Location
London Borough of Hounslow

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
£50,676 per annum

About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Children’s Joint Commissioning Team at the London Borough of Hounslow. As a Senior Contracts Officer, you will play a crucial role in managing contracts to enable delivery of outcomes and key performance indicators, ensuring efficiencies and maximising both financial and non-financial benefits.

You will closely monitor contract performance and compliance to ensure services align with Hounslow’s Children and Young People’s Plan, the One Hounslow Financial Strategy, and the Council’s Corporate Plan, while driving value for money.

Working collaboratively with service providers, the Children’s and Adults’ Directorate, Lifelong Learning, Skills and Employment, and the NHS West and North London ICB, you will focus on optimising service delivery, delivering cost-effective solutions, and supporting the integration of health and social care services to improve outcomes for children, young people, and their families in Hounslow.

You will drive value for money through strategic planning, commissioning, and service redesign, working closely with Finance Teams, internal Revenue and Benefits services, and external providers.

The Children’s Commissioning Team works closely with a range of internal Council teams, external service providers, and partners across Health, Social Care, and Education systems. The team leads on strategic Council priorities for Children and Young People and includes Commissioners, Contracts Officers, Placement and Quality Assurance Officers.

A key aim is to support children and young people to achieve their best outcomes and potential, while ensuring value for money from commissioned services. This role reports directly to the Head of Commissioning and involves attending and reporting to various Board meetings.

Experience
Proven experience in contract management and procurement processes, with evidence of managing a portfolio of contracts. Demonstrable service improvement delivery and experience of collaborative working with other organisations, particularly in the procurement and delivery of home-based care services.

About you
- Committed to improving the lives of children, young people, and their families through high-quality services aligned with Council goals.
- Understanding of inequalities experienced by young people and ability to advocate effectively.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to engage a broad range of stakeholders while maintaining confidentiality.
- Proactive, flexible, and responsive approach with a focus on excellent customer service.
- Ability to work autonomously and creatively, generating new ideas to improve service delivery.
- Ability to process and understand key legislation and duties of the local authority.
- Proven written communication skills, excelling at drafting clear processes and reports.
- Proven stakeholder management skills, able to build and maintain strong relationships balancing interests and aligning expectations.

Qualifications
Basic DBS clearance is essential for this role.