EO1 Contracts Manager Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service (NICTS)

Job description

The post holder is responsible for ensuring effective systems are in place to facilitate the achievement of the business objectives of NICTS Contracts Branch. They will have responsibility for ensuring the work is completed in accordance with qualitative and quantitative targets, identifying problems affecting completion of the work and providing solutions, and any other business needs as identified by management. The job description is based around four main areas; 1) Contract Management 2) Procurement Management 3) Financial Management 4) Staff Management

Responsibilities

• Ensuring best practice contract management of allocated contracts delivering value for money.
• Monitoring all allocated contracts to identify any efficiencies.
• Ensuring project plans are in place for all Contract transitions i.e. after contract award and prior to contract commencement and ensuring communication with key stakeholders.
• Providing NICTS staff information on the terms and conditions of allocated contracts and highlight where necessary distinct changes between previous and newly awarded contracts.
• Attending/overseeing contract review meetings, performance KPI monitoring, problem solving, financial monitoring including identifying efficiencies holding service providers to account.
• Developing and Managing effective relationships seeking to achieve a win/win partnership with contractors.
• Ensuring that all necessary governance in the lifespan of allocated contracts are correctly completed, such as commencement, extensions, variations, modifications, expiry, complaints resolution and termination of contract.
• Liaising with CPD or DOJ Procurement regarding allocated contracts for advice and potential contract variations/modifications/tenders etc.
• Disseminating lessons learned and suggestions for improvement in support of future procurement projects.
• Acting as liaison between service providers, NICTS personnel including judiciary and third-party groups such as the legal professions and voluntary groups.
• Updating and maintaining contract management templates, the NICTS contracts register and ensuring QA plans are completed for all relevant contract processes e.g. contract extension, modification, variations etc.
• Keeping up to date with the NICTS Contract Management Manual, ensuring adherence to best practice.
• Providing contract management advice to NICTS staff and seek further clarifications as and when necessary, from Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD), Financial Services Division (FSD) or DOJ Procurement.
• Acting as point of reference for all staff queries relating to their work and responding to emails and questions seeking advice and direction.
• Inputting into ministerial questions such as AQWs and FOIs.
• Inputting into complaints and any press enquiries regarding NICTS contracts.
• Compiling information for litigation, when necessary.
• Providing administrative/secretariat support to other Contract Managers in NICTS Contracts Branch.
• Oversight responsibility for the management and processing of requisitions including, sourcing items, seeking quotes,
• liaising with budget holders to approve expenditure, ensuring correct approvals are in place and setting up and approving payments up to the delegated limit of £10k on Account NI.
• Development of business cases for contracts for which you are the appointed Contract Manager, as required.
• Assisting and providing input to update contract specifications for contracts for which you are the appointed Contract Manager.
• Sit on evaluation panels of tenders as required.
• Responsibility for completion of Post Project Evaluations (PPE’s) and Project Evaluation Review (PER’s) for which you are the appointed Contract Manager.
• Responsibility for ensuring that all budgets for allocated contracts are completed and are accurately monitored for each financial year and in year monitoring round.
• Responsibility for the invoicing process relating to the allocated budgets.
• This involves ensuring correct controls are adhered too by staff, prompt payment targets are met, and invoices are categorised and coded correctly on Account NI.
• Management and maintenance of invoices for your allocated contracts including regular checks for completion and accuracy.
• Responsibility for completing monthly/quarterly/annual returns to Finance Branch such as Cash Management Returns, Accruals, Journals, Open order reports, budget variances etc
• Liaising with Financial Services Division, as required.
• Direct responsibility for staff management for two EO2s and indirect responsibility for staff management of AOs.
• Responsibility for ensuring that PPAs and PDPs for all staff that you are responsible for are completed in line with the requirements of the HR policies and procedures.
• including the completion of staff appraisals and development plans. Adherence to sickness absence policies; procedures and compliance with health and safety; data protection and information security requirements.
• Identifying staff training and development staff management issues.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Applicants must, by the closing date for applications: 1. Demonstrate at least one years' experience of managing a contract detailing how you have worked to agreed goals and activities while dealing with challenges...
• ...in a responsive and constructive way. Please demonstrate how you meet the above eligibility criterion in the box below.
• Applicants must provide specific details of their roles and responsibilities and show how their experience equates to 1 year, i.e. you must provide specific dates (month and year) including date from and date to.
• In addition applicants should be aware that after an eligibility sift, should it be necessary to shortlist candidates to go forward to interview, the following shortlisting criteria will be used.
• The panel will carry out an objective evaluation of the depth and breadth of information provided by candidates in response to eligibility criterion.
• 1. This will be completed on a scored basis and only the highest scoring applicants will proceed to interview.
• AND: 2. Demonstrate at least one years' experience of managing a contract detailing how you have been effective at Achieving Outcomes with the contractor whilst maintaining an economic...
• ...long-term focus to demonstrate a commercial, financial and sustainable mind-set ensuring all activities and services are delivering added value.
• Please demonstrate how you meet the above eligibility criterion in the box below. Applicants must provide specific details of their roles and responsibilities...
• ....and show how their experience equates to 1 year, i.e. you must provide specific dates (month and year) including date from and date to.

Further Information

Salary: £33,542 to £34,231 per annum pro rata (under review) NICS Application form only, Vacancy Closing 10th July 2026 at 12 noon. Please Note: This is generic and may change from competition to competition. Applications from young people (people under the age of 35), people with a disability and people from minority ethnic communities are particularly welcomed for this post. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is an Equal Opportunities Employer. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit

Application Information

Visit the recruitment service website (Please quote reference number: IRC327596)