Head of Contracting

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an exceptional candidate to join the Trust as the Head of Contracting. The four acute Trusts in the Black Country (The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust) have recently agreed to the creation of a single contracting team who will manage all clinical service contracts on behalf of the Trusts. We are now looking for a Head of Contracting to lead this team. Reporting to the Deputy Chief Strategy Officer, this new post will manage a team of contract managers and officers to ensure that clinical services are appropriately contracted for.

Based at New Cross Hospital but working on behalf of all four Trusts, the post holder will provide subject matter expertise to a wider range of internal stakeholders as well as representing the Trust at contracting meetings with external stakeholders.

This is a senior role which would suit a candidate with contracting experience who has demonstrated their ability to forge relationships, manage people and act with diplomacy.

The Trust offers a stimulating, supportive and enjoyable work environment with a mix of office and home-based working.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

Develop and implement the contracting and commissioning strategies for Black Country Acute Trusts,

Support the operational teams in initiating new contracts, liaising with procurement teams as appropriate,

Lead the negotiation of local delivery plans, ensuring appropriately authorised contracts are in place for all services,

Represent the Trusts in commissioning contracting meetings and respond to commissioning queries and issues in an effective and timely manner.

Ensure effective relationships are in place with all commissioning bodies including Integrated Care Boards, Specialised Services and Public Health.

Develop a mechanism to establish and monitor all service level agreements (SLA's) and sub-contracting arrangements.

A critical requirement of the post will be the development of effective relationships. The role involves working across complex organisational boundaries engaging a diverse range of stakeholders crucial to the success of the Trust's contractual relationships and supporting the development of the Trust's strategic goals.

About us

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve the quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow. We're passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as "Good" by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To develop and implement the Contracting and Commissioning Strategy across each of the organisations, working with and advising Group Managers, Senior Managers and Senior Clinicians

To lead on negotiations for significant and material annual service contracts on behalf of the Trusts,

To ensure that the Trusts has approved contracts in place for all commissioned activity,

Develop and maintain a contract monitoring framework which supports the Trusts in managing the contracts with commissioning bodies and ensures that robust mechanisms are in place to manage and monitor all performance relating to the commissioning contractual requirements.

To establish and maintain an effective system for the receipt, management and resolution and reporting of commissioning queries and performance notices,

To lead on discussions and negotiations with Commissioners in respect of all areas that will impact on income, and ensure that appropriate actions are in place at a senior level within the Trusts.

Ensure the Trusts has effective and robust systems to develop and implement the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) Scheme and in conjunction with the Head of Performance ensure detailed performance indicators and payment schedules are delivered in light of the standard NHS contracts for Acute and Community services.

Establish and deliver effective systems to approve and manage service level agreements and subcontracting arrangements with a range of providers in circumstances where the Trust provides services and for those where the Trust is in receipt of services. Ensure that appropriate service managers are involved in developing agreements and understand the requirements of the SLA.

Ensure appropriate feedback and reporting mechanisms on matters relating to contracts and SLA's are in place to Trust senior managers and operational teams as required.

Relationships:

To ensure that effective working relations are maintained by the Contract Management Office across the organisation, i with other corporate and operational teams.

To develop and maintain effective and cohesive relationships to a senior level with all commissioning bodies including, ICB's, Specialised Services and Public Health

Ensure that highly effective working relationships are established and maintained with commissioners that are open, honest and focus on the key issues of managing the contract portfolios.

Ensure a quality assurance framework is established to ensure the delivery of information to commissioners and internally across the organisation is timely, effective and accurate.

In conjunction with the Deputy Chief Strategy Officer and Contract Managers, represent the Trust in discussions and negotiations with commissioners,

Support the internal Divisions and Directorates in developing their understanding, knowledge and ownership of current strategies and ensure the Trust has a co-ordinated and structured approach in responding to the developing intentions of all commissioners,

Resolve commissioning concerns in a timely and professional manner,

Management and Financial Responsibility:

Line manage staff working within the contracting team,

Day to day management of support staff associated with specific projects,

An integral part of the post would be to conduct regular research exercises such as bench marking as well as carrying out complex audits to improve the service and implementation of such findings,

Hold a budget for pay and non-pay for the Contracting function,

Undertakes audits as necessary to area of responsibility, reporting relative findings,

As the lead expert the post holder will have the responsibility in conducting highly complex negotiations, on behalf of the Trust, on a range of contracts valuing £330 million.

Please refer to the attached job description for the full job description and main responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to Degree level or equivalent Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience/Skills

Essential

Substantive experience of NHS contract management In depth experience of, and training in, financial management, performance management, information systems, staff management acquired through an extended period Experience of managing and monitoring performance targets Excellent contract and commercial understanding with experience of participating in negotiations Proven knowledge and highly developed understanding of the new NHS commissioning context, legislation and NHS standard contracts In depth understanding of NHS policy, contract levers and funding mechanisms

Desirable

Experience of leading on tendering for healthcare services Experience of working across multi agency partners

---