Contract Manager & Assurance Lead

Contract Manager & Assurance Lead
Abingdon Rd, Culham, Oxfordshire
Full-time
Salary: £51,293 (inclusive of £5,000 if fully MCIPS qualified) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
Confirmed Grade: Level 5
Department: Procurement

Company Description

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

As an employee of UKAEA, you will benefit from:

- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert
- Corporate bonus scheme of up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible)
- Flexible working options, including family-friendly policies
- Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders
- Emergency paid leave, Generous annual leave allowance (30.5 days) increased with length of service
- Wide range of career development opportunities
- A vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

Job Description

Who are we looking for?

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As the Contract Manager & Assurance Lead, you will be the focal point and lead for contract management governance, assurance and associated activities across the UKAEA. You will lead ithe development of a contract assurance framework and levels of maturity in contract management being carried out across UKAEA against government commercial standards. You will take ownership and be accountable for contact management assurance across the organisation, providing advice and guidance throughout UKAEA.

What will you be responsible for?

- Identify areas for improvement in contract management processes and procedures. Implement necessary changes and strive for best practices.
- Develop and implement a contract management toolkit (including a contract management handbook and document templates).
- Set up and own contract management reporting activity for contracts across UKAEA Programmes and projects, providing regular dashboard reporting of contract performance to the business.
- Offer support and guidance to the Contract Managers with advice from the procurement team in delivering successful organisational outcomes.
- Ensuring UKAEA complies with UK public sector and Government Commercial Function contract management standards.
- To be the contract management champion, supporting teams in pre- and post-contract award phases, focusing on gold and silver contracts.
- Champion usage of the contract management tool (CEMAR) and ensure its implementation for all Gold and high-risk silver contracts.
- Support contract management working group sessions with stakeholders across UKAEA.
- To advise senior managers on contract management strategies and approaches with suppliers via quarterly meetings.
- Helping internal stakeholders overcome challenges related to contract management.
- Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in contract management within UKAEA.
- Line manager of a small team, providing performance feedback, completing their APS, and supporting and advising them with their day-to-day activities.
- Be the primary contact point for other key central teams in advancing improvements in contract management across UKAEA (e.g. Portfolio Management Office, Chief Engineers Office and Learning & Development).

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

- Working towards or currently MCIPS qualified.
- Awareness of Public Contracts Regulations (2015).
- Good strategic procurement knowledge and experience.
- Commercially astute, customer focused & excellent interpersonal skills.
- Good negotiation skills with some understanding of NEC form of Contract.
- Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Be a good team player who can work effectively in the Group Procurement Team.

Desirable Requirements:

- MCIPS Qualified.
- Contract management qualification.
- Contract Management Tools expertise (e.g. CEMAR).
- Line management experience.

Additional Information

What we offer

Our comprehensive benefits package includes a vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive, an Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders, Flexible working options including family-friendly policies, Emergency paid leave, Generous annual leave allowance (30.5 days) increased with length of service, wide range of career development opportunities, outstanding defined benefit pension scheme; Corporate bonus scheme (up to 7% for Levels 1 - 7, as well as 3rd and 4th year apprentices) and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly from individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, including nationality and citizenship, people with disabilities and women. The Executive team, with support from our ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, is actively promoting EDI and taking steps to increase the diversity of our people through reinforcing best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluating approaches where it is clear we can remove barriers to success.

Please note all employees working at the UK Atomic Energy Authority will be required to complete an online Disclosure Certificate application as part of their clearance – The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks will show the details of all current criminal convictions or will confirm that there are no such convictions.

Note for applicants who are applying for employment with UKAEA either from outside the United Kingdom or who have spent time outside the United Kingdom in the last five years. Please visit the UK Government website. If the country you are resident in or have resided in is not listed on this website or that the UK Government is not aware of how to obtain a criminal records check from that state then we are unable to process your application.