Public Sector Contracts Manager
| Posting date: | 21 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £50,196 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 20 September 2025 |
| Location: | Teddington, South West London |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 4 days per week |
| Company: | National Physical Laboratory |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 2586 |
Summary
About the Role
At the National Physical Laboratory, we set the standards by which everything is measured. In doing so, we are helping to combat issues on a global scale such as climate change, curing diseases and the development of cutting-edge communications technology
Joining our Procurement Team, the Contract Manager will provide operational ownership, influence and management throughout the life of contracts. They will own the contractual relationship between NPL and suppliers, acting as a central point of contact and source of information for operational stakeholders and end users.
What you’ll be doing:
•Developing and maintain a live Contract Management Plan (CMP) and ensure all associated trackers (risks, issues, variations, performance) are kept up to date.
•Offer exceptional customer service to internal and external stakeholders, to build strong links and understand cross-cutting issues, whilst contributing towards their resolution.
•Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in all aspects of contracts.
•Develop and maintain supplier performance dashboards (Excel or Power BI), reporting monthly
•Performance management of the achievement of qualitative and quantitative standards against mutual key performance indicators and reporting KPIs on the Central Digital Platform.
•Ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of supplier data entry and returns.
•Provide advice on contract management practices, providing guidance and insights to manage and develop key supplier relationships.
•Financial management of contracts, working with Finance and Stakeholders to ensure forecasts are accurate and spend is accurate against supplier delivery.
•Ensuring contract changes are appropriately controlled and supporting stakeholders through the correct governance channels.
•Support exit and transition planning, ensuring all exit-related obligations are documented, risk-assessed, and monitored through governance.
Please note, this role is known internally as 'Procurement Contract Manager'
About You
We are seeking an experienced Contract Manager with a strong background in Public Sector procurement contracts.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in negotiating and managing both small and large-scale, supply contracts. This role is pivotal in ensuring that contractual agreements align with organizational objectives, mitigate risks, and foster strong supplier relationships.
What you can bring to the role:
•Proven experience in a commercial/contracts role, ideally within the public sector
•Experience drafting, negotiating, and managing complex contracts and agreements
•Excellent attention to detail and analytical mindset
•Ability to manage multiple contracts and priorities in a dynamic environment
•Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach
•A UK law degree or experience in a legal, commercial or contracts focused role.
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.
Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.
At the National Physical Laboratory, we set the standards by which everything is measured. In doing so, we are helping to combat issues on a global scale such as climate change, curing diseases and the development of cutting-edge communications technology
Joining our Procurement Team, the Contract Manager will provide operational ownership, influence and management throughout the life of contracts. They will own the contractual relationship between NPL and suppliers, acting as a central point of contact and source of information for operational stakeholders and end users.
What you’ll be doing:
•Developing and maintain a live Contract Management Plan (CMP) and ensure all associated trackers (risks, issues, variations, performance) are kept up to date.
•Offer exceptional customer service to internal and external stakeholders, to build strong links and understand cross-cutting issues, whilst contributing towards their resolution.
•Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in all aspects of contracts.
•Develop and maintain supplier performance dashboards (Excel or Power BI), reporting monthly
•Performance management of the achievement of qualitative and quantitative standards against mutual key performance indicators and reporting KPIs on the Central Digital Platform.
•Ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of supplier data entry and returns.
•Provide advice on contract management practices, providing guidance and insights to manage and develop key supplier relationships.
•Financial management of contracts, working with Finance and Stakeholders to ensure forecasts are accurate and spend is accurate against supplier delivery.
•Ensuring contract changes are appropriately controlled and supporting stakeholders through the correct governance channels.
•Support exit and transition planning, ensuring all exit-related obligations are documented, risk-assessed, and monitored through governance.
Please note, this role is known internally as 'Procurement Contract Manager'
About You
We are seeking an experienced Contract Manager with a strong background in Public Sector procurement contracts.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in negotiating and managing both small and large-scale, supply contracts. This role is pivotal in ensuring that contractual agreements align with organizational objectives, mitigate risks, and foster strong supplier relationships.
What you can bring to the role:
•Proven experience in a commercial/contracts role, ideally within the public sector
•Experience drafting, negotiating, and managing complex contracts and agreements
•Excellent attention to detail and analytical mindset
•Ability to manage multiple contracts and priorities in a dynamic environment
•Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach
•A UK law degree or experience in a legal, commercial or contracts focused role.
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.
Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.