Overview
Senior Skills Relationship and Contract Manager
Location: The Lumen, St James’ Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne, various ‘spoke’ offices throughout the North East and remote working arrangements.
Salary: N9, £46,142 – 49,282 per annum. Contract: Full-time, Permanent. Reporting to: Skills Delivery Lead. Closing Date: Monday 27th April 2026 at 23:59.
Join our Skills team as a Senior Skills Relationship and Contract Manager. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the success of the North East Combined Authority’s devolved skills programmes. Acting as the vital link between Contract Managers and the Skills Relationship & Contract Management Lead, you will provide strategic operational oversight to ensure commissioned provision is high quality, compliant and consistently aligned with regional priorities. This is a chance to directly influence delivery that makes a genuine difference to learners, communities and employers across the North East.
Responsibilities
- Lead with confidence and clarity, supervising Contract Managers and embedding strong performance management across the team.
- Analyse complex provider performance data to identify risks and resolve challenging contract issues.
- Drive continuous improvement and ensure robust support, challenge and accountability.
- Take ownership of performance meetings with high-risk or priority providers, shaping actions and recommendations that lead to meaningful and sustained improvements.
- Strengthen provider relationships and ensure partners understand expectations, funding rules and quality requirements.
- Help shape future commissioning activity, support programme mobilisation and refine processes and tools that underpin effective contract management.
- Coordinate operational workstreams and deputise for the Skills Delivery Lead when required.
Qualifications and experience
- Experience in devolved skills programmes or similar contracted provision and contract management.
- Strong capability in performance management, data analysis and risk assessment.
- Ability to manage stakeholder relationships and communicate expectations clearly.
- Strategic mindset with leadership capabilities and willingness to take on senior responsibilities.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, communities and experiences. We support flexible working and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented, including women, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people and those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
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