Contract Officer

As a Contracts Officer, you will play a vital role in ensuring seamless operations within the Communities Directorate.

We’re looking for a committed and proactive professional to deliver a customer focussed and efficient service, contributing to the directorate’s objectives of securing best value contractual services through the effective management of a portfolio contracts.

Your contract management portfolio will be varied, including accommodation and support services across the Directorate, and you will work closely with Heads of Service to deliver requirements and ensure best value for money.

You will contribute to tender documentation using professional expertise to ensure terms and conditions of high value/high risk complex tenders and contracts cover all necessary aspects and reflect the outcomes and services desired.

Through joining our motivated, public value-focussed, specialist Communities directorate, you can enjoy a purposeful career and contribute to the delivery of vital services to West Sussex's residents!

We are looking for someone with proven leadership and negotiation skills, and a desire to use these in influencing colleagues, partners, and decision-makers, as part of our mission to secure continuous improvement in the directorate.

Educated to degree or equivalent qualification, you will have significant experience in procurement or contract management.

You will have keen attention to detail, be comfortable working independently and be at ease in this fast-paced, agile environment with rapidly changing deadlines, workloads, and priorities.

Customer service is at the forefront of the skills you possess. Alongside this, you will have a keen analytical eye. You will be a strong negotiator to achieve improvements in contract terms and liase with providers where performance levels are not met.

You will be keen to deliver by using your own initiative, multi-tasking and able to effectively prioritise both your work and those you manage and be keen to evidence this through your ability to develop outcome-based contract performance measures.

You will be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, communicating on several different levels with multiple stakeholders and adapting your style accordingly.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

Along with a generous holiday entitlement of 27 days plus opportunity to buy additional leave).

Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

• A excellent local government pension scheme
• A range of flexible working options, depending on your job role
• Maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
• volunteering opportunities
• Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
• A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (see our Staff discounts page if you are a business looking to offer a discount)
• Health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans.

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

The reference number for this role is CPP00895.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Emma Hawkins at emma.hawkins@westsussex.gov.uk

For an informal conversation regarding the application process, please contact Rosa Siracusa (Resourcing & Talent Acquisition Specialist) at Rosa.Siracusa@westsussex.gov.uk

For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV, and complete the application form, explaining how you meet the key skills in the attached job description and experience you can bring to the role. Please ensure all that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, years referencing and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application helppage.

RSi