Job responsibilities
The Procurement and Contract Management Service (PCMS) are
responsible for ensuring that all procurement and contract management
activities (commercial arrangements) provide the very best value for money for
the council. We provide professional advice, guidance and insight regarding
markets, suppliers, and contractual options to help support service delivery
and improvement.
The council spends approximately £650m pa across a wide
portfolio of services.
The post will work as part of a professional team to support
the delivery of value for money across the council; operating within the
framework of the councils procurement strategy, ensuring compliance with
procedures and processes.
The postholder will be part of a centre of expertise for the
contract management, ensuring at all times that there is proper compliance with
the overall Category Sourcing Strategy, the Councils Procurement and Contract
Management Strategy, Procurement and Contract Procedure
Rules, Financial Regulations, and UK Legislation on public procurement and
contract management.
The postholder will have a key role in working with
suppliers and service areas. A key part
of the role is the ability to analyse, interpret and report on performance
information and be proactive in finding solutions / resolutions.
Job Purpose: The core focus of this job is to support a
specific category for all contract management activity. This will include
supporting the delivery of the contract management actions and targets from
within the category sourcing plan for the category area, ensuring they are
delivered on time and within budget.
Operational Management:
Be responsible for the delivery of medium-high value/ risk
contract support activities to the required cost, time and quality.
Ensure that contract activities are delivered to relevant
Council standards and within the governance framework.
Be responsible for maintaining accurate and up to date
information on progress of contract activities allocated, on the appropriate
systems (for example, Forward Procurement Plan and publishing of Contract
Awards/ modifications).
Utilise the tiered approach (Bronze, Silver, Gold) to
contract management activity.
Support the contract management training programme to
ensure skills and capabilities are embedded across the council.
Responsible for ensuring contracts allocated, deliver the
expected goods, services and works including activities such as; contract
variations, risk management, leading day to day interactions with suppliers and
managing KPIs, performance data, contract award and administration.
Have strong commercial awareness and use appropriate
challenge to deliver value for money.
Coordinate and Chair regular contract meetings including
preparing agendas, document packs, taking notes of meetings and ensuring
actions are followed up, including monitoring spend, performance and delivery
and completed.
Identify and manage risks/issues, escalating to line
manager as appropriate.
Support the Service in execution of category management
and ongoing contract management activity.
The role will assist with the development of proposals for
the future contract management action plan and activity across the council. The
post will need to use problem solving techniques and innovative thinking to
propose solutions and challenge results.
The postholder will have a contributory role in helping to
support the contract management of contracts currently worth up to £10m per
annum or where the risk is deemed medium-high.
The post holder will be expected to undertake any duties
which may reasonably fall within the level of responsibility and the competence
of the post as directed by the Line Manager or Head of Procurement and Contract
Management.
Undertake price and process benchmarking and reporting.
Deal with supplier performance issues (cost, quality,
delivery etc.) and risks as they arise, escalating as appropriate.
Monitor and report on supplier performance and report into
category performance indicators and provide statistical returns as required.
Ensure the use of standard formal documentation and
procedures in relation to the contract management activity undertaken for the
category.
Identify improvements and efficiencies in contract management
governance and policies.
Contribute to the achievement of targets agreed with the
Contract Manager or Senior Commercial Manager as appropriate.
Resource management:
Support specific category related services for the
day-to-day management of all category contracts to aid delivery of the service.
Support the line manager in delivering high standards of
performance against agreed indicators.
Provide relevant information to contract managers/
officers. Provide a detailed explanation
of the information to help them in their understanding of financial matters
affecting suppliers and implement measures to support contract delivery.
Ensure operational contract managers are provided with
accurate and timely information on commercial expenditure in their areas of
activity, identifying any irregularities or inconsistencies in the data. Where appropriate make recommendations to
rectify.
Provide accurate statistical returns as required in a
nominated category of spend.
Effectively contribute to the overall work programme of
the Service.
Partnerships:
Contribute to lessons learnt through contract management
to ensure specification development provides future service improvements.
Work with the Councils supply chain to achieve required
outcomes.
Work with colleagues across the Council to ensure
effective contract management, including legal, and finance.
Work with colleagues in directorates and specific category
related services to ensure that new external arrangements will meet their needs
and to understand the pipeline of work.
Seek best practice from colleagues and other Local
Authorities and wider public sector.
Contribute to the delivery of contract management
activities at a regional level, where required for example, coordinating the
Regional Adoption Agency contract management and Strategic Procurement Group.
Contribute to commercial opportunities and collaboration
around procurement delivery.
Communications:
Ensuring the most appropriate form of communication is
used to achieve timely responses and not over relying on email.
Ensure the required customer service standards are
understood and exceeded where possible.
Deal professionally with all enquiries via e-mail,
telephone or in person.
Undertake personal interaction with the public, officers
in a positive way which creates a good impression of the Service and the
Council.
Communicate with customers around the performance of the
service and act on any feedback received, demonstrating any action taken as a
result.
Build strong working relationships with principal
stakeholders such as service area managers demonstrating awareness and
sensitivity to the needs of key stakeholders.
Manage conflict situations effectively and pro-actively
seek to be creative in developing solutions to deliver win-win.
Systems and information:
Use systems and information as appropriate to quality
assure the work of suppliers.
Effectively evidence oversight of critical decisions and
practice.
Ensure service information is available to service users,
their families and the general public as appropriate.
Use procurement-specific systems and processes (for
example, Public Contract Regulations 2015) in the management of suppliers.
