Applications are restricted to individuals currently substantively employed by an NHS organisation within the East of England. Applications from those who do not meet this criterion will not be considered.
We are seeking an Assistant Contracts Manager to join our Commercial team within the ICB, as part of the Finance and Commercial Directorate. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a team that delivers all aspects of contracting, including information management, provider relationships and oversight of outsourced procurement.
In this role, you will support the effective establishment, management, monitoring and reporting of services for our population. As a key member of the team, you will contribute to a variety of projects and procurements, helping to ensure the smooth running of the commercial function.
The Commercial team plays a central role in managing and monitoring commissioned services, supporting contract information requirements and activity planning, maintaining strong provider relationships, and contributing to contractual negotiations and delivery.
Working alongside Senior Contract Leads and the Director of Commercial, you will help secure value for money and high-quality services, while supporting the reduction of health inequalities and the wider social and economic aims of the NHS.
Main duties of the job
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Support and shape the contracting and procurement policies for the ICB actively supporting adherence to the Standing Financial Instructions and Standing Orders of the organisation.
Use of data analysis and insight to contribute to reporting, including performance management, financial and quality reporting against agreed contractual or project deliverables.
Ensure models and arrangements are in place for monitoring, and reporting of activity and contractual issues.
Work across teams to understand care pathways identifying areas for increased value for money and quality outcomes for our population.
Develop and deliver project plans relating to contracts, ensuring appropriate governance, risk management, escalations and reporting.
Managing competing priorities, prioritizing own and team resources to effectively deliver on short-, medium- and longer-term priorities.
Plan and organize aspects of contract negotiation, reporting, monitoring, aligning of incentives and remedial actions when necessary.
Work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams to enable the collective ownership and delivery of projects to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and deliver a sustainable health and care system.
Supports procurement of relevant services.
Work collaboratively within the commercial team, with line management responsibility for one of more contracting assistant as required.
About us
Standard paragraphs to be included:
NHS Essex ICB is a statutory organisation responsible for the planning and funding of NHS services for around 1.9 million people across Essex. Our role as an ICB is to bring health and care services together, improve the health and wellbeing of our population and ensure equitable access to services and outcome for everyone. The organisations headquarters is Seax House, Chelmsford, and we operate a hybrid working model (2 office-based days) that includes working across Essex and from home. Essex ICB currently has offices in Brentwood, Harlow and Colchester, in addition to the Chelmsford HQ.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We know that different experiences, ideas and perspectives help create a stronger and more innovative organisation that delivers better outcomes for patients. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including people of all ages, disabilities, sex, gender identity or expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or personal circumstances. Our policies ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently throughout the recruitment process, including consideration of reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants.
Please note that the organisation does not hold a sponsorship licence.
Job responsibilities
ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY
The proposed Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) will be a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB will oversee the commissioning of care for the approximately 2 million people who live in Essex. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the proposed Essex ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation.
Our Commercial team sits within the Finance and Commercial Directorate and delivers on all aspects of contracting, including information, provider relationships and managing our outsourced procurement arrangements. This is an exciting time for the NHS as we move towards delivery of the 10 year health plan, managing new contractual models and driving value and outcomes for the residents of Essex.
Our Assistant Contracts Managers form part of our Contracting Hub responsible for delivering the safe establishment of management, monitoring and reporting arrangements around the services we require for our population. These roles are fundamental to the smooth running of the commercial function and will be expected to support across a variety of areas and from time to time directly support Provider Relationship Managers with specific projects or procurements. They will also be required to work closely with the Contract Information pillar to ensure accurate reporting of activity plans and metrics to ensure appropriate resource management and delivery in line with agreed arrangements.
The Assistant Contracts Manager will support the Heads of Contracts and the Director of Commercial to safely secure value for money and high quality services, they will also champion the reduction of health inequalities and the NHS to support broader social and economic development.
As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the Director of Commerical in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan:
- From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning.
- From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health.
- From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
To deliver on the job description set out above, the job holder will be expected to deliver on the requirements set out below:
Policy and service development
- Implement policy and / or service developments related to contracting, drawing on requirements from NHS strategies, including the ICB strategy and the 10 Year Health Plan
- Ensure compliance with relevant ICB policies
- Use research, innovation and audits to inform service improvements or performance management
- Support and shape the contracting and procurement policies for the ICB actively supporting adherence to the Standing Financial Instructions and Standing Orders of the organisation.
- Assist in the development of new contractual models and frameworks.
Strategy and analysis
- Analysis of complex qualitative and quantitative data relating to activity and contract information and metrics.Analysis of complex qualitative and quantitative data relating to activity and contract information and metrics.
- Turns analysis into useful insights and reports that can be used to inform decision making and delivery
- Present complex data, information and insights, including qualitative and quantitative data, through clear and simple written and verbal briefings
- Use of data and insight to contribute to reporting, including performance management, financial and quality reporting against agreed contractual or project deliverables
- Delivery reporting and analysis as and when required.
- Ensure models and arrangements are in place for monitoring, and reporting of activity and contractual issues.
- Work across teams to understand care pathways identifying areas for increased value for money and quality outcomes for our population.
Planning and organisation
- Develop and deliver project plans relating to contracts, ensuring appropriate governance, risk management, escalations and reporting
- Managing competing priorities, prioritizing own and team resources to effectively deliver on short, medium and longer term priorities
- Ensure accurate reporting and records management
- Plan and organize aspects of contract negotiation, reporting, monitoring, aligning of incentives and remedial actions when necessary.
- Assist in activity planning ensuring monitoring and validations processes are commensurate and reasonable.
Communications and Partnerships
- Work collaboratively, modelling inclusive, respectful and compassionate leadership
- Able to take account of a broad range of perspectives, including staff, patients and the public, to inform decision making
- Comfortable presenting information and training to internal and external stakeholder groups
- Build strong, trust-based relationships across the ICB, with NHS providers, local government, VCFSE partners and communities as needed
- Effective engagement with patients and the public as required
- Work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams to enable the collective ownership and delivery of projects that are seeking to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and deliver a sustainable health and care system
- Share complex and challenging information which may relate to service performance or staffing
- Able to manage conflict, find compromise and persuade based on evidence as needed
Financial and resource management
- Supports procurement of relevant services
Team management and capability building
- Work collaboratively within the commercial team, with line management responsibility for one of more contracting assistant as required.
- Able to influence in order to deliver effectively through those not directly line managing
- Support staff through ICB transition, including the development of teams to deliver on new ICB portfolios as agreed through transition
- Support the effective transition of relevant functions to new portfolios within or beyond the ICB to support the new NHS operating model, in line with the requirements of the Model ICB Blueprint
- Work collaboratively with system partners to facilitate transitional arrangements
- Maintain a focus on quality, safety and affordability during transition
- Supporting effective Information Asset Management for the team
Other
- Use initiative and work independently as needed to deliver on requirements of the role
- Primarily desk-based work that requires use of visual display units, focused concentration and frequent participation in on-line or in person meetings
- Able to use software required to develop report, including ability to deliver high quality documents through Microsoft suite (word, power point, excel)
Flexibility and evolving responsibilities
As the ICB continues to evolve, portfolios may be subject to change to reflect the needs of the organization, the health and care system and national policy direction. This may include adjustments to areas of responsibility or realignment of reporting structures.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
The post holder will need to build constructive relationships with partners from across the health and care system. Key relationships will be with:
- ICB senior leadership
- Information Governance team
- Local Authority partners
- NHS Providers
- NHSEI regional partners
- Other system partners, such as VCFSE
Person Specification
Experience
- Experience of working in a relevant healthcare environment (NHS or other)
- Experience managing projects in relevant commissioning functions as outlined in the ICB model blueprint.
- Knowledge of the health, care and local government landscape, including relevant legislation, policies and guidance, and an understanding of the social determinants of public health .
Partnership and Communities
- Experience working across organisational boundaries in the development and delivery of projects
- Able to represent the organisation credibly and positively
- Able to effective influencing and challenge within areas of responsibility, escalating appropriately where necessary
People and Culture
- Line management experience, including supporting individual development and addressing under-performance, when necessary.
- Acts as a positive, compassionate and inclusive manager, demonstrating commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity
- A commitment to continuous improvement, organisation learning and achieving positive outcomes for all staff, patients, service users and carers working in line with the NHS People Promise
Governance and Assurance
- Experience delivering projects that require collective decision-making and how to negotiate success in those situations
- A good understanding effective corporate governance and the route for decision making within the ICB
Personal Attributes and Values
- Takes personal responsibility and works with a high level of integrity
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Able to work as part of a team and independently
- Able to adapt to different situations, influencing others and building credibility effectively
- Self-motivated, confident and positive attitude, able to adapt to complex and constantly changing environments and prioritise workload within that context
Qualifications
- Educated to Degree level (relevant focus) or equivalent managerial experience
- Evidence of sustained commitment to continuing professional development
Strategy and Analysis
- Able to translate complex information into clear communications for a range of audiences, including to deliver effective reports to senior leadership.
- Experience scoping and delivering effective evaluations of projects and interventions, including understanding relevant data and evaluation tools and methods for formal and informal evaluations.
- Experience using proven programme service development and project management methodologies to ensure delivery
- A good understanding of current health and social care national aims and policy, and other determinants that impact on healthcare provision
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