Contract Management Lead

It’s an exciting time to join our Contract Management Team, as we’re strengthening our team by introducing additional roles to manage contracts and supplier relationships. Our contract management function provides commercial leadership and support to Business Contract Owners, helping them ensure supplier contract and relationship management is delivered effectively.

Our Commercial team is split into two, closely coordinated teams. Commercial Delivery manage the first stages of the commercial life cycle from end user requirements through to market tender, and contracting with our selected suppliers. The supplier performance team takes up the second part of the life cycle and manage contract implementation, in life contract management, disputes, exit and everything else in between. Both teams report into the Head of Commercial.

We are seeking Commercial Professionals with excellent enthusiasm, energy, proactivity, collaborative and adaptable skills. If this sounds like you, we’d love you to read on and find out more…

This role will contribute to delivering our commercial contract management strategy, providing a customer focused support service, understanding the business needs and stakeholder drivers with the aim of becoming a trusted central Commercial Contract Management team. You’ll support rolling out Government Contract Management standards and processes, ensuring contracts are managed proportionately according to value, complexity and risk and that supplier performance is appropriately measured and reported.

Companies House offers a flexible and welcoming culture that promotes a healthy work life balance as well as a proactive approach to wellbeing that allows us to be our best at work.

The team you will be joining are friendly, passionate, and experienced individuals who work collaboratively together to ensure they are providing an excellent service across the whole of Companies House.

At Companies House we recognise that people are the key to our success so offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working with no core hours, 30 Days Annual Leave, 8 Bank Holidays and 1 Privilege Day as well as enrollment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme with a contribution rate averaging 27%.

We are working in a Hybrid way at Companies House and this role will be aligned to our Cardiff office.

To find out more about the team visit our Commercial blog : https://companieshouse.blog.gov.uk/2023/02/21/companies-house-is-hiring-commercial-professionals/

Aligned to the Civil Service Vision, our team provides brilliant services for our internal customers based on end to end support for all commercial activity, including our organisational transformation programme. Our breadth and scale of work is expansive, and covers the full commercial cycle from engagement, needs analysis, strategy, through to tender activity, award, execution of contracts, transition support, Supplier Relationship Management and finally contract re-tendering and or exit.

We are part of the Finance & Commercial Directorate in Companies House. Our purpose is to drive business performance, and our vision is:

“Financial & Commercial excellence at the heart of Companies House, driving the agenda and decision making, not keeping score”.

We have one role available currently;

• Contract Management Lead: Corporate Services

This role will be one of our Contract Management Leads for Corporate Services (Non IT), reporting directly into the Head of Supplier Performance.

This role includes overall leadership and commercial management for the Contract Management program within assigned contracts, which may include: Facility Management, Catering, Building Maintenance, Recruitment, Learning & Development, Contact Centers, Print & Postal Services, Debt Recovery, Payment Providers.

This is one of several Contract Management Lead roles within the team. At present, this role has no direct reports, but this may change over time.

The key responsibilities will be initially where the contracts are strategic and critical (GOLD), implementing the Contract and Supplier Relationship Management process and its ongoing management working together with Contract owners within the organisation, as well as:

• Providing support, advice and guidance for Business Contract Owners and the wider organisation on contract management for your assigned contracts, role modelling our positive behaviours and values, communicating key messages and providing a voice for the commercial profession.
• Implementation of newly procured contracts, working closely with Commercial Delivery colleagues, Business Contract Owners and Project management resources as required.
• Supporting Business Contract Owners to operationally mobilise supplier agreements within the organisation, and ensure mobilisation plans are developed, deployed and managed.
• Develop & deploy Contract and Supplier relationship management plans, working closely with your Business Contract Owners
• Setup, attend and drive supplier performance monitoring through ongoing supplier performance reviews, providing ongoing assurance on the supplier relationship.
• Supporting the wider commercial team and organisation with supplier management input, before and during procurement activity including preparing for contract management / mobilization / exit / transition from the outset.
• Take a strong lead in any contractual or operational issues arising within your contracts under management, including disputes and monitor the progress of such issues until resolved.
• Identification and classification of key existing contracts within assigned areas, and developing a clear understanding of the terms and conditions and financials of contracts under management.
• Provide relevant reports to the Commercial Leadership Team and executive level on the performance of assigned suppliers, including presenting required information at regular internal review sessions, providing management information and necessary reports.
• Contribute to the Companies House Contract Management pipeline for assigned areas of spend, including providing a forward view of commercial activity so that sufficient time and resources can be allocated to ensure supplier management activities are planned and proceed.
• Monitor supplier financial performance, and other risks associated with the assigned contracts reporting critical challenges to leadership, and working to resolve such challenges.
• Drive contract Value for Money, and contract / supplier innovations to improve service quality, cost and delivery on a targeted basis.

We’re looking for somebody with:

• Proven experience of contract and supplier performance management - including commercial knowledge and experience across the full commercial sourcing cycle
• Experience and knowledge of several of the types of agreements stated within the role you have applied for
• Ability to work across teams and business units - bringing people together to achieve a common objective whilst creating an effective network and building trust.
• Proven experience of driving and supporting complex supplier contracts - building relationships with key supplier personnel and driving best value from supplier agreements
• Well developed interpersonal, presentation and communication skills - with experience of communicating to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to quickly gain the respect and buy in of stakeholders at all levels – as a collaborative and engaging leader in a highly complex, fast moving environment.
• Ability to demonstrate evidence of commitment to personal development
• Expert commercial knowledge – that you can share and that draws on relevant procurement legislation, policy, information, supply market knowledge, and commercial experience.
• Strong understanding of the principles of commercial management (e.g Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, International Association for Contract & Commercial Management, Institute of Leadership & Management).

About us

Our aim is to be the best registry in the world achieved through brilliant people working on brilliant systems delivering brilliant services. We are currently delivering an organisation wide transformation programme focussing on a complete redesign of our digital services, target operating model and culture. This change will need different skills, capabilities and mindset where adaptable, bold and curious behaviours are the norm and empowerment is encouraged and utilised.

To find out more about the great things we're doing at Companies House please have a look at our blog posts and podcasts. and watch our video to find out more

Companies House values its people, their contributions and has created a real sense of community where people seek to create strong connections. Our commitment to learning and development is exceptional, and we believe passionately in the employee experience with is prevalent through the engagement, wellbeing and development strategies which have resulted in Platinum Investors in People and MIND index awards.

We encourage professional development, celebrate success and live our values to effect real change.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. We are committed to ensuring that we are representative of the citizens that we serve. To fulfill our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive of all physical and mental disabilities and as such we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions prior to interview, to name a few. We will be happy to discuss any niche and person-centred adjustments, please contact the Recruitment team by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Apart from a competitive salary and highly competitive contributory Civil Service Pension, we also offer a benefits package including:

A generous 30 days annual leave (based on full time hours) in addition to public holidays

A range of recognition schemes including Instant Awards to thank and recognise each other's efforts and contributions

Strong ethos of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Great work life balance with flexible and mobile working

A pro-active approach to employee wellbeing that allows our employees to flourish and be their best at work

An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offering access to 24/7 confidential advice and support

Online financial support and advice

Seasonal flu jabs

Generous Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental leave provisions

A focus on career development and progression, supporting all grades with time and funding – Career Pathway options such as apprenticeships and recognised qualifications for a variety of professions are available

A very active Sports and Social Society

A number of inclusive Network Groups for employees at all levels across the organisation

Staff Discount scheme

Holiday play scheme for children

Up to 3 days paid leave for volunteering opportunities

Job contact :

Name :
Tracey Brown
Email :
tbrown@companieshouse.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

Email :
tbrown@companieshouse.gov.uk