Contract Relationship Manager

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Contract Relationship Manager to join Hampshire County Council's Strategic Commissioning Team.

Are you looking for a rewarding role where you can influence the quality of adult social care services and make a meaningful difference to people's lives? If you enjoy building strong partnerships, managing complex relationships, and driving continuous improvement, we'd love to hear from you.

Our Strategic Commissioning Team plays a vital role in ensuring Hampshire residents can access high-quality care and support when they need it most. Working at the heart of adult social care, we help shape and develop the local care market while overseeing the delivery of commissioned services. Through collaboration with providers, colleagues, and partners, we strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people and communities we serve.

The Role:

As a Contract Relationship Manager, you will play a key role in overseeing Hampshire County Council's commissioned adult social care contracts, helping to ensure services are safe, effective, and deliver value for residents. Working closely with Strategic Commissioning Leads and Managers, you will monitor provider performance, support contractual compliance, identify and manage risks, and work collaboratively with providers to drive service quality and continuous improvement.

This is a varied and dynamic role, offering the opportunity to engage with a wide range of commissioned services, including domiciliary care, residential and nursing care, supported accommodation, advocacy services, Direct Payments, and other care and support arrangements. Through strong relationship management and a solution-focused approach, you will help ensure that commissioned services deliver positive, person-centred outcomes for adults across Hampshire.

What you'll do:

In this varied and influential role, you will work with commissioned providers and colleagues across the organisation to ensure services are high quality, compliant and deliver positive outcomes.

You will:

• Monitor provider performance against contracts, service specifications, quality standards and KPIs.

• Analyse performance, quality and financial information to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.

• Produce reports, dashboards and insights that support informed decision-making.

• Support performance improvement plans and address service delivery concerns.

• Build effective relationships with providers, offering support, guidance and constructive challenge.

• Support contract mobilisation, provider onboarding and the implementation of new contractual arrangements.

• Identify and escalate contractual, operational, financial and quality risks, helping to develop mitigating actions.

• Work collaboratively with Quality, Commissioning and Community Teams to manage provider failure, service interruptions and other significant issues.

Performance Intelligence & Commissioning Support

• Using data and market intelligence, you will help shape service improvement and future commissioning activity.

You will:

• Analyse contract, service, quality and financial data to assess performance and market sustainability.

• Maintain monitoring tools and reporting systems to support effective contract oversight.

• Provide evidence-based insights to support service reviews, commissioning decisions and future planning.

• Contribute to procurement exercises, market engagement activities and service development initiatives.

• Prepare and present reports, findings and recommendations to a range of stakeholders.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who combines strong analytical skills with the ability to build effective partnerships and drive continuous improvement.

What we're looking for:

We're looking for an organised and analytical professional with experience in contract management, performance monitoring, provider oversight, or quality assurance within social care, health, housing, or other commissioned services. You'll be confident analysing data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities, producing clear reports and evidence-based recommendations. With strong relationship-building and communication skills, you'll work effectively with providers and stakeholders while managing competing priorities and deadlines.

You'll have a good understanding of contract management principles, adult social care, data governance, and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint. Experience in commissioning, procurement, performance reporting, or working with learning disability, mental health, physical disability, supported accommodation, or housing support services would be an advantage.

Why join us?

Our benefits package includes details of the holiday entitlement, pension scheme, flexi-time scheme, family friendly policies and interest free travel loans and discounts. We offer a flexible, motivating and inclusive workplace. We have created an environment that you can look forward to being a part of, where you are empowered to be your best and a workplace built on teamwork where people can grow and develop in their roles.

Hampshire County Council is recognised nationally as one of the highest performing local authorities in the UK. A modern, forward-looking local authority, it offers a pleasant, supportive, and collaborative working environment.

Hampshire County Council is also a flexible employer interested in making the most of your skills and offers a great work-life balance.

If you think you have what it takes to make a real difference in Hampshire, get in touch!