Senior Contract Manager

Unijobs on behalf of our public sector client have a requirement for a Senior Contract Manager to join their team. The duration of this post is 12 months initially with likely extensions thereafter. Location is Flexible - Hybrid working will apply (must be available to attend client sites when required.)

Working 35 hours per week, the successful candidate will be employed as an agency employee and will be paid an hourly rate of €45.95 per hour based on an annualised salary of €83,911. You will accrue 30 days annual leave per year and paid Bank Holidays.

*Applicants must be eligible to work in Ireland at the time of application*

Role Overview:

A Senior Contract Manager, with significant experience and a deep understanding in Public Sector Procurement and Governance, who will develop a roadmap and execute the automation of the digital contract management process, ensuring compliance with public procurement regulations, robust contract governance and achievement of value for money.

This will require a review of the existing contract landscape, identifying short-term cost and contract optimisation opportunities to establish more consistent and sustainable processes with longer-term benefits of improved governance, ensuring an increasing level of maturity within the organisation.

A key focus of the role will be to help assess whether proposed contract actions are supported by appropriate contractual provisions and governance approvals and consider the impact of incomplete, unsupported, or non-compliant contract proposals.

The role will require procurement assurance and audit compliance requiring proactive management of contract expiry and renewal activity, supplier performance, contract consumption, commercial and operational risk, service continuity and the maintenance of accurate contract records.

The role will require close collaboration with senior stakeholders across the Office of the CTTO and other functions, including Procurement. The successful candidate will possess excellent communication, relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse teams and build consensus to support the delivery of change and implement contract governance and oversight.

Key Responsibilities:

Process Development and Continuous Improvement

• Develop a strategic roadmap to execute the transition of contract management into a fully operational model within the Office of the CTTO.
• Accountability for development of a contract management capability to promote consistent application of contract management, governance processes and reporting.
• Identify process gaps, control weaknesses, duplication, and opportunities for improved efficiency.
• Contribute to periodic reviews of the contract portfolio to identify strategic, financial, governance, or operational improvement opportunities
• Support the orderly transition or exit from contracts where services are being replaced, consolidated, transferred, or discontinued.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring operational efficiencies, cost savings, and enhanced service delivery.

Contract Oversight and Forward Planning

• Proactively identify contracts approaching expiry and initiate the required review, assessment and decision-making processes sufficiently in advance to minimise the risk of contract expiry without an approved replacement arrangement.
• Ensure that contract changes, variations, extensions, expiries and other contractual actions are appropriately assessed, approved, documented, and implemented.
• Monitor contract activity for compliance with applicable public procurement requirements, organisational policies, approval thresholds, and governance arrangements.

Financial Management and Value for Money

• Develop KPIs, Reports to measure and track contract spend, service performance and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Assess the financial implications of contract renewal, extension, variation, termination, transition, and replacement.
• Identify potential overspend, uncommitted expenditure, duplicate costs, financial exposure, and emerging budget pressures.

Stakeholder Management

• Work collaboratively with contract owners, service managers, procurement, finance and senior management to establish a streamlined contract management process(s).
• Coordinate stakeholder input to contract reviews, renewal decisions, negotiations, procurement exercises, transition plans, and governance submissions.
• Provide practical guidance to stakeholders on contract management processes, documentation, approval requirements, and decision points.

Risk and Issue Management

• Ensure contract recommendations include a balanced assessment of risk, cost, service impact, deliverability, and compliance.
• Monitor compliance with contractual, regulatory, audit, financial, and procurement requirements.
• Support internal and external audit requirements and implement corrective actions where necessary.

Typical Experience & Skills

Essential

• Experience using contract management systems, procurement analytics and dashboards.
• Significant experience managing contracts within a public sector or regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of public procurement legislation and governance requirements.
• Experience managing contract renewals, extensions, and procurement exercises.
• Strong stakeholder management and supplier relationship skills.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, relationship management and communication abilities.

Desirable

• Relevant qualification in procurement, contract management, law, business, or project management.
• Experience working within the public sector, a regulated environment, or an organisation operating within formal governance and accountability structures.
• Experience developing contract management procedures, templates, registers, dashboards, and reporting frameworks.
• Knowledge of Office of Government Procurement frameworks and public sector procurement arrangements.

General Responsibilities

The postholder will:

• Perform duties in accordance with applicable legislation, public sector requirements, organisational policies, and codes of conduct.
• Perform duties in accordance with Sustainability and Social Value – green procurement, diversity and inclusion considerations.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with information governance, data protection, records management, and security requirements.
• Act with integrity, impartiality, professionalism, and accountability.
• Support organisational priorities and cross-functional initiatives as required.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the nature and level of the role.

Unijobs is an equal opportunities employer

*This position may be subject to Garda Vetting and Foreign Police Clearance, if applicable you will be required to obtain these prior to commencing in this role*