Contracts Manager

Contract Manager (inside IR35)

Contract Term: 6 Months (Potential for extension)

Contracting Authority: Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities

Location: London (2 days per week in the office)

The Electoral Integrity Programme in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is classified as a Tier A Government Major Programme in the Infrastructure & Projects Authority’s Government Major Projects Programme Portfolio. We will be delivering key Government manifesto and ministerial commitments relating to elections, a no-fail public service, in the UK.

This is a new role which will take overall contract management responsibilities for all the digital contracts relating to Elections and Registration. This will include the support and maintenance contracts for the Register to Vote digital service – designated as Critical National Infrastructure – as well as new services enabling applications for voter cards and absent vote applications, plus a critical contract for production of voter cards, and a raft of supporting contract arrangements for all of these key services. This is a busy, interesting portfolio of work with particular periods of focus on excellent contractor performance during the run up to major electoral events.

As a Contract Manager your main responsibilities would be:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the providers of key elections and registration digital contracts, managing the contracts with these providers that cumulatively deliver services critical to the UK’s democracy and monitoring effective service delivery against agreed KPIs and other contract terms.
• Use initiative to solve contractual issues as they arise, in accordance with the department's contract management framework and ways of working, working collaboratively and at pace to find and enact suitable solutions including the writing of Contract Change Notices.
• Provide commercial advice to the wider Elections Division, informing decisions regarding procurement strategy for this new suite of services.
• Help drive and support procurement exercises as required including the contract renewal process for the Register to Vote Service and undertake contract administration and maintenance of accurate contract management records.
• Lead and drive an innovative contract management strategy, feeding directly into policy design and delivery alongside policy, commercial, analytical, legal, and finance colleagues.
• Demonstrate experience of working within a contract management or related environment, with either existing Government wide Contract Management training/accreditation or willingness to undertake that training/obtain accreditation.
• Lead and support engagement with key external stakeholders – acting as a representative of the department working closely with providers of key digital services.
• Work alongside departmental colleagues to understand the broader context of elections and registration policy and ensure alignment with wider government commercial policy.
• Demonstrate excellent organisational skills and the ability to apply project management techniques including governance and oversight, monitoring performance, and effective risk management to keep delivery on track.
• Have strong verbal and written communication with the ability to communicate effectively to a range of internal stakeholders, and external stakeholders.

The commitments include:

• The introduction of voter identification at polling stations in Great Britain
• The removal of the 15-year limit on overseas electors' voting rights and making it easier for British expatriates to vote in UK Parliamentary elections.
• Improving the security and integrity of elections (including on digital imprints, political finance and intimidation);
• Ensuring reciprocal voting and candidacy rights of EU citizens
• Making the change to the first-past-the-post electoral system for Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections
• Making changes to processes for proxy and postal voting
• Improving accessibility of voting in polling stations for disabled voters; and

You’ll have relevant experience in:

• CTC or SC clearance
• Strong stakeholder engagement predominantly with digital teams
• Extensive Contract Management experience
• Bridging the Gap between the public sector and private sector organisations
• Working collaboratively in a team with Finance specialists
• Making recommendations on Contract strategy
• Ensuring contract delivery including contract adjustments, renewals or exit

You will also have these Qualifications/Skills:

• Public sector Background
• CCS Frameworks Knowledge

If the Contract Manager role sounds like something that you would be interested in, please click the link to apply and speak to one of our PSR team now.

."In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following, this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract
Contract length: 6 months

Benefits:

• Work from home

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: Hybrid remote in London

Application deadline: 12/04/2023
Reference ID: 67754