HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 10
Directorate: Probation Service
Description: Senior Area Contract Manager Probation
Services
Document Ref.
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services
v5.0
Document Type
Management
Version
5.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
11/06/21
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services v5.0
Job Description
Job Title
Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services
Directorate
Probation Service
Band
10
Overview of the job
Accountable to the Deputy Director (DD) or Head of Community Integration in
regions, the SACM is accountable for overseeing delivery and development of a
portfolio of contracts, including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS). This
includes accountability for contract management and oversight of related interfaces
with other providers in their designated area (e.g. prisons, Electronic Monitoring
(EM), Bail Accommodation Support Service (BASS)) and for related stakeholder
engagement, service planning, development, transition, exit and mobilisation and
commissioning activity.
The post holder is accountable for managing a complex, innovative portfolio of
contracts and for delivery of services that carry high levels of risk, that have not
previously been commissioned in this way.
Summary
The SACM is a key member of the senior management team, accountable for
oversight of a portfolio of contracts, including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services
contract management and related interfaces with other providers, stakeholders and
related service planning, development, transition, exit and mobilisation and
commissioning activity.
The SACM will be allocated strategic/subject matter expert lead responsibility for an
aspect of business. This may include: at national level leading on particular service
specifications (e.g. Offender Management, Rehabilitation etc); leading on a
particular cross-regional supplier; leading on a particular segment of the offender
population (e.g. women, BME etc); or leading on liaison with other functions e.g.
national strategic contract management, PPAS, Finance, Commercial, Commissioning
Strategies Group etc.
The SACM will be responsible for evaluating sentencer demand and service delivery
against local and national priorities, and for service planning, development,
transition, exit and mobilisation and commissioning activities within their designated
area.
The SACM will work collaboratively with colleagues within the Directorate (Deputy
Directors, Service Managers, Contract Support Officers, Operational Audit Team,
System Development Team, and Contract Support Unit) and other functions across
HMPPS/MOJ.
The SACM will lead and promote effective relationship management and build
effective working relationships with and between providers (e.g. CRS, PS, prisons,
EM and BASS) and with key stakeholders and partners at regional level. The post
holder will have sufficient seniority and authority to represent and deputise for the
DD or Head of Community Integration and deal effectively with strategic
commissioning partners (e.g. Police and Crime Commissioners) and with providers at
Chief Executive, Deputy Director and senior manager levels.
At the discretion of the DD or Head of Community Integration and decisions about
the most effective deployment and management of the Area team, the SACM will be
accountable for the line management, performance, and development of a team of
Service Managers, Contract Support Officers and Contract Administration Specialists
in line with Area and National priorities.
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services v5.0
The geographical base for the SACM post can be flexible within their contract
management Area and will require some work in London and other locations.
Responsibilities,
You will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
Activities and Duties
• Managing portfolio of regional contracts (including CRS) to deliver service
outcomes and value for money.
• Ensuring appropriate levels of assurance in relation to designated contracts,
including as required, on-site presence within the organisation in order to
observe and monitor operations, processes and practice.
• Ensuring financial payments are made in line with contract performance.
• Identifying service quality, contract compliance and supplier performance issues
and priorities and liaison with the National Operational Audit Team in order to
inform the programme of assurance activity required to deliver the Annual
Service Quality Assurance Plan.
• Liaising with National Strategic Contract Management, Commercial Contract
Management, Contract Improvement Team, System Development, and other
HMPPS/MoJ functions to ensure that the necessary advice and support is
obtained to inform effective management of the designated contracts.
• Leading on management of the contract management Governance processes in
relation to designated CRS and other contracts, including dispute resolution and
chairing as required the Service Management Board, Contract Strategy Board
and other groups .
• Liaising with Commercial Contract Management to convene the Change
Management Board as required.
• Accountable for overseeing the interfaces between designated suppliers, the PS
and prisons, and other providers of community based offender services.
• Liaison with the PS within a designated area, and as required to inform the
setting and oversight of the PS Divisional SLA, and oversight of service delivery
across the whole Rehabilitation Services system.
• Maintaining effective stakeholder relationships with providers, particularly
between CRS suppliers, PS and prisons, and with wider stakeholders in relation
to community and ‘through-the-gate’ offender services, and holding suppliers to
account for their stakeholder engagement commitments.
• Leading work to critically evaluate local sentencer demand, offender needs and
priorities in order to inform, service planning, development and commissioning
activities.
• Responsible for the planning and delivery of safe and orderly exit, mobilisation
and transition between old and new contracts and/or providers across regional
portfolio in line with commissioning intentions.
• Strategic or subject matter expert lead for an allocated area of Directorate
business which may be at Area or national level.
• Managing a number of Service Manager, Contract Support Officers and Contract
Administration Specialists .
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not
intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable
alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant
adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall
be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium
of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.
Behaviours
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services v5.0
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8.
Experience
No specific qualifications are essential but experience and skills relevant to senior
management, commissioning and contract management are required. Specifically:
• Senior management experience in probation or a comparable environment (e.g.
within the criminal justice system or involving delivery of offender/public
services)
• Experience and skills in relation to contract or performance management,
and/or service development and commissioning of community based offender
services at a senior level
• Highly developed understanding and detailed knowledge of policy and strategic
developments in relation to community based and through the gate offender
services and how these apply to operational practice and the contract
management process
• Knowledge and appreciation of contract management requirements, and highly
developed understanding of the challenges involved in managing and assuring
delivery of large complicated commercial contracts
• Experience and skills in leading and managing in a complex change management
context
• Effective programme and project management experience and skills
• Effective high quality skills to lead and manage staff to achieve demanding
objectives
• Demonstrates sound judgement, and has the ability to build effective working
relationships, and to influence and negotiate with internal and external
stakeholders at a senior level in a complex and multi-layered delivery landscape
Technical
Requirements
Ability
• Ability to make decisions about issues of risk arising from audit and assurance
activity and managing these effectively and sensitively across organisational
boundaries and in line with political and economic considerations
• Ability to function effectively in a challenging environment with a high level of
personal resilience
Minimum Eligibility
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’ probation. Internal candidates are
subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within
HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or
organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
To be used by the JES Team only
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services v5.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Seeing the Big Picture
Ability to make decisions
Senior management experience in
about issues of risk arising
probation or a comparable
from audit and assurance
environment (e.g. within the criminal
activity and managing these
justice system or involving delivery of
effectively and sensitively
offender/public services)
across organisational
boundaries and in line with
political and economic
considerations
Changing and Improving
Ability to function effectively
Experience and skills in relation to
in a challenging environment
contract or performance
with a high level of personal
management, and/or service
resilience
development and commissioning of
community based offender services
at a senior level
Managing a Quality Service
Highly developed understanding and
detailed knowledge of policy and
strategic developments in relation to
community based and through the
gate offender services and how these
apply to operational practice and the
contract management process
Delivering at Pace
Knowledge and appreciation of
contract management requirements,
and highly developed understanding
of the challenges involved in
managing and assuring delivery of
large complicated commercial
contracts
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services v5.0
Communicating and Influencing
Experience and skills in leading and
managing in a complex change
management context
Leadership
Effective programme and project
management experience and skills
Working Together
Effective high quality skills to lead
and manage staff to achieve
demanding objectives
Choose an item.
Demonstrates sound judgement, and
has the ability to build effective
working relationships, and to
influence and negotiate with internal
and external stakeholders at a senior
level in a complex and multi-layered
delivery landscape
OR-JES-HQ-1903 Senior Area Contract Manager Probation Services v5.0