Job Title: Contract Officer

Location: Hybrid - Working from home and Sheerness House, Kettering (At least 2 days in the office per week)

Rate of Pay: £15.70 per hour PAYE or £21.19 per hour Umbrella

Working Hours: Full Time - 37 hours

Type: Temporary Role - 3 months, extendable by a further 3 months

Opus People Solutions are working with North Northamptonshire Council to recruit for a Contract Officer.

Purpose of the job

The Contract Officer is responsible for commissioning and delivering the Home to School Transport Service through a range of Providers and maintaining accurate records of provision and contracts.

Principal responsibilities

1. Working collaboratively with providers, colleagues and other stakeholders, devising and implementing procedures that are fit for purpose and that will deliver a high quality and safe transport service for vulnerable children and SEND children and adults across the service.
2. Maintain accurate records and monitor performance against budgets to ensure effective monthly forecasting, ensuring that physical resources are allocated effectively. Preparing and reporting on performance and costs to enable the delivery and implementation of services in accordance with agreed standards, targets and expectations, Ensure all stakeholders receive the best service within available resources and budget.
3. Identify and implement opportunities within the service to improve the quality of transport provision and deliver budget savings including identifying invest to save opportunities.
4. Analyse financial and other reports to gain insights into how to improve performance, maximise growth, and manage demand increases of the service both internally and with external suppliers, staff and resources. Monitor, challenge and implement Route Variations to ensure VFM in line with the council's policies
5. Maintain sustainable and productive relationships with all stakeholders including passengers, parents and carers, other professional agencies, and providers in a pressurised environment.
6. Undertake regular and ad hoc contract meetings ensuring KPI's and deadlines are met, and ensuring that all contract issues are resolved, or escalated as appropriate.
7. Identify service issues and problem solve unexpected situations and complaints that may arise from day-to-day service delivery. Implement a cycle of continual improvement that is informed by feedback from key stakeholders and service users. Ensure that complaint responses are timely and that the learning from complaints informs service development.
8. To actively support the procurement/commissioning function, including the evaluation of tenders and input into contract specifications. Work jointly with colleagues to analyse service delivery to plan and implement improvements.

General responsibilities applicable to all jobs

1. Demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs.
2. Comply with the Council's policies and procedures including (but not limited to) safeguarding, financial regulations, promotion of equalities, customer care, agreed audit actions and health and safety (ensuring that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons).
3. Carry out any other duties which fall within the broad spirit, scope and purpose of this job description and which are commensurate with the grade of the post.

Essential criteria

• Good Standard of education, to at least GCSE level, especially in English and Maths
• Previous experience of contract management function in a multiple provider environment.
• Previous experience of stakeholder and relationship management in a contract management environment.
• Experience of working in and/or developing a customer focused culture.
• Experience of working with Microsoft Office, including Teams
• Ability to write, analyse and interpret detailed/complex reports from various data sources, and to explain/present to appropriate audiences.
• Attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate data
• Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.

For more information or to process your application for this role, please apply online now.