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- Tasks: Lead cost improvement initiatives and negotiate better contracts for NHS providers.
- Company: Join Attain, a values-driven consultancy making a real impact in the NHS.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, bonuses, generous leave, and professional development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a difference in healthcare while developing your career in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in commercial roles with a focus on delivering savings.
- Other info: Dynamic, fast-paced work environment with clear paths for career progression.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
The NHS is operating under sustained financial pressure, with an increasing need to deliver material, recurrent savings while maintaining service quality and patient outcomes. NHS organisations require senior commercial expertise to identify cost improvement opportunities, challenge existing contractual arrangements and secure better value from third-party spend. This role offers the opportunity to lead and deliver high-impact cost improvement activity within NHS providers.
You will work closely with executive teams and stakeholders to identify opportunities, apply commercial levers and negotiate improved contractual outcomes, delivering tangible, measurable savings for the NHS.
Why join Attain
Attain offers a genuinely different proposition to traditional consultancies. We are a values-led organisation with a strong mix of public sector values and private sector thinking. A high proportion of our people have worked directly within the NHS, giving us real credibility with clients. Our teams work shoulder-to-shoulder with long-term NHS partners to deliver tangible savings, improve services and make a lasting impact. We are deeply people-focused, investing heavily in career development, learning and leadership, with clear opportunities to progress within our business and into senior roles leading projects, care sectors or portfolios. As a growing business, Attain offers exposure to varied, high-impact work, meaningful responsibility, and the chance to shape how we operate. We reward contribution and performance, foster a supportive and inclusive culture, and place real value on doing the right thing, for our people, our clients and the communities they serve.
The role
In this role you will be responsible for:
- Delivering cost improvement savings within NHS providers, with a focus on contract and third-party spend
- Working at pace to deliver an agreed savings target - normally in a pressurised “turnaround” environment - with a clear Return on Investment (ROI) expectation from your individual role.
- Identifying, quantifying and prioritising cost improvement opportunities
- Applying commercial levers, negotiation strategies and market insight to secure improved value for money
- Leading commercial strategies, such as contract rationalisation / demand management / price-volume / indexation review / benchmarking
- Reviewing contracts to identify saving opportunities, commercial risk and optimisation potential
- Engaging confidently with executive leaders, including Directors of Finance and senior operational leaders
- Operating with a high degree of autonomy while contributing to wider Attain delivery teams
- Operating effectively in hybrid environments, with regular on-site presence on client sites
Skills and ways of working
You will demonstrate:
- A strong focus on delivery of measurable savings.
- Taking accountability for personal savings targets and those of team members
- Confidence in commercial negotiation and influencing senior stakeholders
- Ability to analyse contracts, financial data and commercial arrangements
- Resilience and adaptability in turnaround and recovery environments
- Clear, confident communication skills, including at executive level
Stakeholder engagement
You will work closely with:
- Clinical leaders
- Executive and senior management teams (including Directors of Finance)
- Organisational stakeholders (including finance, procurement and operational colleagues)
Building trust, credibility and alignment will be central to your success.
The working environment
The role will be in an NHS provider. The working environment is:
- Fast-paced, dynamic and often pressurised
- Frequently operating in turnaround or recovery contexts
- Highly accountable, with clear expectations around ROI and impact
- Requires resilience, adaptability and pace
About you
Your current role You will bring:
- A strong track record of delivering savings within NHS providers
- Significant experience in managing contract spend, cost improvement or commercial roles
- Confidence operating autonomously while contributing to team delivery
- Experience of influencing and negotiating; delivering better pricing, performance or improved terms
- A clear personal track record of ROI and impact
- Operating within a clear governance structure
- Ability to prioritise to maximise benefits for clients
Your achievements
Successful candidates will be able to evidence:
- Delivery of material, quantifiable savings (in excess of £2m per annum)
- Success in identifying, quantifying and prioritising cost improvement opportunities
- Ability to understand, interpret and amend commercial agreements
- Successfully analysing complex financial information to identify opportunities
- Success in challenging existing commercial arrangements
- Strong negotiation skills and delivering outcomes against demanding targets to time
- Effective Executive-level influence, engagement and reporting
Your career background
We are looking for candidates who have:
- 10+ years’ relevant experience
- A finance and/or commercial background
- Varied experience across public and private sectors
- Proven delivery in commercial or cost improvement roles
- A strong understanding of contractual and commercial drivers
Your personal attributes
You will be:
- Aligned to Attain’s values-led culture
- Highly accountable for your own ROI and driven by results
- Driven to make savings and improve services
- Dynamic and able to re-prioritise opportunities
- Confident and skilled negotiator
- Analytical, commercially astute and outcome-focused
The benefits
Competitive salary, performance/profit-based annual bonus of circa 10%, 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays on top, 6% employer contribution pension scheme, company-paid subscription to a professional body, hybrid working but also opportunities to work in coworking spaces, a suite of learning tools to support continuing professional development, and experience a rich variety of delivery projects across different care areas.
At Attain our culture and company values promote a supportive and inclusive environment where our employees’ differences are nurtured to enable everyone to reach their full potential. We are committed to a culture where respect and understanding is fostered, and the diversity of people's backgrounds and circumstances are positively valued as they enable Attain to continually bring creativity and innovation to our clients' work and internally. Our recruitment process reflects this commitment, focusing on skills, capabilities, and experience to ensure fairness and equity at every step.
Associate Director Cost Improvement – Contract Spend employer: Attain
Contact Detail:
Attain Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Director Cost Improvement – Contract Spend
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the NHS sector. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its values. Understand Attain’s mission and how they operate within the NHS. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around delivering measurable savings and improving services.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your negotiation skills! Since this role involves influencing senior stakeholders and securing better value from contracts, being able to demonstrate your negotiation prowess in interviews will set you apart. Role-play scenarios with friends or mentors to build confidence.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining Attain and making a difference in the NHS.
We think you need these skills to ace Associate Director Cost Improvement – Contract Spend
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Associate Director Cost Improvement role. Highlight your experience in delivering savings and managing contract spend, as this will show us you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; we want to see your impact! Include specific examples of how you've delivered measurable savings or improved contractual outcomes in previous roles. Numbers speak volumes!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point, especially when it comes to your achievements.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Attain
✨Know Your Numbers
Before the interview, brush up on your financial acumen. Be ready to discuss specific savings you've delivered in previous roles, especially within the NHS. Quantifying your achievements with figures like 'over £2m saved annually' will show you mean business.
✨Master the Art of Negotiation
Since this role involves a lot of negotiation, prepare examples of how you've successfully influenced senior stakeholders in the past. Think about the strategies you used and the outcomes achieved. This will demonstrate your confidence and capability in securing better value for money.
✨Understand the NHS Landscape
Familiarise yourself with current challenges facing the NHS, particularly around cost improvement and contract management. Showing that you understand the pressures and can identify opportunities will set you apart as a candidate who is not just qualified but also genuinely invested in the sector.
✨Engage with Executive Presence
Practice clear and confident communication, especially when discussing complex financial data or commercial arrangements. You’ll need to engage with executive leaders, so being articulate and assertive will help build trust and credibility during your interview.
