumes of supplementary resources including the Provider Selection Regime, Patient Choice and the NHS Standard Contract guidance.
Equality and Diversity
Essential
- The promotion of equality of opportunity and good working relations (providing practical leadership)
Person Specification
Knowledge, Training and Experience
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
- Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment.
- Evidence of continued professional development.
- Demonstrated experience of co-ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments.
- Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes.
- Understanding of the public sector.
Desirable
- Demonstrated experience in a Healthcare environment.
- Comprehensive knowledge of project principles, techniques and tools, such as Prince 2 Foundation and Microsoft Project.
- Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Payment Scheme including payment mechanisms within it.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required.
- Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.
- Confident to handle difficult conversations successfully including holding suppliers to account for performance and contractual delivery.
Analytical
Essential
- Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
- Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making.
- Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills.
- Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
- Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement.
Planning Skills
Essential
- Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.
- Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures.
Autonomy
Essential
- Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.
- Must be confident assimilating and/or navigating large volumes of supplementary resources including the Provider Selection Regime, Patient Choice and the NHS Standard Contract guidance.
Equality and Diversity
Essential
- The promotion of equality of opportunity and good working relations (providing practical leadership)
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.