Contract Director – Healthcare NEW Medirest Posted today Competitive Merseyside Operations

Medirest, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, is seeking an exceptional Contract Director to lead the delivery of large, complex, multi-million-pound healthcare contracts across major NHS sites. This is a senior, high-profile leadership role with full accountability for commercial performance, operational excellence, stakeholder relationships, and long-term contract growth. You will be trusted to operate with autonomy, influence at board level, and drive best-in-class Soft Facilities Management services in a mission-critical healthcare environment.

The Role

As Contract Director, you will have full P&L responsibility for a diverse portfolio of Soft FM services including cleaning, catering, retail and support services, leading large on-site teams and partnering closely with NHS Trust leadership. This role is about more than delivery – it’s about strategy, innovation, and commercial leadership in one of the most complex and rewarding sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial & Financial Leadership
  • Full ownership of multi-million-pound budgets, forecasting, and financial performance
  • Drive profitability, cost control, and sustainable growth opportunities
  • Lead contract negotiations, variations, and re-tenders
• Contract & Compliance Management
  • Ensure consistent delivery against SLAs, KPIs, and regulatory standards
  • Maintain full compliance across all Soft FM services within a healthcare environment
• Operational Excellence
  • Set and maintain exceptional service standards across all service lines
  • Champion safety, quality, and continuous improvement in patient-focused environments
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement
  • Act as the senior strategic partner to NHS Trust executives
  • Build long-term, trusted relationships with clients, suppliers, and internal leaders
• Leadership & Culture
  • Lead, inspire, and develop large, multidisciplinary management teams
  • Create a high-performance culture focused on accountability, engagement, and talent development
• Risk & Governance
  • Proactively identify and mitigate operational, financial, and compliance risks
  • Ensure a safe, secure, and resilient service for patients, staff, and visitors

About You

You are a commercially astute, confident leader with a proven track record managing large-scale Soft FM contracts, ideally within healthcare or similarly complex environments. You will bring:

• Significant senior-level experience in Healthcare Soft FM Contract Management
• Strong P&L ownership and commercial decision-making capability
• Experience leading large teams across multi-service operations
• Excellent stakeholder management and negotiation skills
• A customer-centric mindset with an understanding of NHS and healthcare challenges
• Strategic thinking combined with the ability to deliver operationally

What We Offer

We recognise senior talent with a highly competitive and attractive reward package, including:

• Competitive executive salary (commensurate with experience)
• Performance-related bonus
• Car allowance or executive travel benefits
• Contributory pension scheme
• Private healthcare & Digital GP access for you and your family
• Structured career progression within Compass Group UK&I
• Access to MyLearning and Career Pathways development programmes
• Extensive retail, travel, leisure, and lifestyle discounts
• Wellness support, mindfulness sessions, and wellbeing initiatives
• Benefits and offers you can share with family and friends

Why Medirest?

Medirest is the UK’s leading healthcare catering and Soft FM provider, trusted by NHS Trusts nationwide. As part of Compass Group, we offer scale, stability, and career opportunity, while making a real difference to patient and staff experiences every day. Diversity is Our Strength. Inclusion is Our Culture.