Contract Manager (Customer Experience & Service Delivery)

Location

Westminster, Greater London | United Kingdom

Job description

House of Commons

The House of Commons a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system.

Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.

Staff Benefits

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:

• 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year).
• Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• Access to training and development.
• Flexible working.
• Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.

Introduction

The Houses of Parliament and the iconic Palace of Westminster are key elements of the UK Parliament. Around 3000 staff work behind the scenes at Parliament, supporting the democratic process in many ways.

The Customer Experience and Service Delivery team aim to deliver a comfortable, safe Clean and efficient environment for Members, their staff, and staff of the House to work in; as well as providing a welcoming and functional environment for all visitors to Parliament.

The buildings on the Parliamentary estate are unique for differing reasons, some due to their heritage, others because of their need to be inside the secure perimeter and those outside of this, still require significant security and safety considerations.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Contract Manager to join our team. This is a new unique and exciting role as Contract Manager supporting a bicameral function across the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and has been created to support the contract management, tender and mobilisation of large, high value facilities management contracts, with an initial focus on the new cleaning and pest control contract.

As Contract Manager, you will play a critical role in managing key contracts to ensure these are effective, efficient, and appropriate to support excellent operational delivery of services.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Responsibility for all contract management operations including data management, invoicing, contractual and procurement issues, ensuring the parliamentary cleaning contract is highly effective and meets stakeholders needs while providing value for money.
• Lead the implementation, mobilisation and execution of contracts, including monitoring performance, ensuring compliance, resolving issues and escalating performance issues as necessary, maximizing the value and benefits delivered to Parliament.
• Lead on procurement and contract management issues, mitigation and resolution of disputes working with individual specialist managers, legal and procurement teams where appropriate.
• Draft technical commercial documents such as: procurement and contract strategies, tender documentation, contract documents, reports, papers, templates and model documents.

Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

Criterion 1 - Contract Management

• Substantial proven experience of successfully managing contracts/partnerships with external organisations, delivering contracted services meeting users' needs and providing value for money throughout the entire contract lifecycle, including ensuring regular supplier and service reviews are conducted and that performance is managed.
• Preferably, experience of managing cleaning/facilities management contracts or similar.
• Experience of OJEU / NEC/ Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) procurement procedures and regulations.
• Experience of Cost control and understanding and monitoring spend within agreed budgets.

Criterion 2 - Strong Organisational Skills

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to identify priorities, deal with conflicting demands and competing views, making considered but timely decisions and actions

Criterion 3 - Working with People

• Well-developed interpersonal skills: experience of collaborating with colleagues and suppliers, developing effective relationships with people at all levels and from diverse backgrounds, and working flexibly within teams ensuring that everyone is, always, treated with dignity, courtesy, inclusivity, and respect. Actively promotes joint working and partnerships with stakeholders and other organisations to meet shared goals.
• Builds collaborative relationships with stakeholders, Parliamentary staff and contractors to achieve common goals.
• Is self-aware and can manage own emotions and handle those of others.
• Promotes a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Criterion 4 - Communication Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical issues in a clear, simple way to a lay audience.
• Ability to understand and manipulate data to provide management information and reporting and constructive feedback.

Criterion 5 - Analysis

• Gathers information from a range of sources, probes for further information, identifies risks and considers alternative options to make sound decisions, often setting precedent or interpreting guidelines in unusual circumstances.
• Proven experience of identifying, managing, and mitigating risk in complex and challenging environments or when issues arise. Analyse and evaluate pros and cons to make decisions that take account of the wider business context. Draw together and present conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data, acting or deciding even when details are not clear.

Next Steps and Additional Information

• Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description.

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description.

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Job tags

Salary

£56.18k - £66.5k per annum