Contract Specialist Services Manager

Job overview

The Contracts and Specialist Services Manager is a key leadership role within Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for the effective management, performance, and compliance of specialist Estates and Facilities services delivered through external contractors. The postholder will ensure all contracted services are provided safely, efficiently, and in accordance with statutory legislation, NHS Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), Trust policies, and contractual obligations.

Acting as the primary liaison between Estates and Facilities, Procurement, and service providers, the role will lead contract mobilisation, performance management, compliance monitoring, and continuous service improvement activities. The postholder will be responsible for developing and implementing robust contract management frameworks, including Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), governance arrangements, and performance reporting mechanisms to ensure high-quality and value-for-money service delivery.

The role also has responsibility for managing the Trust's specialist service contracts, stores, and supply chain functions, ensuring the availability of materials, equipment, and resources required to support operational services. Working closely with the Estates Manager, the postholder will contribute to financial planning, risk management, lifecycle planning, and capital investment decisions.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will lead the delivery and performance management of specialist Estates and Facilities services provided by external contractors, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, NHS Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), Trust policies, and industry best practice. Acting as a key liaison between Estates and Facilities, Procurement, and service providers, they will oversee the effective mobilisation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of contracted services.

The role is responsible for developing and managing robust contract management arrangements, including Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), performance reporting, and improvement plans to ensure high-quality, cost-effective service delivery. The postholder will monitor contractor performance, manage risks, resolve operational issues, and ensure contractual obligations are achieved.

The postholder will support audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews, ensuring that documentation is maintained to the required standards. They will also contribute to the development of policies, procedures, and safe systems of work, promoting accountability, service excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement across all areas of responsibility.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will provide strategic and operational management of specialist Estates and Facilities services delivered through contracted providers, ensuring services are safe, effective, compliant, and aligned with the Trust's objectives. The role combines responsibility for contract management, compliance assurance, technical oversight, CAFM system management, financial control, governance, risk management, supply chain operations, and continuous service improvement to support the delivery of high-quality estates and facilities services across the organisation.

The postholder will ensure that all contracted services operate in compliance with statutory legislation, NHS Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), Health Building Notes (HBNs), Trust policies, and industry best practice. They will establish and maintain effective compliance monitoring arrangements, audit programmes, evidence records, and assurance processes to ensure contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and quality standards are consistently achieved. They will support internal and external audits, inspections, and accreditation processes, ensuring services remain inspection-ready and that improvement actions are implemented and monitored to completion.

The role will provide technical oversight of specialist estates and facilities contracts, ensuring services are delivered in accordance with agreed specifications, legislation, NHS guidance, industry standards, and contractual requirements. The postholder will review technical reports, maintenance records, performance information, statutory compliance documentation, and audit findings to ensure services are delivered safely, effectively, and efficiently. They will monitor contractor performance against agreed KPIs, SLAs, and quality standards, identifying opportunities for service improvement and implementing corrective actions where required.

The postholder will lead the management and development of the Trust's Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system, ensuring that maintenance activities, statutory inspections, compliance records, contractor data, performance measures, and service schedules are accurately recorded and maintained. They will oversee the integration of contractual requirements and compliance documentation into the CAFM platform, develop reporting and workflow processes, and utilise system data to support service planning, performance management, resource allocation, operational decision-making, and compliance assurance.

A key aspect of the role will involve the management of specialist facilities infrastructure and assets, supporting asset lifecycle planning, infrastructure resilience, business continuity, and capital investment programmes. The postholder will contribute technical expertise to long-term asset management strategies and ensure critical assets are appropriately monitored and maintained to support regulatory compliance and operational continuity.

The postholder will establish and maintain robust contract monitoring and assurance frameworks, leading regular performance reviews, service meetings, compliance reporting, and contractual governance activities. Acting as a key liaison between Estates and Facilities, Procurement, contractors, and operational stakeholders, they will promote effective partnership working, resolve service issues, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. They will also support the development of technical specifications, tender documentation, procurement exercises, and business cases, ensuring services deliver value for money whilst meeting operational and compliance requirements.

The role will have responsibility for stores and supply chain operations, ensuring the effective management of stock, materials, consumables, and equipment required to support service delivery. This will include oversight of inventory management systems, procurement processes, storage compliance, supplier performance, and stock control arrangements. The postholder will ensure compliance with procurement legislation, health and safety requirements, and Trust governance standards while minimising waste, controlling costs, and maintaining operational resilience.

Working closely with the Estates Manager, the postholder will contribute to budget planning, financial forecasting, expenditure monitoring, and financial reporting across specialist contracted services. They will monitor contractual expenditure, support value-for-money assessments, identify efficiency opportunities, and contribute to business cases and investment proposals. The role will provide financial analysis and management information to support effective decision-making and continuous improvement.

The postholder will provide leadership and management to a small team of administrative, logistics, and support staff, ensuring staff receive appropriate supervision, coaching, training, and development opportunities. They will promote high standards of professionalism, customer service, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement, creating a positive working environment aligned to Trust values and objectives.

The role will be responsible for producing accurate and timely reports relating to contract performance, compliance activity, financial performance, operational risks, and service outcomes. The postholder will analyse performance trends, identify areas of risk and improvement, and present information to senior managers, governance groups, and Trust committees to support effective oversight and assurance.

Governance and risk management will underpin all aspects of the role. The postholder will identify, assess, manage, and report risks associated with estates and facilities services, ensuring appropriate mitigation plans are in place. They will support business continuity planning, incident management, investigations, and lessons learned reviews, providing technical expertise and assurance where service failures, compliance breaches, or operational incidents occur.

The postholder will maintain strong professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including contractors, clinical teams, operational managers, procurement colleagues, regulators, and partner organisations. They will represent the Estates and Facilities department at meetings, working groups, project boards, and Trust committees as required, promoting collaborative working and continuous service improvement.

The postholder will maintain an ongoing commitment to professional development, ensuring knowledge remains current in relation to estates legislation, NHS guidance, contract management, CAFM systems, procurement regulations, compliance standards, and emerging technologies. They will support innovation, learning, and best practice across the department and will undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and responsibilities of the role as delegated by the Estates Manager to support the effective delivery of Estates and Facilities services.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.