Contracts and Commissioning Officer

Working Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract Type: Full time / Permanent

Additional Payments: Casual car user allowance

Closing Date: 17 July 2025

Interview Method: In Person (Face to Face)

This role is subject to -

• Casual Car Documentation- The successful candidate will be a designated Casual Car User which means that car journeys may be necessary on an occasional basis, but are not essential to the role. If you do drive, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work, as well as provide all the appropriate documentation. You will receive an allowance per mile of business use.
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance - this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed  here. We have a policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders and it is available upon request.  

Key Role Accountabilities:

• Develop Procurement Strategies: Advise on and improve procurement, commissioning, and contract management practices.
• Achieve Best Value: Lead exercises to ensure the Council gets the best value in procurement of goods, services, and works.
• Managerial Support: Guide managers on procurement matters, including tender documentation and evaluations.
• Identify Savings Opportunities: Find ways to save money, maximize income, and improve resource use through procurement.
• Data Analysis: Collect and analyse data to find efficiencies and savings in contracts.
• Contract Monitoring: Ensure adherence to best practices in contract monitoring and support contractors in meeting performance targets.
• Reporting: Provide regular reports on contract and procurement activities and performance.
• Legal Compliance: Ensure procurement activities comply with laws.
• Promote Good Administration: Encourage good procurement and contract management practices across the Council.
• Meeting Participation: Attend and support meetings with senior management and key partners.
• Additional Duties: Perform other duties as required by the Council.
• Development of Plans: Contribute to commissioning and purchasing plans, including decommissioning where necessary, and assist in delivering the Children’s Placements Sufficiency Strategy.
• Contract Management Functions: Perform quality assurance visits, contract management meetings, provider forums, and service reviews.
• Performance Analysis: Analyse the impact and performance of commissioned services using various skills and liaising with professionals.
• Management Information Systems: Create and maintain high-standard systems to record accurate information.
• Information Handling: Extract and interpret information from various sources, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Stakeholder Relationships: Establish and maintain good working relationships with stakeholders and colleagues, ensuring effective knowledge transfer.
• Flexible Working: Adapt to the needs of the service.
• Continuous Development: Commit to self-development and service improvement.

To enable you to be a success in the role, you should have relevant contracts and commissioning experience, understand the challenges facing local authority and demonstrate the Our Manchester behaviours.

You will be passionate about improving outcomes for Our Manchester Children and support the delivery of this across children services through outcome-based commissioning.

In return you will be joining a highly experienced, skilled, and well-resourced service, that is committed to investing in staff.

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact [email protected].

We’re the local government authority for Manchester, and have teams across the city helping to make this a great place to live for everyone. We’re proud to do local government differently, in a city with an international reputation for diversity, creativity, culture and passion. 

When you join us, you’re joining a team of over 7,000 council staff helping to make our ambition for Manchester a reality. Whatever your role, you’ll be supporting our residents and communities to be the best they can be, and helping to build a Manchester that's fairer for everyone who lives, works, volunteers, studies or plays here. 

To make our ambition a reality, every person we recruit needs to play their its part. It takes a certain type of behaviour, attitude and way of working to get Manchester where it wants to be. Our people and partners have agreed five ‘behaviours’ – the grounding for how we must work together and treat one another:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

A career with us means you can be yourself, thrive, and build the career your talent and ambition deserve.

Creating an inclusive team at Manchester City Council 

At Manchester City Council, we strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. If you want to find out more about the role, our culture, flexible arrangements or any adjustments, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. If you are invited to interview we will ask you if you require any adjustments in order for you to best demonstrate your suitability for the role in the interview process. 

If you would like to access the job details in another format, such as large print, audio or printed on a coloured paper, please email [email protected] or call 0161 227 3373. 

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Accessibility 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we provide support for employees with physical or mental-health conditions, a disability or neurodiversity. Our workplaces are accessible by design, and we make workplace adjustments including providing aids, adaptations and equipment. These, combined with our flexible working policies such as disability-related leave, enable our employees to perform their role, thrive and be their authentic selves in work. 

We’ve also included some useful tips on how to submit the best application.

When you join us 

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role. 

Other relevant information 

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Who we are - Manchester City Council 
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