AMS PSR

On behalf of Met Office, we are looking for a Senior Contract Manager (InsideIR35) for a 6 Month Contract.

Hybrid - The first few weeks, 2/3 days per week in Exeter and then will be able to work more remotely.

This highly strategic position offers the unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in transformative projects, including supporting the development of world-class systems such as the Tools and Systems Project and other Services (Products and Services Domain) projects. These projects are not just technological upgrades but are key enablers of the Met Office’s revenue generation, operational productivity and global leadership in meteorology.

As Strategic Contract Manager, you will ensure that suppliers deliver these critical projects on time, on budget and aligned with the Met Office’s strategic goals. You will be a trusted advisor to the SRO, bridging the gap between technical delivery and business outcomes. By managing multi-million-pound contracts and fostering collaboration, you will enable cutting-edge innovations that directly contribute to the UK's economic and national security interests.

Reporting to the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO), you will lead on both the strategic and operational contract management of the two contracts delivering the four key toolsets. This will include, managing the strategic relationships, as well as day-to-day operational performance and delivery against the contracted performance measures. Aligning both suppliers to ongoing business needs will be key, including promoting collaboration and a partnering ethos across the parties, to ensure effective and efficient supplier delivery.

The role will also include advising internal stakeholders, as required, on issues such as risks, the impact of proposed changes to the services, contract compliance, dispute resolution and other issues that might impact future value for money. It is likely that other strategic contracts will fall into the remit of this role.

As a Senior Contract Manager, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Lead on and manage the strategic relationship with suppliers, aligning with the Contract Management Responsibilities Matrix used by the Metrological Office. This will include negotiating all aspects of operational delivery to ensure full compliance with contractual standards and costs; leading on any reviews of the services and ensuring demonstrable ongoing value for money.
• Lead on the evaluation of operational performance of suppliers, ensuring KPIs and milestones are met, dealing with performance issues and disputes, as required.
• Manage contract variations and changes, to ensure value for the organisation, maintaining contract change control processes (including engagement with the Commercial Team for authority to proceed) and logging changes, as well as gathering and disseminating lessons learned.
• Identify and monitor risks and other issues that impact contract delivery, plan and deliver mitigations, manage (within scope of authority) and escalate risks and issues where necessary.
• Own and review the governance process (including terms of reference) for administering individual contracts, ensuring that all relevant stakeholders, internally and externally, are represented.
• Maintain exit and business continuity plans with suppliers and manage the exit from contracts when appropriate. Oversee changes to the contract and contract schedules documentation, ensuring a full audit trail is in place.
• Check and review supplier invoices against payment plans. Oversee spend against budgets and savings/benefits identified in the business case.
• Act as a champion to support internal teams on shaping outcome-based requirements, working with the Commercial Team as appropriate, to achieve maximum benefit and success in the market.

Essential:

• Strategic thinking, evidence of wider strategic thinking with the ability to integrate strategy into deliverable plans.
• Managing relationships with a strong customer focus, working effectively with internal stakeholders and supplier representatives to encourage collaboration, joint benefits and opportunities to derive the maximum value from contracts through good relationship management. An experienced and capable negotiator
• Good commercial acumen understands business priorities and aligns these to how best to incentivise suppliers and get the most from them. Can create the business benefits case around change and quantify the intended benefits of change.
• Communication skills, excellent communication skills (spoken, written and listening) with an ability to work with multiple stakeholders, tailoring your message to different parts of the organisation.
• Ability to make sound decisions around operational priorities, including when to stop activities that no longer add value to the business.
• Already hold, or have the willingness to undertake, Government Contract Management Practitioner level training.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, Met Office guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

DE&I Commitment

Met Office guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".