Contracts Manager

Job overview

ELFT has a significant requirement for robust income contracting and compliance management processes. The Contracts Manager will take operational responsibility for these functions across the Trust.

The post holder will ensure that ELFT deliver to agreed quality and core performance standards across all ELFT income contracts and that there is a process for regular review and audit of all contracts to ensure ongoing financial viability for the Trust.

The post holder will be expected to display technical capability combined with strong relationship skills and attention to detail in order to successfully engage commissioners and where appropriate joint providers.

The post holder will be managerially accountable to the Contracts Lead, with overall accountability to the Associate Director of Commercial Development.

Main duties of the job

• The management of relationships with commissioners, including the management of appropriate information flows to commissioners such that commissioners are assured that contracts can be satisfactorily developed.
• Support Commissioners in the development of formal contract documents and schedules ensuring the documents relied upon account for the discussions in the negotiation meetings.
• Develop and maintain an effective contract repository and ensure an effective audit trail for contracting activities.
• Develop robust and relevant contract templates.
• Drafting contracts and variations.
• Ensuring all schedules in each contract are effectively developed and communicated to relevant departments within ELFT so that the Trust always delivers to the agreed contract requirements. In developing these schedules ensuring very good communication and relation are developed with relevant departments and clinical units within the organization.
• Ensure final copies of formal signed contracts are maintained safely for reference in a Contracts Register and Contracts Library
• Provide technical support to the Contracts Lead and other ELFT directorates in relation to contracting matters, and to coordinate their response within a corporate-led contracting function.
• Examine proposed contracts to assess the potential to improve efficiency, quality and value for money

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Develop and manage other Agreements that may be required in support of business development and tender processes such as MoUs, Exclusivity and Confidentiality Agreements, NDA’s etc.
• Manage Non Contract Activity (NCA) process alongside finance and performance teams.
• Develop and manage contracts related to marketing of inpatient beds across the Trust held with various Providers.
• Ensure contracts and all related documents are updated regularly onto the contract management systems.
• Ensure systems are adhered to for all service elements for the safe storage of sensitive and commercial-in-confidence information.
• Ensure that data storage and retrieval is accessible only to authorised individuals and in accordance with legislation, e.g., Data Protection Act, NHS guidelines, and IM&T security policies.
• To plan and prioritise own work to ensure effective support to all areas and delivery of key objectives.
• To ensure that allocated project plan(s) are kept updated and regular reports provided to the Associate Director of Commercial Development and Contracts Lead.
• Ensure that the office environment runs smoothly and that systems are in place for ensuring adequate provision of supplies and technology.
• Maintain technical knowledge and awareness of key national contractual policies and templates, including the NHS Standard and Local Authority contracts.
• Maintain understanding of the technical principles and pricing mechanisms as outlined within the National Payment System (NPS).

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.