Head of Contracting

Overview

The Head of Contracting is the Trust's senior lead for contracting and commissioning arrangements. The post holder will provide strategic and operational leadership for all aspects of contract negotiation, development, implementation, performance and assurance across Acute, Community and specialist services. The role acts as the principal expert advisor to Executive Directors, Divisions and external partners (ICB/NHSE/local authorities/independent sector), ensuring robust governance, clear performance mechanisms and accurate interpretation of national policy.

The post holder will lead the Contracts & Income Team, manage contractual risk, and support the Trust's financial sustainability and long-term planning. In addition, the role provides strategic oversight of Trust income and activity flows (including coding accuracy and Points of Delivery) to ensure the Trust's position is accurately represented and protected in commissioner discussions and leads structured trust-wide approaches to stabilising fragile services and improving performance within existing resources.

• Provide senior leadership for the Trust's portfolio of contracts, aligning contracting strategy with corporate objectives and the Financial Plan.
• Act as the specialist lead for contract management and commissioning matters, advising Executive Directors and senior leaders.
• Develop and maintain the Trust contracts register and ensure effective oversight and governance of all material contracts.
• Interpret and clearly communicate complex changes in national policy, assessing their financial and operational impact on the Trust, and ensure systems and processes are in place to support full organisational compliance.
• Provide strategic oversight of Trust income and activity flows, ensuring activity, coding accuracy and POD profiles are triangulated with financial assumptions and planning expectations.
• Set clear priorities for the Contracts & Income Team, establishing a consistent operating model, governance cycle and reporting cadence across Acute, Community and specialist services.
• Represent the Trust at system-wide forums and high-level negotiations, drafting and quality-assuring formal correspondence on behalf of Executive Directors.

• Lead the development, negotiation, review and agreement of all major contracts.
• Ensure appropriate contracting controls are in place to make sure that all income due to the Trust is obtained.
• Provide expert advice and support to Clinical and Business Managers in relation to contracting matters, ensuring decisions are made within available constraints, delivering value for money and compliance (including dealing with sensitive and contentious information that may be NHS or non-NHS related).
• Ensure effective contractual documentation, measurable KPIs and performance standards.
• Lead negotiations to secure appropriate commissioner funding where cost pressures or activity growth require re-baselining, preventing unfunded exposure for the Trust.
• Ensure service costings reflect the true cost of delivery (including workforce, inflation and overheads) and are transparently articulated in negotiations and variations.
• Standardise contractual documentation and align legacy agreements to the NHS Standard Contract, improving clarity, compliance and enforce ability.

• Oversee the regular review and management of key contracts, working with divisions and colleagues to ensure delivery against activity, quality and financial assumptions.
• Represent the Trust at all Contract Review Meetings with Commissioners and coordinate Trust representative availability.
• Lead escalation and resolution of complex contractual queries and disputes.
• Triangulate financial, activity and quality information to support contract monitoring and decision-making.
• Strengthen assurance by triangulating performance, quality, activity and patient experience insight; require corrective action plans and time-bound recovery trajectories where standards are not met.
• Maintain expert awareness of financial regulations, NHS contracting rules and emerging policy, applying this insight to…