Senior Contracts Manager

Job overview

South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust & George Eliot NHS Trust has a 12 month secondment opportunity for the role of Senior Contracts Manager. As an essential member of the Income & Contracting team you will be responsible for providing a comprehensive contracting management service, including ongoing management and monitoring of all contracts to ensure compliance, development of service specifications and coordination of key information to support contract performance.

Technically strong, with in-depth contracting experience and an appreciation of the current NHS regimes. Due to the complexities of the information that you will be dealing with, it is essential you have the capabilities to understand, interpret and convey financial concepts clearly and persuasively to finance and non finance colleagues. Strong Communication skills, both verbal and written will be essential.

If you would like further information please contact Ravi Basi, Deputy Chief Finance Officer on [email protected]

Main duties of the job

The Post of Senior Contract Manager is responsible for the contact management and negotiation of a portfolio of contracts on behalf of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and George Eliot NHS Trust (GEH).

This is a senior leadership role within the health community and the post holder will be accountable for ensuring the appropriate level of scrutiny of contracts to drive performance and support the provision of monthly reports for commissioners.

To provide the main interface for both Trusts with CCGs on Contracting queries ensuring compliance with all requirements of the contract. The portfolio of contracts will include Acute, Non Acute Contracts and Provider to Provider SLAs.

To be responsible for the management and performance of a small team of staff.

This work requires a significant degree of independent working as well as close working with senior professionals both within and outside the organisations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Relationships

Internal

• Associate Director of Operations
• Associate Director of Information
• General Managers
• Lead Clinicians
• Matrons
• Departmental / ward managers
• Other Senior Managers
• Internal Audit
• Information Department
• HR Department
• IT Department
• Finance Department Staff

External

• Local Area Teams
• CCGs and other NHS organisations
• Private Providers
• Voluntary Organisations
• External Audit
• External Consultants
• Suppliers

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

In depth, specialist knowledge of contracting, underpinned by theory and experience; acquired through degree or equivalent experience or training, plus further management and specialist contracting knowledge to masters level equivalent

Strong communication and judgement skills are essential. Detailed numerical analysis is required together with an ability to clearly information from multiple sources. An ability to demonstrate robust reasoning skills in often highly complex decisions.

Required to plan and organise own workload, managing and determining priorities for own workload and that of the Contracting team with minimal direct supervision.

Confident in planning and managing multiple pieces of work over differing timescales to ensure delivery within agreed timescales, and that appropriate actions are taken in the context of changing priorities. Linked with the ability to combine projects that range from short term specific projects to long term financial modelling across multiple organisations.

Measurable Results Areas/Responsibilities

Accountability – The post holder will be expected to work autonomously, interpreting national and local guidance and advising the Head of Income & Contracting accordingly on changes and actions required.

The post holder will be expected to lead on both the contractual and the financial elements associated with the management of the contracts.

The post holder will be responsible for managing the contracting team on a day to day basis, including delegation/co-ordination of workload.

The post holder is required to have excellent communication skills and a strong ability to develop and maintain working relationships. The post holder will spend a large proportion of time dealing with non-finance professionals so requires the ability to clearly articulate complex financial assessments in a simple and transparent way. Relationships will span a wide range of levels from finance staff and ward managers to Board level directors.

Contract Management

Manage a portfolio of healthcare contracts, ensuring all contracts are signed in accordance with agreed timeframes; analysing performance, querying variances from plans or targets; verification of invoices. To agree contract schedules, variations for contracts.

Ensure the coordination across contracting, finance, information and quality functions to analyse and interpret highly complex data such as activity, demand and capacity data, finance or performance data, present findings and produce reports in order to query variances or anomalies and inform decision making. Work with quality and information colleagues to challenge performance and agree actions including action plans to address any risks and advise on contractual levers where appropriate.

The post holder is responsible for producing all contract documentation; ensuring the contract is unambiguous to minimise risk to the Trust.

Manage day-to-day contracting queries and provide expert advice relating to any of the contracts within the portfolio which may arise.

To support (and upon occasions deputise for) the Head of Income & Contracting in ensuring relevant national and local targets are met.

Interpret national guidance and policy, and work with clinical and managerial colleagues across organisations to implement agreed actions.

Work closely with the Head of Income & Contracting to review and negotiate a year end activity and finance position ensuring invoicing is agreed in line with Payment by Results guidance.

The post holder is responsible for ensuring that patient-identifiable data is used in accordance with information governance requirements and organisational policies.

To undertake contract negotiations as necessary with the main commissioners as part of a team, communicating highly complex information in an environment that can be challenging. This includes participation in negotiation meetings, review and agreement of contract documentation, preparation of contract schedules and preparation of contract variations and the development of mediation/arbitration cases as required.

To deputise for the Head of Income & Contracting during contract negotiations with Commissioners as required.

To be responsible for ensuring all contract income budgets accurately reflect agreed values, and that in year variations are recorded and invoiced accordingly.

Work closely with the quality team to ensure appropriate CQUIN, specifications, standards and key performance indicators are embedded within contracts.

To be responsible for contract negotiations with Provider to Provider SLAs. This includes participation in negotiation meetings, review and agreement of contract documentation, preparation of contract schedules and preparation of contract variations.

To liaise with financial services to ensure all contract income is being invoiced promptly and paid accordingly ensuring that contract under or over-performance is dealt with appropriately.

To review any calculations, particularly those used for business cases, for accuracy and completeness to ensure that income is fully recovered

Service Specifications and Service Improvement

To lead the development and regular review of service specifications which reflect national guidance and local agreements, developing a plan for development/review and ensuring they are agreed and signed off with the service and the commissioner.

To review any proposed pathway changes are fully worked up as business cases and service specifications to enable effective negotiation and translation into contracts, with the ability to effectively monitor performance outcomes.

Review contracted services at regular intervals and identify any fundamental changes required.

Other

To undertake training to budget holders and internal finance staff on contracting issues.

Manages own specialist workload and works independently on a daily basis to meet financial timetables/priorities/deadlines set by the Head of Income & Contracting.

Line manager for the Contracting team.

Any other duties as commensurate with the grade of the post