Senior Contracts Officer

**Senior Contracts Officer - **Inside IR35**

**Contract Term: 5 months**

**Contracting Authority: DEFRA**

**Location: Hybrid working (2 days in the **Birmingham, Bristol, London, Newcastle, Reading or York** office and 3 days WFH)**

**The main duties and responsibilities of the Senior Contracts Officer would be**:

- The provision of day to day advice on commercial issues and governance, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value of money and savings.
- The delivery of more complex procurements, including Prepare initial sourcing strategies, and contribute to business plans
- Planning and managing market engagement exercises preparing pre tender and tender documents in conjunction with customers
- To run tenders in accordance with Public Contract Regulations 2015 including all requests for information documentation and managing evaluation.
- Preparing recommendations for tender outcome
- Preparing contract management documentation in conjunction with stakeholders
- The use of leading practice commercial tools to develop and implement the commercial strategies
- The management of more complex Contracts including Acceptance/signing of the contract including the resolution of assumptions before signing
- Leading the engagement/initial transition plan, including the development of exit/service transfer arrangements
- Engaging and training any customer stakeholders in the contract content, risk assumptions and KPI
- Preparing initial documentation such as risk register, report requirements, innovation report, and advice to supplier on invoice submission etc.
- Supporting contract meetings, and acting as an escalation route for supplier and commercial issues
- Leading negotiations for contract change, and implementing these in accordance with change governance procedures
- The management and development of key supplier relationships to deliver exceptional performance in cost service and quality
- The establishment and maintenance of excellent relationships within customer organisation and wider government with key stakeholders, raising the profile of commercial activity within customer organisations.
- Participating in the production of National/European Commercial standards and guidance to inform the business and improve commercial implementation, promoting commercial principles and influencing policy where appropriate
- Representing the Commercial team at senior management meetings and in Crown Commercial Service category meetings deputising for Category Manager as required.
- The management of mentoring and support to colleagues and team members (where appropriate) equipping them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner.

**You’ll have**:

- A track record of setting high standards and delivering results in a complex and demanding environment as an accomplished Commercial professional
- Experience of delivering improvements to ways of working and embedding change.
- Previous experience in delivering procurements
- Experience in putting tenders together
- Strong contracts knowledge and experience
- Knowledge of PCR2015
- Experience at influencing Commercial decisions at an operational level
- Experience of leading strategic contract award negotiations and resolving dispute resolutions through negotiation
- Demonstrable experience within a challenging and/or complex commercial environment
- The ability to work with stakeholders in a commercial environment and be able to influence and constructively challenge when necessary.
- Experience building and maintaining strong and productive working relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
- The ability to make effective decisions from analysing financial and non-financial information and identifying key risk and options and then making recommendations to senior colleagues.
- The ability to communicate confidently and concisely, effectively communicating with a wide range of stakeholders (at all levels) both in a technical and non-technical environment.- Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas._