Contract Manager

The NCEA is a new Defra Group evidence programme which in the long term aims to deliver high
quality national and local evidence to assess the state and condition of biodiversity,
ecosystems, and natural capital assets across our terrestrial, freshwater and marine
environments.

Natural England will deliver elements of the terrestrial and marine parts of the programme,
building our skills and capacity in: Earth observation; data management; analysis and
modelling; project and contract management; specialist expertise (habitats, marine, landscape,
soils, evaluation, natural capital etc); and ecological survey co-ordination and survey on land
and at sea. Some of this work is delivered through the contractual partners, closely overseen
and supported by NCEA teams.

We are looking for an experienced contract manager to join the terrestrial Natural Capital
& Ecosystem Assessment (tNCEA) project team.

Your role will focus on managing a large series of contracts with an external partner,
ensuring that the key project milestones and deliverables are met, whilst closely managing and
maintaining a strong collaborative relationship with the contractual partners. You will also
work closely with the project support and field survey teams within the tNCEA programme to
support their work and act as an interface between technical leads and the contractual
partners. You will work on drafting new contracts and negotiate future Work Orders for the
remainder of the programme.

Key tasks and accountabilities

• Manage the contractual relationship with an external delivery partner, with whom we have a
  series of contracts that are critical to tNCEA Programme delivery. Support the project
  management, planning, and monitoring all elements of contract delivery. Agree milestones and
  monitor contracts through close and regular liaison with contractors.
• Communicate closely with technical and project management leads within the tNCEA programme
  to identify and manage any potential contractual risks and issues. Highlight risks and issues
  to the relevant Procurement Officers, Project Managers, NCEA Programme Managers and Defra Group
  Commercial (DgC).
• Help ensure systems and processes are in place to ensure effective information and data
  flow between contractors and tNCEA staff, including appropriate data licences.
• Contribute to the evaluation of contract management and delivery to inform the planning of
  future contracts and management requirements.
• Working with science leads, Defra tNCEA team and DgC to develop framework agreements where
  necessary negotiate new contracts to enable major programmes of work, as required.
• Manage contractual Change Control processes within the tNCEA Programme, developing cases
  for changes required and seeking Programme approval.
• Ensure compliance with NE’s Financial Schedule of Delegation, and purchasing processes, and
  with tNCEA funding and budget management procedure.