Contract Manager

Job Summary

DSIT At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives.

Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our Inclusive Environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension.

We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer.

We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Job Description

The Role and Our Team Background: Building Digital UK (BDUK) is part of the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) responsible for delivering the government’s ambition to deliver improved digital infrastructure across fixed and mobile broadband to the hardest-to-reach areas of the UK.

Our people are our most important asset. They drive our success and we thrive on their individual and collective talent, skills and experience.

BDUK delivers benefits to people and communities across the UK.

Through improving broadband and 4G connectivity in rural and hard to reach locations, we are future proofing the UK for its digital needs in years to come.

We are guided by the DSIT values: We are expert together, we are inventive and we are impact driven.

We are passionate about BDUK standing out as a brilliant place to work, where everyone develops in a rewarding role that makes a difference.

BDUK is responsible for delivering two large digital infrastructure programmes: Project Gigabit - a £5 billion programme to roll out gigabit-capable broadband to hard-to-reach communities across the UK; and The Shared Rural Network - a £0.5 billion programme working with the UK’s Mobile Network Operators to extend 4G mobile coverage into rural and remote areas.

Primary Purpose

The role holder will manage contract management activity across the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) contracts.

This will consist of in-life contract and supplier management, ensuring delivery of gigabit capable infrastructure to agreed funding, ensuring effective risk management of delivery to contract terms and exit management.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the Contract Management team and supplier contract management stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of the contract
• Have a good understanding of the contractual terms and conditions and implement contractual templates and processes
• Support the procurement process, including managing timelines and systems/process for supplier bids and leading on the Clarification Questions process
• Maintain the Contract Management Plan (CMP) and ensure stakeholders manage their obligations under the contract, including areas such as risk management, exit planning, Modern Slavery compliance and business continuity.
• Ensure all Social Value obligations are understood by the supplier and lead on making certain those obligations are delivered.
• Monitor supplier performance using tools and systems as well as running processes to monitor supplier compliance.
• Challenge suppliers, where necessary, on costs and commercial assumptions and escalate to the Senior Contract Manager or Contract Lead as necessary.
• Extract and review relevant contractual Management Information.
• Track spend, supplier performance and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate the contract change process.
• Participate in intervention area scope change discussions and requests using a standard document template to capture all Supplier and Authority actions.
• Manage internal and external contract meetings and documentation
• Identify and escalate risks and issues, including implementing mitigation strategies, maintaining documentation, and updating the risk system.
• Ensure reporting of key contract risks to the Contract Lead.
• Comply with all Departmental controls relating to commercial practice and otherwise, including strict adherence to delegated authorities, and ensuring adherence to governance, legislative and policy requirements as appropriate.
• Be a key member of the commercial team and proactively support the development and continuous improvement of contract processes to drive operational efficiency
• Provide direction to other BDUK teams with regards to internal commercial processes, governance and approvals, and support development and improvement of operational efficiencies.
• Ensure you are up to date with Cabinet Office standards and best practice, PPNs and new legislative requirements.
• Keep abreast of the marketplace and understand the bigger picture and wider impact of contracts you are responsible for.
• Adopt a proactive attitude to taking on other ad-hoc tasks as and when required by the organisation.

Essential Criteria

• Experience working with suppliers or customers and dealing with complex issues.
• Track record of managing supplier performance reports or internal reports such as a Risk and Issue Register or Contract Change Log.
• Experience managing or supporting with complex contracts.
• Keen desire to learn and work in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Awareness of public sector procurement legislation;
• An understanding of the telecoms marketplace
• Experience working with cross functional teams
• Experience working with contract management systems or other forms of management systems

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Making Effective Decisions.

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,735, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £10,642 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including: A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.

Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.

An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.

Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK.

The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home-based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Numerical Test.

If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups: UK nationals, nationals of the Republic of Ireland, nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK, nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.