Contract Officer

On behalf of The Ministry of Justice, we are looking for a Contract Officer Inside IR35 for a 6 Month contract based Hybrid working (Remote with occasional travel to London or Leeds for key meetings)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) priorities include improving public safety and reducing reoffending by reforming prisons, probation and youth justice, and building a justice system which makes access to justice swifter and more certain for all citizens whatever their background. Project professionals in the MoJ help to improve the government’s ability to protect the public and reduce reoffending, and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.
About the Department
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. Responsible for courts, prisons, and probation services, we work to ensure sentences are served and offenders are given rehabilitation opportunities to become law-abiding citizens.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has one of the largest and most complex spend profiles in central government. MoJ Commercial (Commercial and Contract Management Directorate) is responsible for coordinating procurement and contract management across the MoJ, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies. The MoJ spends c£3.5bn a year and manages over 1000 active contracts.
Since 2016, MoJ Commercial has been providing commercial strategy, procurement, and contract management services to Home Office. This covers three workstreams: Facilities Management / Business as Usual; capital maintenance (construction / building projects with a value £1m-£30m) and capital investment - large scale construction programmes to support Home Office, Home Office agencies and several arms-length bodies.
Background (Scope)
MoJ Commercial are in the process of transitioning commercial services back to Home Office with finalisation of this process completing on or before 31 March 2026.
To facilitate this move, MoJ Commercial is creating an interim shadow team that will provide an agreed level of construction commercial and procurement services until the transition is complete or where our services are no longer required. The Shadow team will provide support of all aspects of construction capital maintenance projects (and potentially some larger capital investment projects) using procurement routes already established by MoJ; other applicable routes e.g., CCS frameworks and contracts that may be let over the next twelve months by the Home Office itself.
The main duties and responsibilities of the Contract Officer would be:

- Recording the pipeline of capital maintenance projects across the Home Office estate and for processing orders pursuant to these projects.
- Reviewing and clarifying project scope.
- Recording the funding and timescale (schedule) requirements.
- Supporting and recording the procurement/appointment of construction professional services providers e.g., project sponsor services; client advisor services; design or specialist support e.g., planning consultancy, cost consultancy.
- Supporting and recording the procurement/appointment of works contracts through MoJ/HO contracts and / or other procurement routes (as may be required).
- Management of information in Jaggaer, Viewpoint and Metis (which may include creating or approving Purchase Orders and subsequent change control on said Purchase Orders).
- Interfacing with Home Office PMO, Home Office Property Services (HOPS), Home Office Finance teams, Home Office Professional Services Suppliers and Others (as may be required from time to time).
- Managing contract queries and supplier enquiries.
- Organising the execution of contracts per MoJ Commercial / Home Office policies, processes and practices ensuring also that Purchase Orders are established (and managed) in Metis to enable payment and cost control.
- Supporting a positive and inclusive team culture, supporting other team members, and sharing lessons learned.
- Maintaining positive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers, professional services, end users and the wider commercial team.
- Assisting the Senior Commercial Manager and Commercial Manager in the resolution of disputes, obtaining and managing input from operational colleagues and others as directed (e.g. Legal)
- Identifying conflicting priorities and proposing pragmatic solutions to problems
- Responding to Freedom of Information requests and Parliamentary Questions

**Essential**:

- Knowledge of minor works procurement and / or contract management.
- Knowledge of using Procurement (for example Jaggaer) and ERP (for example Oracle) systems
- Construction market knowledge
- Experience of using standard forms of contract e.g., PPC2000, NEC3 / NEC4
- Experience of adopting lead commercial role within multi-disciplinary delivery team
- Analytical skills to support the review of cost estimates and