Senior Contract Manager - Expression of Interest

JOB DESCRIPTION

Are you an expert contract manager with a passion for excellence?

Are you savvy in commercial operations and have a sound grasp of NHS governance?

This is an “expression if interest” advert, and although we do not have live roles currently on the market, they are coming and we are looking to get ahead of the game!

NHS SBS is looking to build their Contract Management offering within the Commercial Consultancy side of the business. As a Senior Contract Manager, you'll lead negotiation, performance governance, and compliance for NEC4‐based, high‑value contracts across projects. You will act as NEC4 Service Manager (equivalent to NEC Project Manager) for core programmes under NHS SBS, ensuring delivery within scope, schedule, budget, and to regulatory standards.

As part of the Commercial Consulting team, you will be part of a service tailoring recommendations to suit client needs, facilitating decision making through collaborative approaches, and encouraging expertise in specific markets or Consulting area. You will need a strong dedication to knowledge sharing and skill development within the team making sure this is maintained.

If you would be interested in knowing more about the team and what they do, we would be keen to have a discussion with you about what the future holds in this space and the next steps of registering your interest.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading the drafting, negotiation, and finalisation of NEC4 contracts, ensuring alignment with frameworks, procurement protocols, and legislation.
• Supervising contract delivery under NEC arrangements, facilitating partner coordination and driving project landmarks.
• Monitoring supplier performance metrics, driving performance improvements, and leading issue resolution and collaborator engagement.
• Implementing strong cost controls, verify spend against initial forecasts, and provide financial reporting and forecasting.
• Navigating sophisticated commercial risks, recommend decisions that align with SBS priorities, and maintain contractual health.
• Influencing and communicate optimally across NHS SBS customers, NHS Trusts, and government entities to drive consistency and alignment.
• Advanced use of CEMAR for contract event management, e‑tender systems, and procurement platforms; solid understanding of NEC contract processes.
• Leading all aspects of project timelines, resource dependencies, and deliverable tracking in Oracle Primavera P6.

What you’ll bring:

• Substantial NEC4-based contract management experience
• Experience working within NHS or public-sector consulting environments,
• Proven track record of leading multi-million-pound, regulated contracts and frameworks
• High-level expertise in NEC4 contract structures and digital contract management tools (e.g., CEMAR)
• Skilled in financial oversight and cost verification
• Proven excellence in negotiation, partner management, and conflict resolution
• Deals well with flexibility and ambiguity but able to bring required structure to direct and indirect team members.

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: (Once Live) Full-time, Permanent
Location: London
Security Clearance Level: DBS
Internal Recruiter: Katie
Salary: (Once the role is live) up to £65,000 per annum, dependent on experience and development needs
Benefits: £5,400 car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private medical, life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) was created by the Department of Health and Social Care to deliver corporate services to the NHS. A unique joint venture with Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital services and software development, we make life easier for NHS employees, patients, and suppliers, and deliver value for money to the taxpayer. Proud members of the NHS family, we provide finance & accounting, digital, procurement and workforce services to more than half the NHS in England, and our solutions are underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and our teams’ expertise, in-depth understanding of the NHS, and commitment to service excellence.

We share common values and unity of purpose with the rest of the NHS family, are committed to being a force for good, and are dedicated and empowered to act responsibly and sustainably at organisational, team and individual level.

Would you like to join us on our journey?