Contract Support Officer - Band 5

Job summary

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive individual with strong administrative, governance and project support skills. You will be confident managing competing priorities, handling complex information and building effective relationships with a range of stakeholders.

As a Contracts Support Officer within the Finance & Commercial Directorate, you will support the systems, processes and governance that underpin healthcare commissioning and contract management.

Working within a supportive team, you will contribute to innovation, value and improved outcomes across health and care services. The role offers exposure to commercial, contracting and transformation activities while working with colleagues and partners across the wider system.

If you enjoy working with information, supporting decision-making and helping improve public services, this could be the role for you.

In return, you will join an organisation committed to inclusion, learning and improving the health and wellbeing of local communities.

Main duties of the job

This role would suit an organised and motivated individual looking to develop a career in NHS commissioning, contracting or commercial management while making a meaningful contribution to improving services for the people of Essex.

The Contracts Support Officer plays a key role in supporting the Commercial Team to deliver effective contract management, governance and reporting arrangements across a range of NHS commissioned services

Key responsibilities include:

Supporting contract management, governance and reporting processes across the Finance and Commercial Directorate.

Ensuring that contracts, records and commercial processes are managed efficiently, accurately and in line with organisational requirements.

Maintaining accurate records, contract documentation and information within contract management systems.

Assisting with the preparation of reports, briefings and performance information to support decision-making.

Coordinating meetings, preparing agendas, capturing minutes and monitoring actions and decisions.

Supporting the development and implementation of commercial policies, procedures and service improvements.

Working collaboratively with internal teams and external partners across the health and care system.

Contributing to contract renewals, procurement activity and annual planning processes.

Supporting projects and transformation initiatives that improve health services and outcomes for local communities.

About us

NHS Essex ICB is a statutory organisation responsible for the planning and funding of NHS services for around 1.9 million people across Essex. Our role as an ICB is to bring health and care services together, improve the health and wellbeing of our population and ensure equitable access to services and outcome for everyone. The organisations headquarters is Seax House, Chelmsford, and we operate a hybrid working model (2 office-based days) that includes working across Essex and from home. Essex ICB currently has offices in Brentwood, Harlow and Colchester, in addition to the Chelmsford HQ.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We know that different experiences, ideas and perspectives help create a stronger and more innovative organisation that delivers better outcomes for patients. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including people of all ages, disabilities, sex, gender identity or expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or personal circumstances. Our policies ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently throughout the recruitment process, including consideration of reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants.

Please note that the organisation does not hold a sponsorship licence.

Details

• Date posted: 27 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 5
• Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: D9708-MSE555
• Job locations: Seax House, Victoria Road South, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1QH, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY

The proposed Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB will oversee the commissioning of care for the approximately 2 million people who live in Essex. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the proposed Essex ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation.

Our Commercial team sits within the Finance and Commercial Directorate and delivers on all aspects of contracting, including information, provider relationships and managing our outsourced procurement arrangements. This is an exciting time for the NHS as we move towards delivery of the 10 year health plan, managing new contractual models and driving value and outcomes for the residents of Essex.

Our Contract Support Officer form part of our Commercial Team responsible for delivering the safe establishment of management, monitoring and reporting arrangements around the services we require for our population. These roles are fundamental to the smooth running of the commercial function and will work supportively across the team to deliver across a variety of areas. These roles will ensure governance and good record keeping across our commercial function.

As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the Director of Commercial in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan:

• From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning.
• From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health.
• From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

To deliver on the job description set out above, the job holder will be expected to deliver on the requirements set out below:

Policy and service development

• Support implementation of policy and / or service developments related to commercial activities
• Support team to ensure compliance with relevant ICB policies
• Completes surveys or evaluations to support policy implementation

Strategy and analysis

• Understanding of complex data relating to activity and contract metrics
• Helps present insights and prepare contracting schedules, drawing on complex data, that can be used to inform decision making and delivery
• Use of data and insight to contribute to reporting, including performance management, financial and quality reporting against agreed contractual or project deliverables

Planning and organisation

• Support effective contract governance arrangements.
• Organisation of the contracts database and regular review of the procurement pipeline and waivers records.
• Support the planning and monitoring of small scale arrangements.
• Support with drafting contract documentation and contract variations as required.
• Support coordination of meetings and events to support delivery of contract conversations.
• Capturing effective minutes, actions and decisions from meetings and events
• Manage competing priorities, prioritizing own resources to effectively deliver agreed tasks or projects
• Maintain accurate reporting and records management through the use of the Atamis System
• Support the commercial team to prepare for the annual planning cycle, ensuring methodical approach to contract renewals in line with relevant national guidance.

Communications and Partnerships

• Work collaboratively, modelling inclusive, respectful and compassionate behaviours
• Supports development of high quality written and verbal briefings
• Build strong, trust-based relationships across the ICB as needed
• Supports effective engagement with patients and the public as required
• Work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams to help deliver agreed projects / manage directorate
• Effective management of complex, sensitive and challenging information

Financial and resource management

• Supports procurement of relevant services

Team management and capability building

• Supporting directorate oversight of workforce reporting, including reporting on key HR metrics
• Supports wider understanding of projects across the ICB and system
• Able to influence in order to deliver effectively through others
• Support the effective transition of relevant functions to new portfolios within or beyond the ICB to support the new NHS operating model, in line with the requirements of the Model ICB Blueprint
• Work collaboratively with system partners to facilitate transitional arrangements
• Maintain a focus on quality, safety and affordability during transition
• Supporting effective Information Asset Management for the team

Other

• Use initiative and work independently as needed to deliver on requirements of the role
• Primarily desk-based work that requires use of visual display units, focused concentration and frequent participation in on-line or in person meetings
• Able to use software required to develop report, including ability to deliver high quality documents through Microsoft suite (word, power point, excel)

Flexibility and evolving responsibilities

As the ICB continues to evolve, portfolios may be subject to change to reflect the needs of the organization, the health and care system and national policy direction. This may include adjustments to areas of responsibility or realignment of reporting structures.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will need to build constructive relationships with partners from across the health and care system. Key relationships will be with:

-ICB senior leaders

-Team members

-Finance business partners

-Information Governance Team

-HR business partners

-Business Managers

-System partners