Contracts Manager in Brighton

Here is seeking an experienced Contracts Manager to join our Corporate Team. The position is part time (0.5 WTE) with flexible working welcomed. This is an excellent opportunity to use your contract management expertise in a supportive environment while maintaining a healthy work–life balance.

About Us and Our Culture

Here is a not-for-profit social enterprise, providing innovative healthcare to people within Sussex and beyond. We provide NHS commissioned healthcare including memory assessment and MSK services, alongside bespoke data analytics products and services. We work in partnership with a wide range of organisations to create and deliver outstanding personalised healthcare.

Positive about Disability

We’re committed to developing the careers of individuals with a disability. We will give full and fair consideration to all applicants. Applicants who confirm a disability that meet the essential criteria and evidence this within their application, will be interviewed.

Positive about Diversity

Here value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We actively welcome applicants who identify as LGBTQ+, disabled, and people of the Global Majority.

Job purpose

The Contracts Manager supports this work by providing contracting expertise, oversight and guidance to Here. Working with senior colleagues across the organisation, and within the wider system, the Contract Manager oversees all of our contractual arrangements, ensuring that Here has robust agreements in place to enable us to provide Exceptional Care, For Everyone. The role sits within the Corporate Services team reporting to the Finance Director.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Contracting Oversight - Organisational subject matter expert on all aspects of contracting. Providing contractual leadership, oversight and guidance for all of Here’s NHS and commercial contracting arrangements. This includes working alongside service leads, executive team, partner organisations, commissioners, and sub-contractors to negotiate contract terms, review documentation, draft formal contractual agreements, and summarise key contractual issues and opportunities for colleagues and external partner organisations. Maintaining a comprehensive register of all contractual agreements, ensuring a consistent and proportionate approach to contract management across the organisation. Working closely with service leads and finance colleagues to manage contractual changes, expiry and extensions, and ensure that relevant learning and guidance is applied cross-organisationally.
• NHS Contracting - Organisational subject matter expert on all NHS contracting arrangements, providing oversight, advice and guidance on a wide range of legal/contractual agreements to service leads, executive team and Here Board. External point of contact for all contractual issues in relation to NHS sub-contracts and commissioners. Managing significant senior contracting relationships and representing Here at external forums. Work with service leads and executive team to manage contractual risks and provide support/guidance to services to ensure that contractual commitments are fully understood and achieved. Organisational lead on the contracting process for all new contractual agreements as both a provider and commissioner of NHS services. Keeping up to date with changes in legislation impacting on NHS contracts and periodic updates to NHS contract and finance guidance, including ensuring relevant guidance is correctly applied to all NHS contracts across the organisation.
• Commercial Contracting - Providing contractual advice, guidance, and oversight to commercial service delivery teams in relation to contracts where Here is the service provider – including drafting bespoke agreements and supporting the team in dispute/relationship management. Drafting bespoke formal partnership/collaboration agreements with partner organisations. Working with executive team and service leads to ensure agreements are fit for purpose and are in line with strategic organisational priorities. Where appropriate this may also include liaising with external legal expertise – ensuring a proportionate approach is applied to reflect organisational requirements. As services develop, working with service leads and partners to review and where necessary vary contractual documentation – both customer contracts and partnership arrangements – to ensure contractual arrangements remain fit for purpose and effectively manage Here’s risk exposure. Support service leads and executive team with pre-contractual commercial arrangements, drafting and/or reviewing bespoke agreements to manage confidentiality and maintain Here’s commercial position.
• Governance - Internal - Providing legal advice and guidance to services and executive team. Including bids, procurement, and contractual challenges from commissioners/providers. Accountable for Here’s legal function and associated budget. Liaising with external legal advisors as appropriate to include changes to company documentation and support in drafting/interpreting bespoke contractual agreements. Drafting premises/room hire arrangements on behalf of clinical services and where appropriate negotiating/drafting leaseholder agreements, often with support from external legal advisors. Provide advice and guidance to Here Board and executive team on company legal structure and status. Where necessary lead on changes to company legal documentation and draft/present resolutions at general meetings of Here where required. Maintain register of Here shareholders, updating as necessary to reflect new/leaving shareholders and lead the internal buy-back process, including sign-off from Here Board, in line with the company articles of association. Lead on the annual interest disclosure process, maintaining a register of interests, providing advice and guidance to colleagues, working with the Finance Director to review and manage potential or actual conflicts, and supporting Here’s external audit. Owner of Here’s gifts and hospitality policy, undertaking periodic reviews and maintaining the gifts and hospitality register.
• Governance - External - Maintain statutory company records and complete the reporting process to Companies House on behalf of Here, to include confirmation statements and changes to shareholding. Keep up to date with relevant legislation and licensing requirements relevant to Here as a limited company working in the healthcare sector, providing advice and guidance to executive team to manage risks and ensure Here remains compliant.

Person Specification

You will be assessed according to the extent in which you meet these qualities/skills and how well matched you are to our core beliefs and commitments. Some flexibility may be exercised in the application of the criteria outlined above where a disabled candidate covered by the DDA is unable to meet certain parts of the specification because of their disability. Candidates who this applies to should outline details on their application form. This information will be assessed on an individual basis throughout the selection process.

Qualifications (E - Essential; D - Desirable)

• Educated to degree level and/or equivalent knowledge, training and experience gained within the NHS or other similar Healthcare setting. E
• Evidence of sustained commitment to continuing professional development. E

Experience and job‑related knowledge (E - Essential; D - Desirable)

• Excellent understanding of NHS contractual arrangements, in particular an in-depth knowledge of the NHS Standard Contract and relevant contract and finance guidance. E
• Experience working in a similar role in an NHS, public sector, or VCSE organisation. E
• Strong understanding of the health and care landscape, including relevant legislation, policies and guidance. E
• A good understanding of social enterprises and an ability to demonstrate the challenges facing social enterprises working in the healthcare sector. E
• Strong knowledge of contract law. E
• Broad legal knowledge, ideally in relation to obligations on limited companies working in healthcare. D
• Demonstrable experience of drafting bespoke contractual agreements. E
• Experience of working autonomously at a senior level. E

Skills (E - Essential; D - Desirable)

• Excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills. E
• Able to build and maintain strong working relationships across organisational boundaries. E
• Excellent attention to detail. E
• Ability to interpret, analyse and communicate complex information to a wide range of audiences. E
• A strong understanding of the importance of effective corporate governance. E
• A high level of self‑awareness and emotional intelligence, with an understanding of own strengths and limitations. E
• Ability to manage competing and complex demands, and work to set deadlines. E