Programme Manager - Contracts & Services in Manchester

Do you want your work to shape national knowledge services used across the NHS? At NICE, we make evidence accessible so health and care professionals can deliver better outcomes. In this role, you will lead the commissioning and contract management of essential digital knowledge resources – ensuring they remain high-quality, good value and responsive to the needs of the health and care system.

Main duties of the job:

• You will ensure these services remain high-quality, good value and aligned to the needs of the healthcare workforce.
• You will work with suppliers, publishers, NHS partners and government bodies to shape national tools that support patient care.
• You will also strengthen NICE's internal contract-management approach by improving processes, increasing consistency and supporting teams to make confident, well-informed commercial decisions.

About us:

The Content, Contracts & Licensing (CCL) team within the Finance, Corporate and Commercial (FCC) Directorate at NICE provides specialist commercial and commissioning expertise to ensure the NHS and wider healthcare system can access high-quality digital knowledge resources and evidence services. You will be joining a small, expert team that leads national commissioning of key services – including the National Core Content collection, the Cochrane Library, Clinical Knowledge Summaries, authentication services such as OpenAthens, and the UK PharmaScan database – used every day across health and care to support clinical decision-making and system planning. CCL also manages global licensing arrangements, intellectual property and permissions for the re-use of NICE content. The team works closely with suppliers, publishers, NHS England, devolved administrations and a range of professional networks, providing trusted commercial guidance and ensuring knowledge services offer good value and strong performance.

We can offer you a great place to work with good benefits, flexible working, and a supportive, friendly, and inclusive environment.

Benefits:

• Generous NHS pension – secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK.
• Flexible working – enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options such as remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times.
• Exclusive discounts – save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light Card.
• Time to recharge – start with 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Inclusive staff networks – join supportive communities such as Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and NICE and Proud, celebrating diversity.
• Tailored development – grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities.

Person Specification:

Education:

• Master's degree or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience and further training.

Experience:

• Extensive experience in managing complex, high-value contracts including negotiation, performance management and stakeholder engagement at national level.
• Proven track record in commissioning and procurement, including service design, tender preparation, evaluation and contract oversight.
• Experience representing the organisation in external meetings/negotiations and managing relationships with publishers, suppliers and national bodies.

Skills:

• Advanced analytical and judgement skills; ability to interpret complex legal, financial and technical information to inform strategic decisions and service development.
• Strong commercial acumen, including costing, pricing/value analysis, supplier performance and financial planning aligned with public-sector governance.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission to be made for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.