Senior Contract Manager

A fantastic opportunity to join the Mayoral West of England Combined Authority

Offers a hybrid working approach

About Our Client

Led by the regional Metro Mayor, the West of England Combined Authority brings together three local councils, the Local Enterprise Partnership and works with communities, other public services, and industry to deliver for the region. There is a relentless focus on delivery to put the West of England on the map for regional, national and global success.

You will be a key player as we create West of England Sustainable Transport. We are delivering on the big transport improvements people in the region need and deserve, changing how people travel, making journeys affordable, reliable, enjoyable, and safe.

As a senior member of the Commercial team you will be responsible for developing and implementing commercial and supply chain management strategies to deliver projects worth over £1 billion from Government funding. You will be joining the Commercial team at an exciting time. During the next couple of years, the team will be procuring a number of significant infrastructure programmes across rail, road and transport operations in order to deliver its key strategic outcomes. As a key member of the team, you will lead on driving commercial expertise across the Infrastructure directorate.

Job Description

The Senior Governance and Contract Manager supports the Head of Commercial and MCA teams to fulfil the obligations in accordance with the CA's delegated authority, Commercial Board and other Spend Controls processes that apply to spend on external goods and services. It further supports the organisation to ensure adequate scrutiny and approval of spend requests / commercial proposals to ensure they represent value for money and comply with the internal governance framework. The role also leads the development and implementation of a Contract Management Centre of Excellence (CMCoE) within MCA, driving best practices, optimising contract performance, and mitigating risks.

• Ensure that all internal and external documentation delivered from within the Commercial Team meets the required consistency, policy and regulatory checks including checking consistency prior to presentation to internal Board approvals, Governance and Internal Audit
• Ensure that the MCA is compliant across all stages of the Commercial Life cycle including Procurement Act 2023 requirements
• Initiate and support the Commercial Team to adopt the Commercial Policy and associated assurance including the adoption of Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Notes, thus ensuring MCA meets its obligations under the current procurement legislation.
• Managing the end-to-end process and oversee the Secretariat function to effectively track and monitor full approvals through weekly Commercial Board.
• Be responsible to ensure that all approvals evidence and documentation is stored within the relevant Commercial Team systems and filing protocols.
• Advise the Monitoring Officer on amends and updates to the Contract Standing Order / Constitution. Manage the delivery of the required changes to the Procurement Policy and procedures.

Data & Reporting Responsibilities:

• Data Management & Analysis: Establish and maintain robust data collection, storage, and analysis using Atamis(Commercial)/Agresso(Finance) and other systems to track procurement projects, contracts, risks, issues, and other key performance metrics.
• Monthly Dynamic Reporting: Produce comprehensive monthly reports for senior management (CLT/Commercial Board), showcasing procurement project progress, contract performance, risk and issues management, and other relevant KPIs. Utilise data visualisation techniques for clear and impactful communication.

Contract Management Responsibilities:

• To lead the development and implementation of Contract Management Centre of Excellence (CMCoE) within the MCA, driving best practices, optimising contract performance, and managing and mitigating risks and issues.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance contract management efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance across the MCA contract manager community.
• Develop and implement strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate contract-related risks where required in supporting contract managers and the delivery of strategic contracts to MCA.
• Build and maintain a centralised repository of contract-related knowledge, templates, and best practice guidance available to all contract managers.
• Support where required regular contract performance reviews and provide recommendations for corrective actions or adjustments across the MCA contracts, working as a supportive colleague to contract managers (a part of the role of Contract Management Centre of Excellence (CMCoE)
• Training and Support: Develop and deliver (where applicable) training programs to enhance the contract management capabilities of staff/stakeholders across the organisation, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development within the CMCoE.
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, including senior leadership, Division Heads, and suppliers.
• Communicate effectively and proactively to ensure alignment and support for the CMCoE's initiatives.
• Develop and oversee the contract review process, identifying potential risks and opportunities, working with key stakeholders to complete contract reviews within a schedule for Commercial Board oversight.
• Performance Reporting: Implement and manage a balanced scorecard process for gold/silver contracts, enabling regular consistent monitoring and reporting of contract performance against KPIs.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement in contract management practices through the identification and implementation of best practices.

The Successful Applicant

• Experience of leading and interacting with senior internal and external stakeholders to successfully deliver large scale and high-risk procurements from end to end for complex infrastructure programmes
• Exposure of working in a Local Authority, Regional Government and/or Government Department landscape
• Experience in developing and presenting high quality and detailed recommendations to a senior audience/stakeholders
• Experience of working in a complex stakeholder environment and demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships even when faced with conflicts or challenging environments
• Experience of support the establishment and management of policies.
• Working collaboratively to identify and deliver complex programmes in a multi stakeholder political environment.
• Experience of supporting the embedding of organisational change through focused project
• Reviewing and influencing internal policies and procedures to operate as flexibly as possible within a heavily regulated and high-risk function.

What's on Offer

• Salary £60,204 - £65,858
• 26/31 days annual Leave (5 extra days after 5 years continuous or reckonable service)
• Generous Employer-Contribution Pension Scheme
• Reduced fare bus travel across the West of England
• Flexible and hybrid working options from day one to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals. We follow a hybrid working model with 2 or 3 days in the office a week.