Tenders and Contracts Manager, Nottinghamshire

Overview

Job Introduction

Eden Futures is a leading provider of supported living services, with over 25 years of operational experience, providing exceptional quality of care and support to people with a learning disability, ASD, or a mental health need. The individuals live in a range of accommodation from shared housing, individual flats, and specially adapted bungalows. Eden Futures have built their organisation on passion for high quality and dedication to this sector. If you are looking for a company who truly cares about service and its employees, you may have found the company for you. The personal satisfaction you gain from working in social care is hard to beat.

The Tenders and Contracts Manager sits within the Service Development Team and is primarily responsible for assisting the Director of Service Development with achieving the organisation’s organic growth plans. The focus of the role will be on identifying new business growth through the development and management of relationships with key stakeholders such as Local Authorities, ICBs, Developers and funds.

Successful candidates will be required to have a Standard DBS check prior to commencing employment.

Main Responsibility

Identifying Opportunities

• Working with the rest of the service development team to ensure that the tender process and contract monitoring process is fit for purpose. 
• Scoping and monitoring commissioner portals for new tender opportunities
• Gathering intelligence around upcoming bids both internally and externally, feeding that into the annual bid cycle plan
• When opportunity identified, being the first responder, completing information requested and ensuring that the operational team are involved where required 
• Completing To bid or not to bid (TBNT) paperwork for approval as appropriate
• Facilitating freedom of information requests to gain key business intelligence around potential growth opportunities
• Contract monitoring and keeping other departments up to date with any changes in the organisation’s obligations. 

Planning and Delivering

•  Monitor and report on upcoming framework end dates
• Create an annual bid cycle containing all upcoming framework end dates for the financial year ahead by December of the current year. Also including all opportunities that we have prior knowledge of. This will assist with the planning of budgets, resource and internal departments readiness to deal with requests. This is to be shared every February with the ET. 
• Meeting proposal deadlines by establishing priorities and target dates for information gathering, writing, review, and approval
• Completing tender documentation to a high standard and within defined timescales in order that the EET can review prior to deadlines 
• Entering and monitoring tracking data; coordinating requirements with contributors; contributing proposal status information to review meetings; transmitting proposals.
• Gathering proposal information by identifying sources of information; coordinating submissions and collections; identifying and communicating risks associated with proposals (liaising with the operations team to respond with appropriate information)
• Submitting tender documentation on time
• Supporting with the creation of Powerpoint presentations in the event this is part of the tender process
• Improving proposal-writing results by evaluating and re-designing processes, approach, coordination, and implementing any changes required (building up a library of case studies as appropriate)
• Build tender stock answers (boiler plates) and review these annually with relevant contributors 
• When a tender becomes successful, ensuring the contract document is sent to the CEO for signing and monitor its return and ensure it is then placed on the Intranet for EET to refer to 
• Keeping up to date case study library and good news stories from across the organisation 
• Where unsuccessful lead a lesson learned process to review the bid and feedback, ensuring the feedback is weaved into future bids

Collaborative Working

• Draw the attention of internal departments monthly in advance of the annual bid cycle plan to allow people preparation time. 
• Liaising with operational colleagues to attend strategy meetings or pre-tender consultations that are arranged by commissioning authorities 
• Obtaining approvals by reviewing proposal with key colleagues.
• Updating tender bulletin and distribute to EET on a monthly basis
• Liaising with the finance / EET to establish the correct fee levels to be submitted to each tender
• Keep up to date contract registers and inform department heads of any changes that may impact on the organisation’s contractual obligations with their key stakeholders
• Diarise regular meetings with head of departments to ensure contents of tender information and data is relevant and up to date. 

 Strategic Thinking

• Proactively searching for and being aware of framework updates and opportunities
• Updating 12-month forward view of tender opportunities. Identifying demand to establish extra resource in advance to ensure tender bids are strategically planned if further resource / assistance is required. 
• Keeping information re: commissioners up to date on a central location
• Keeping information about frameworks and fees etc up to date.

 Continuing Professional Development

• Updating market knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; maintaining professional networks with key stakeholders

• Keeping up to date with changes and trends from a commissioning point of view so that we always supply the best possible information
• Seeking feedback and learning points when not successful
• Seeking feedback from internal stakeholders around personal performance 
• Coming prepared to appraisal with areas of personal development

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience of tendering in Health and Social Care in services for those with Learning Disabilities, Autism or Mental Health Needs. 
• Experience of contract management in Health and Social Care.
• Strong relationships across the relevant social care sector including with Local Authorities, ICB’s, Developers and RP’s.
• Experience managing and developing relationships with key partners but not limited to Local Authorities, ICB’s, Developers.
• Experience liaising and coordinating with all levels including CEO, Head of Service, and others.
• Experience in successfully securing bids.
• Excellent Communication, Presentation, Organisation and Project Management Skills
• The ability to work to tight timescales, and work effectively under pressure.

About the Company

Eden Futures is about enabling people to live fulfilling lives in whatever circumstances people choose. We support people to be as independent as possible to achieve what they want to with their lives.

Our overall aim as an organisation is to provide a high-quality service that empowers Service Users to lead normal lives, and to be the provider of choice.

We are proud to have the Advanced (Gold) Investors in People (IIP) standard, which put us in the top 2% of organisations internationally that are part of IIP!