Contracts And Performance Manager - Req24713

Job title: Housing Contracts and Performance Manager
Salary: £48,474 – £51,515
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Merrion House / Hybrid
As a Housing Contracts and Performance Manager you’ll thrive on getting the best outcomes and seeing improvements for our customers, using your strong communication and leadership skills to influence and work with key contractors and partners. 

This is great opportunity for you to join a knowledgeable and supportive team, who take immense pride in ensuring high quality and best value outputs are delivered from our two Housing PFI Contracts, along with embedding and driving a positive performance management framework across Housing to help shape and inform data and intelligence-lead decisions and strategies.
It’s not about the contractual theory and paper-based outcomes, but about living the Contracts and outputs in the real world and making an impact on our residents and communities.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As a Housing Contracts and Performance Manager, you will bring to the role:

• An ability to develop relationships that command respect, trust and confidence.
• Experience of managing multi million pound construction/refurbishment contracts, including partnering contracts
• An ability to work using discretion and initiative and deal with problems confidently.
• Ability to analyse and interpret varied and complex information or situations and produce appropriate solutions or strategies to difficult problems
• Experience of managing competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities

About the role

As our next Housing Contracts and Performance Manager, you’ll provide leadership and support to ensure the successful operational management of the Council's housing PFI Contracts and to provide strategic contract management support across Housing Leeds, to ensure contracts, risk and Performance management frameworks are effective, delivering best value and quality outputs for the service.

You will demonstrate excellent leadership skills, with an ability to motivate and inspire individuals and teams to be their best and deliver the best outcomes possible for our customers.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for someone with a strong commercial knowledge and skillset to join a proactive, highly skilled and self-motivated team to deliver excellent performance on the ground for our residents and communities. You will have a drive and desire to ‘make things right’ when issues arise, via contractual mechanisms, recognised processes and your own management skills. 
The role is integral to our Contracts and Performance  team, who you will lead, inspire and motivate to continue to deliver optimum results and be their best. This role and team play a critical part in ensuring that we meet our statutory compliance for the Housing PFI contracts, and that we conduct ourselves in line with regulation & best practice.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Helen Jackson, Head of Business Development & Housing Projects on 0113 3785968 or helen.jackson@leeds.gov.uk.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description 

Job purpose

To provide leadership and support to ensure the successful operational management of the Council's housing PFI Contracts and to provide strategic contract management support to the operational teams in Housing Leeds, to ensure contracts are fit for purpose, operate on an effective commercial basis and deliver value for money to the Council. To ensure that the Council's risk management framework is delivered within the service and to provide support for the performance management requirements of the service.   
Responsibilities

To be responsible for the planning, development, monitoring, review and Performance for all contract management, risk and Performance areas of the team.

To ensure all Housing contracts are registered and monitored, fit for purpose and support both the operational requirements and the Councils priorities.

To review, recommend and redraft if necessary, contract policies and procedures, ensuring they are fit for purpose, including statutory and legal responsibilities and protect all council’s interests, both written and implied.

To work in partnership with operational managers and staff from within the division to ensure contract policies and procedures are being adhered to and are in line with contractual commitments, reporting concerns and implications to senior management where appropriate, this may require process audits to be undertaken.

To support complex negotiations of contract variation, amendment, extension or dispute with contractors and operational managers making recommendations where appropriate.

To continually champion value for money (VFM) from within the contractual framework, exploring areas, from within the contracts, that VFM can be improved.

To develop and lead an effective commercial review programme on all related contracts ensuring full visibility, accountability and value of funds spent making recommendations where appropriate.

To manage the divisions risk management framework developing full reporting requirements.

To implement a robust, appropriate and contract compliant approach to the management of all divisional Contracts and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s), ensuring this includes effective governance; audit and risk management arrangements are in place.

To report regularly on all aspects of divisional contracts as required.

To ensure sufficient contract documents are recorded and evidence secured through negotiations.

To ensure all housing contracts are managed, tendered or extended within a timely manner, in accordance with the LCC Contract Procedure Rules

Work with colleagues to promote a culture that drives real efficiency savings through active supply chain management and collaboration.

To provide support to complex supply chain arrangements and negotiations including specification of products to support lifecycle planning

To ensure the department embraces a culture of continual benchmarking and assessment, comparing itself with recognised ‘best in class’.

Divisional operations will continually change in order to offer innovative solutions and services to customers, support this by providing contractual advice on the legal implications of potential actions.

To continually benchmark contract costs and Performance against recognised industry best value.

Maintain a culture of positive communication with all internal and external partners and stakeholders during all negotiations.

Keep up to date with relevant and changing legislation and best practice and respond proactively to all issues affecting the division.

Develop a positive can-do culture amongst all divisional colleagues, key stakeholders, and partners.

Provide advice, training and support to other colleagues across the division on the specifics of contract and audit management.

To establish effective networks with peer groups across regional boundaries to ensure that developments in relevant functional areas are shared and best practice and learning is disseminated.

To advise that work is stopped if it contravenes agreed standards and systems and is putting people at risks facing the division.

To ensure the skill set within the teams constantly reflects the challenges facing the division.

This post requires a current UK driver licence

Leadership Responsibilities

To lead, manage and motivate staff and team members, recruit staff, train and develop staff, in-accordance with Council policies and employment laws, and ensure that relevant procedures are understood and followed.

To work with staff to continually improve services in order to achieve excellence.

To ensure that the team work professionally, competently, and in a forward thinking and customer focused way whilst embracing collaborative partnership working in order to achieve excellence.

To work collaboratively with other Housing Leeds teams to achieve efficiencies and best value where practical and possible.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.
Qualifications and Knowledge

Relevant Degree Level Qualification or equivalent experience

Detailed knowledge of managing construction contracts in a public sector environment and an understanding of key drivers

Detailed knowledge of the standard forms of contract and an ability to identify the circumstances in which they would be used.

A Management Qualification or equivalent experience

Evidence of continual professional development

Specific Skills and Competencies

To be able to establish and maintain professional business relationships with contractors and suppliers

To be able to drive a culture through the team that is focused both on customers and quality

Ability to manage staff to ensure work is diligently carried out and that deadlines are met

Ability to communicate with managers confidently, persuasively and authoritatively.

Ability to analyse and interpret varied and complex information or situations and produce appropriate solutions or strategies to difficult problems.

The ability to communicate orally or in writing complex and contentious information and issues with a wide range of audiences.

Ability to work using discretion and initiative and deal with problems confidently.

Ability to work flexibly and demonstrate a commitment to developing a consistent approach across the division.

Ability to engage managers and contractors in making change happen using change management skills and tools.

An ability to develop relationships that command respect, trust and confidence.

Ability to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.

Ability to effectively construct manage and control budgets and use and apply statistical techniques to interpret and manage contract control

Project management skills and the ability to manage a number of projects simultaneously

Excellent solutions.

Research skills and the ability to offer pragmatic

Experience

Proven track record of leading and managing major contracts within a social housing or relevant public sector field

Considerable experience in administering and managing NEC, JCT and SLA type contracts

Experience of managing multi million pound construction/refurbishment contracts, including partnering contracts.

Experience of procurement of both large and small contracts within the public sector

Relevant experience of working at a senior level within a related commercial field

Proven track record of leading and managing a multi-disciplinary team and or partnership/ project management teams

Effective working within a partnership environment.

Of operating within a performance management framework

Leading complex contractual negotiations to a satisfactory outcome

Experience of delivering prescribed outcomes to given timescales and budgets.

Knowledge and understanding of social housing

Experience of managing organisational change

Experience of building and maintaining effective working relationships with senior managers and other key stakeholders across a range of service areas

Experience of managing competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.

Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of

Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon

Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.

Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.

Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.

Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.

Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.

Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.

Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.

Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.

The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post.  Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.
Qualifications and Knowledge

Current chartered membership of a recognised professional related body (e.g. RICS, CIOB, RIBA etc.)

Experience

Experience of setting performance targets and timescales and measuring and managing outcomes

Experience of working within Unionised environments

Experience of working within a political environment

Budget preparation and management in accordance with Financial Regulations

Report writing and presentation

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