Band 7 Performance and Contracts Manager

Band 7 Performance and Contracts Manager

– Secondment from 14th April 2025 to 31st March 2026

Please note:

Only NHS employees can apply.
Applicants will need to have permission from their managers before applying.

An exciting opportunity has arisen in our Performance and Contracts Team for an enthusiastic Performance and Contracts Manager to cover for Maternity Leave. The successful candidate will have knowledge and experience of both performance and contracts and a willingness to develop these skills. There will be a diversity of challenges and opportunities if you are successful with your application; please read the job description for further information and to confirm your suitability against the person specification.

Main duties of the job

This post will allow the successful applicant to play a supporting role in the Performance and Contracts team with accountability to the Director of Performance and Contracts. Ideally, you will have worked within an NHS environment with a proven track record of developing relationships and working with a range of cross-organisational stakeholders and successfully supported a team/s to deliver organisational priorities. You will have or be able to develop the skills of supporting the delivery of programmes in a challenging environment.

You should possess good communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills, with a flexible approach to work and enjoy working as part of a team.

Above all, we are looking for a keen, enthusiastic, and confident individual who can show determination to the team/individual development and commitment in the role.

About us

The post holder will support the Trust in managing performance across the Trust as well as securing and managing c.£250M in income from SEL, SWL, NHSE, CCG specialist, and additional contracts. The post holder will be part of a team that works closely with Directorates to build relationships with other organisations such as NHS and Local Authority commissioners and independent and third sector providers, operating within the local health economy, as well as across London and nationally. The post holder will support the Head of Contracts and Performance in ensuring that services comply with the various regulatory frameworks provided by Monitor and Standard Contracts with Commissioners. Contract types may include cost and volume, cost per case, MH Tariff cluster-based, outcome-based, block, framework contracts as well as non-contract activity, covering the following areas:

• Patient-related healthcare providing and subcontracting (including third sector)
• Provider-provider service agreements/contracts
• Contracts relating to the Trust’s income generation activities and new business
• Contracts relating to the Trust’s purchasing of healthcare-related goods and services

Job description

Job responsibilities

Performance Expectations
The Team is part of the Operations Directorate which is funded as an overhead cost across Directorates and their clinical services. It is therefore expected that all team members will be proactive wherever possible and highly responsive in supporting Directorates and assisting them to deliver against contractual requirements. Team members are expected to provide a minimum level of cover for each other in being able to respond to general contracting issues while colleagues are on leave. Team members are expected to share calendars and work files to enable a professional response to enquiries. The Team meets regularly to review progress against projects (objectives) and to provide a forum for sharing work issues. Team members are expected to update the group on their work for these meetings and at quarterly appraisal and review meetings with the Director of Performance and Contracts. The Team is expected to act as an expert resource in supporting Directorates, infrastructure departments, and the Trust leadership, and members will therefore be supported in maintaining, developing, and sharing their knowledge, understanding, and experience of the external business environment, DH guidance, business intelligence, the healthcare market, Monitor, CQC, the internal business environment, Trust and Directorate strategic direction and services, corporate business systems, and roles.

Members of the Team are highly visible, external-facing representatives of the Trust and must always be professional and business-like in interactions with external organisations.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Support specific aspects of managing the Trust’s day-to-day delivery against the requirements of the performance management framework and allocated contracts.
2. Work with the Finance Team to support financial performance management for an agreed area and to ensure contract costings are correct and cover the entire costs to SLaM of providing the service.
3. Review and update documentation as necessary, particularly ensuring service specifications are clear, deliverable, and up to date.
4. Ensure information is properly analysed and supports Trust business decision-making.
5. Set up and maintain any necessary activity reporting/compliance reporting for agreed areas of responsibility monitoring the data quality of this reporting, escalating issues where required.
6. Where SLaM is commissioning services from elsewhere, require such reporting as necessary to assure the Trust that the service is being delivered as specified and achieving appropriate quality standards. Initiate remedial action as necessary.
7. Ensure the Trust has sound and efficient processes in place to manage inquiries and queries, formal and informal, from commissioners regarding contract performance and other contract issues.
8. Ensure that other Trust teams are aware of any responsibilities they may have to support delivery against performance standards and allocated contracts.
9. Manage the process of review and renegotiation in a timely way, involving others as necessary.
10. Manage ongoing communication with designated commissioners and external agencies (such as Monitor) including regular meetings, and ensure Trust responses are sent in a timely way.
11. Support nominated Directorate in their delivery against performance standards and contracts by:

1. Sharing with all relevant Trust directors and departments the terms and conditions of NHSE and CCG specialist contracts and monitoring Trust compliance with these requirements and the performance management framework.
2. Reviewing and supporting the Directorate in updating documentation as necessary.
3. Coordinating the delivery of any necessary activity, performance, or financial reporting from other departments and escalating any issues with these requirements where appropriate and necessary.
4. Managing the timely production of regular performance reports, including for key commissioners.
5. Managing a proactive process to regularly review and re-negotiate contracts with commissioners, as required, working with Directorate leads to ensure thorough preparation for these meetings and attending meetings to ensure a contract presence.
6. Working with Directorate managers and other infrastructure departments to understand activity flows and assist in developing realistic and achievable activity plans, disinvestment plans, or other contract schedules.
7. Developing relationships within Directorate and infrastructure departments at appropriate levels to ensure that any relevant service delivery or contract compliance issues are escalated quickly.
8. Providing coordination of responses and documentation etc. in the event of any relevant consultations or contractual disputes.
9. Develop a detailed programme of work to assist the Trust in delivering against contractual plans.
10. Work with the Commercial Team and service development lead to support the tendering/service development process to secure income through contracting.
11. Work with Informatics and nominated Directorate to identify any issues of data quality and accuracy and make recommendations for appropriate improvements as necessary.
12. With Team colleagues, manage the ongoing development of regular performance reporting against contractual requirements to minimise reporting burden on the Trust.
13. Identify the need and mechanisms to enable Directorate narrative input and explanation of the Trust’s activity and performance reporting.
14. Assist in identifying any improvements to processes within the organisation, relating to contract, performance, finance, IT functions, suggesting solutions and working with other departments to implement these, where appropriate.
15. Assist Team colleagues in updating the Trust’s service directory and change control processes.
16. Support the senior members of the team in the annual contract development and negotiation process for major contracts.
17. Support nominated Directorate(s) in their general understanding of the business, performance, and contracting environment, making use of:

1. The shared drives, MS Teams, and intranet.
2. Directorate business meetings and training opportunities.
3. Any other appropriate vehicles such as the Trust newsletter.

1. Collation and analysis of business intelligence with other departments.
2. Activity trend analysis.
3. Maintaining Trust-wide overview and reporting where appropriate.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS

Essential

• Degree level qualification ideally in a numerate discipline or knowledge gained by post-qualification experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Postgraduate degree in a related field.
• Experience of performance management frameworks and/or clinical contract management and support within healthcare organisations, to include negotiation, schedule development, performance and contract meeting management, business planning, representing your organisation and dealing with conflict.
• Presentation and report writing.
• Ability to prioritise conflicting requirements to meet Trust objectives and deliver to strict deadlines.
• Knowledge of NHS Standard Contracts and contractual requirements.
• Awareness of the MH Long Term Plan Commitments.

Desirable

• The ability to create contracts to suit a unique arrangement where no template exists.
• Knowledge of performance and contract management systems within mental healthcare organisations.

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Working at home, London, SW9 9SP

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

334-NCL-6914467#J-18808-Ljbffr