13959 - MoJ Property Directorate - Head of Contract Management

Should you be successful in the recruitment process, your anticipated start date will be May 2026.

The MoJ Property Directorate is a customer focused organisation that exists to enable our customers to perform to their very best. We do this by providing high quality, easy to use services, and working environments that our customers want to work in, which support them to deliver their individual outputs efficiently. Our job is to manage one of the most diverse and complex estates in Government – hosted by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) - a property portfolio including Prisons, Probation, MoJ HQ and Arm’s Length Bodies. MoJ Property provides specialist services including facilities management, health and safety, fire safety and security, technical design expertise, and sustainability. We also have business management teams who support the entire Directorate and each of our partners is supported by account management teams. We are responsible for a great deal – our portfolio consists of properties valued at £9.3bn for the MoJ alone.

We are part of the Government Property Profession (GPP) and through active membership and engagement we will work with the Office of Government Property to develop the maturity of the profession and encourage our people to join the GPP. We continue to build our capability through training and recruitment, aspiring to be the best that we can be as individuals and as a directorate. We continue to deliver new ways of working across our portfolio – leading on the scale and pace of activity for central government – proposing ways to achieve, and then provide more dynamic and flexible workspace, while driving down the cost of the estate.

The Contract Management team are responsible for providing a dedicated contract management resource to the MoJ Property Directorate. As a team, their purpose is to enable full oversight of the new FM contracts – which will result in a better service provided to our customer. Standardisation of how the new FM contracts are managed. Each lot/supplier to have a nominated G7 who acts as their point of contact for anything contractual. The team will ensure there are clear owners to the contracts, governance is adhered to, and control of the contracts is managed correctly. The team will operate in unison, ensuring each supplier is governed and managed in accordance with agreed governance structures and Terms of References. To bridge any gaps between suppliers, operational and commercial teams; to also act as the gel between stakeholders. The Contract team will be proactive in their contract management, pro‑actively identifying and advising on risk/trends ahead of time.

As part of the senior management team (SMT), the role will be to provide leadership to the Contract Management team, manage complex stakeholder relationships, ensure contractual compliance and conduct process reviews with responsibility for contract governance. Your role will be as senior contract escalation point for the Facilities Management (FM) contract operational performance. Working closely with your SMT colleagues in the operational space, your work will provide a clear structured approach to contract governance and will require you to address and appropriately manage significant contractual escalations. This post reports directly into the SCS1.

Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages underperformance to resolution.
• Oversees the realisation of benefits achieved as a result of the performance management regime or change control.
• Leads mediation and dispute resolution, driving value from the use of performance metrics and success criteria.
• Implements structured approaches to supplier relationship management throughout their area of responsibility.
• Manages supplier relationships and contract teams giving day‑to‑day oversight of contracts.
• Provides expert advice on relevant regulations and compliance issues.
• Provides practical advice to stakeholders having identified, evaluated, negotiated and apportioned contract risks.
• Ensures business continuity e.g. security of supply extends during any transition period and throughout the entire contract life, including procurement and closedown.
• Leads transition management, exit strategy and driving value from the use of performance.
• Lead on contract management team support to the Commercial team in contract renegotiations.

Metrics and success criteria Contract and Supplier Management

• Lead on effective cost control measures, working closely with Finance and Commercial teams.
• Have clear understanding of contract management risks, priorities and strategies.
• Lead on the management of all contract obligations, ensuring that suppliers meet overarching requirements.

Governance

• Forward thinking with a proactive approach to FM.
• Manage the relationship with the Account Management leads and the senior account representatives including suppliers and Commercial team.
• Ensure that the audit, assurance and validation of service delivery are undertaken, and the outputs managed accordingly.