MIM Contract Manager

Welsh Government

Wales, UK

Hybrid

Procurement

Full time

£76,715 - £88,023 per year

Job summary

The current phase of investment for Sustainable Communities for Learning (SCfL) Programme will see £5.5bn investment, through a blend of traditional capital and MIM revenue funding, in new and refurbished school and college buildings across Wales.

The Contract Manager will act as the central point of contact for all Local Authorities/Further Education Institutions (delivery partners) involved in the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) element of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (SCfL) and to manage all centrally procured external advisers appointed on these projects which will include legal, technical, financial, hedge fund, and insurance advisors.

Job description

The Contract Manager will need to work with and will be accountable for the provision of sectoral support to education delivery partners to ensure that the Strategic Partnering Agreement and MIM Project Agreements are managed in an effective way that delivers high quality outcomes and value for money.
The Contract Manager will need to quickly establish a detailed knowledge of and be able to apply the terms of the Strategic Partnering Agreement and standard form template Project Agreement. As the Programme’s contract management expert resource, the Contract Manager will need a detailed understanding of MIM principles and risk transfer, have clear knowledge of each project specific Project Agreement, have the ability to assist education delivery partners to challenge Project Co’s self-monitoring information, annual service charge invoicing and hold contractors accountable for any poor performance against their contractual obligations.
Education delivery partners will require expert advice and guidance from the Contract Manager at each stage in the procurement timeline of their project. The Contract Manager will be required to develop, implement, and maintain internal processes and procedures to support the provision of this advice and guidance.
The post holder will need to hold the following knowledge and skills:

Extensive programme and contract management skills gained through managing complex construction projects including innovative funding models such as Private Finance Initiative (PFI), Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Proven ability to interrogate and understand complex contracts, including performance standards and payment mechanisms. Effective time management and prioritisation skills with the ability to set objectives and meet deadlines.
Outstanding relationship management skills and personal credibility with senior stakeholders in the construction sector.
Procurement and leadership expertise to appoint and successfully manage legal, technical, financial, hedge fund and insurance advisors.
The ability to secure the best value for money for the public sector client through the commercial process whilst delivering and financing complex construction projects through private sector delivery models.
Ability to work under pressure in driving forward competing priorities to meet deadlines.
Ability to understand and successfully manage complex project risk matrices enabling successful outcomes.
Able to understand and interpret for successful delivery commercial, financial, technical, and legal data from a range of sources, considering the impact across multi-stakeholders, and successfully negotiate the best value for money for the public sector.
Influencing and persuasion skills at a senior (director and CEO) level.
Ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, and the ability to communicate appropriately with a range of stakeholders, both verbally and with written reports, to achieve desired outcomes.
Ability to articulate detailed legal/technical provisions in concise, non-technical terms.
Ability to informally train and mentor less experienced staff.
Commitment to equality and diversity.
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products, including Word and Excel

Person specification

Pre-Financial Close

· Act as the single point of contact for all education delivery partner queries when scoping their New Project Requests and proceeding through the business case steps; SOC, OBC and FBC approval points.

· Review and approve, on behalf of Welsh Government, all derogations to the technical and legal standard form template documents as part of the business case review processes.

· Regularly report internally to the Welsh Government’s Programme Director on the progress of each project.

· Proactively assist education delivery partners in resolving significant project specific technical, commercial, and financial issues which are preventing a project from progressing to financial close within agreed budget caps.

· Help education delivery partners to prepare for and gather knowledge, to ensure that post contract signature, there is sufficient understanding of both the legal and technical documentation to allow the Project Agreement to be managed smoothly and efficiently during the consequent stages.

Construction Phase

· Assist education delivery partners to monitor construction against Project Co’s Proposals, the Authority’s Construction Requirements, and the Programme on site.

· Provide expert support to the education delivery partners on any significant issues arising from the following ‘business as usual’ processes during the construction phase:

- Review Procedure
  - Design Development
  - Reviewable Design Data
- Discharge of Planning Conditions
- Utilities - substation leases, wayleaves etc.
- FF&E and ICT decisions (particularly if legacy)
- Programme Delays
- Project Co Changes
- Authority Changes
- Stop notices
- Opening up
- Compensation & Delay Events (including any pre-construction asbestos claims)

At Service Availability and the following 12 months

Provide expert assistance to the education delivery partners in the run up to Service Availability on each project to ensure that contractors comply with their contractual obligations and are held to account if they do not.

This will require experience and knowledge of, and to provide assistance to, education delivery partners on:

· the role of the Independent Tester.

· level of client involvement during acceptance tests.

· approach to acceptance including defining snagging as opposed to unfinished works.

· enforcing the snagging process.

· Soft Landings and training.

· Building User Guide and O&Ms.

· commissioning and recommissioning.

· optimisation of the building performance.

· post occupancy evaluation; and

· mobilisation and management of Facilities Management services, including managing performance against specification/contract.

Post Service Availability

During the Operational Phase, the Contract Manager will provide specialist support to education delivery partners in the following areas:

· Ongoing management of Facilities Management services, including managing performance against specification/contract.

· The link between snagging/unavailability and performance shortfalls.

· The delivery of the Building Performance Evaluation and ongoing Post Occupancy Evaluation.

· Recommissioning and optimising the Building Performance.

· Energy monitoring usage and consumption and setting the ongoing performance targets for energy consumption following the bedding in period.

· Operation of the Payment Mechanism and application of deductions.

o Availability

o Service Performance

o Escalation Events

· Authority Damage

· Authority Changes

o Permitted small value changes

o Small value changes

o Medium value changes

o High value changes

· ProjectCo management of subcontractors

· Addressing the Welsh Government specific requirements on monitoring and reporting on MIM schemes as they arise

· Monitoring classification risk

Licences

Do you have a valid UK Driving Licence?

Qualifications

Thorough understanding of MIM/PPP/PFI contractual framework, including the Strategic Partnering Agreement and standard form Project Agreements, demonstrating your ability to interpret and apply technical, legal, financial and commercial provisions within these contracts supporting public sector delivery partners.

Memberships

Do you hold full membership of a relevant professional body, such as Chartered Property/Construction?

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Thorough understanding of MIM/PPP/PFI contractual framework, including the Strategic Partnering Agreement and standard form Project Agreements, demonstrating your ability to interpret and apply technical, legal, financial and commercial provisions.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £76,715, Welsh Government contributes £22,224 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Number of Stages:2 stage processStage 1Application FormStage 2Interview

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Neal O’Leary – Programme Director
Email : sustainablecommunitiesforlearning@gov.wales

Recruitment team

Email : SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales

Salary range

£76,715 - £88,023 per year