Assistant Director of Contracts

Job Summary

We're looking for a new Assistant Director of Contracts. The role is the most senior contracting role in the organisation, and we are looking for someone highly skilled and experienced in the sphere of healthcare contracting and commissioning, but equally as important, someone who is an adept negotiator and communicator, to lead and inspire their team and understand that supporting the delivery of excellent patient care is at the heart of everything they do.

The recent 10-Year Health Plan outlined the ambition to deliver 'three shifts' in the way that the NHS delivers care: treatment to prevention, hospital to community and analogue to digital. All three of these 'shifts' are expected to signal a significant and highly welcome impact on community healthcare providers like us. This role will be hugely influential in the delivery of this change, ensuring that contracting agreements support new care and service models that enable the delivery of high-quality, efficient care, drawing on evidence-based best practice and innovation.

They will be part of the senior management team within the Trust's Finance Department, joining a team that takes pride in the way it supports and develops its staff and works alongside clinical services to help deliver the highest levels of care. We are delighted to be one of the very few Finance teams in the country to have been awarded and recently retained its level 3 accreditation within the One NHS Finance Towards Excellence framework.

Main Duties of the Job

• Lead teams in planning, negotiating and delivery of complex contractual agreements.
• Develop contracts that support and protect the interests of and deliver the greatest benefit to the Trust and its staff, patients and wider population.
• Build relationships and alliances with partner organisations, including commissioners, regulators, suppliers, clinical services, the voluntary sector and patient groups.
• Summarise complex data and contractual principles to the Trust's Board, senior managers, clinical services and patients.
• Demonstrate compassionate leadership, promoting diversity and equality of opportunity.

About Us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] delivers essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays. Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing.
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex.
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement.
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities.
• Accredited Living Wage Employer.
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton.
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks.
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust.

Our values -- Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence -- guide everything we do.

Person Specification

Experience (Essential)

• Extensive experience of working at a senior level in a relevant healthcare environment (NHS or other) and across complex health and care systems.
• Experience of having developed service specifications for health and care or other complex services.
• Experience working at a strategic level, including evidence of use of analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in building and maintaining high functioning teams.
• Compassionate leadership and promotes diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity.

Knowledge (Essential)

• Excellent understanding of current health and social care national aims and policy.
• In depth knowledge of the NHS standard contract documents.

Skills (Essential)

• Excellent data analysis and interpretation skills involving highly complex data.
• Extensive experience translating complex information into clear communications.
• Influencing and negotiation skills, experience in successfully managing conflict.
• Strong understanding of the role and importance of effective corporate governance.
• Compassionate leadership and promotes diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity.
• Exceptional communication skills.

Additional Information

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome. For further information visit UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal], Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, Brighton, BN2 3EW. Website: https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/