Strategic Contract Manager

Job summary

NS&I is one of the largest savings organisations in the UK with more than 24 million customers and over £240 billion invested. We are both a government department and an Executive Agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Our origins can be traced back more than 150 years to 1861.

A small organisation with a big reach, we offer a range of benefits including flexible working, a 9-day fortnight scheme, a performance-related variable pay bonus, a generous pension scheme and great opportunities for development. We care for colleagues, respect one another, invest in our people and manage talent effectively.

We are currently working in a hybrid way with colleagues expected to work at their chosen office location for 40% of their working month.

This is an excellent moment to join. You would arrive as our transformation programme moves into a critical phase of delivery, with real scope to shape a step-change in how NS&I delivers for around 24 million savers.

Our ambition is to become a genuinely intelligent client. Moving to a multi-supplier model means NS&I sets the direction, owns the outcomes and holds its partners to account, rather than handing that responsibility to a single provider.

NS&I is recruiting Strategic Contract Manager roles as part of a deliberate investment to further enhance our capability. They are part of a funded commitment to expand the commercial and contract management strength NS&I needs to deliver its transformation successfully, supported by recognised accreditation and development.

Job description

The Strategic Contract Manager (SCM) is responsible for managing the interface and relationship with strategic suppliers across one or more of NS&I’s most critical Gold contracts, operating within a four-contract supplier model delivered through IBM, Atos and SSL. Working in a complex multi-supplier environment, the role provides clear ownership for end-to-end delivery, performance, compliance, risk and resilience, ensuring outsourced service contracts are managed from mobilisation to exit in line with contractual obligations.

The SCM works collaboratively across suppliers, programme teams, Enterprise Service Management (ESM), Commercial and specialist SMEs to protect service integrity, value for money and contractual outcomes. This is a key role in strengthening NS&I’s ability to deliver essential services for customers and support the UK economy, while maintaining assurance, audit trails, continuity arrangements and clear governance.

Person specification

For all posts, candidates will need to demonstrate significant experience of managing complex contracts from mobilisation to exit in a multi-supplier environment, understanding solutions and resolving disputes, and building influential senior supplier relationships.

In addition, candidates will be asked to demonstrate expertise and experience of working with one or more of the types of services under these key contracts – specifically, one or more of the following areas:

• Outsourced operational services and systems (including telephony, printing, offshoring, customer contact centres); and/or
• Core banking systems, payment standards and regulations, data warehouse and business intelligence systems, general ledger and accounting systems; BIAN, legacy data and migration, banking engine regulations (PRA and FCA), COTS/ Off the Shelf products, Cloud, AI and Automation; and/or
• Integration, Cloud & AI, Service Management platforms (for e.g. Service Now), SIAM and ITSM, Security Operation Centre (SOC)

We are also interested to understand where candidates have desirable experience of the following in addition to one or more the above areas, but this is not mandatory:

• Digital channels, Retail banking, Customer experience and CSAT, IDAM solutions, customer journeys and analytics, Digital experience standards (FCA consumer duty, cookie regulations, accessibility standards ), COTS/ Off the Shelf products, integration, Cloud , AI and Automation

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £68,000, National Savings and Investments contributes £19,699 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Some benefits of working at NS&I include:

• • Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible hybrid working options
  • 9-day fortnight scheme
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
  • Generous annual leave – starting at 25 days, increasing to 30 days
  • Performance-related variable pay bonus
  • Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave

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 and Experience.

To apply, please click the link on this advert and follow the steps to complete the application form.

In your application you will be asked to provide the following

• An outline of your career history and qualifications with your key responsibilities and achievements.
• A personal statement of up to 500 words on your contract management experience based on the essential experience in the role profile with particular emphasis on the following key areas;
  • Significant experience of managing complex contracts from mobilisation to exit in a multi-supplier environment
  • Experience of managing delivery and running of outsourced services, including negotiating solutions and resolving disputes
  • Experience of working with suppliers and building influential senior relationships

• A response of up to 500 words to the additional role specific question to explain what relevant subject-matter expertise you have in one or more of the following three key contract areas:
  • Outsourced operational services and systems (including telephony, printing, offshoring, customer contact centres); and/or
  • Core banking systems, payment standards and regulations, data warehouse and business intelligence systems, general ledger and accounting systems; BIAN, legacy data and migration, banking engine regulations (PRA and FCA), COTS/ Off the Shelf products, Cloud, AI and Automation; and/or
  • Integration, Cloud & AI, Service Management platforms (for e.g. Service Now), SIAM and ITSM, Security Operation Centre (SOC)

• You may additionally advise us of expertise in the following desirable area in addition to one or more of the above areas:
  • Digital channels, Retail banking, Customer experience and CSAT, IDAM solutions, customer journeys and analytics, Digital experience standards (FCA consumer duty, cookie regulations, accessibility standards ), COTS/ Off the Shelf products, integration, Cloud , AI and Automation.

Please Note - if you have multiple areas of subject-matter expertise, we encourage you to demonstrate all the areas of expertise you have.

We will assess applications on your CV, personal statement and the expertise statement.

In the event we receive a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted first on the Personal Statement. Only those that meet the minimum acceptable score for this criteria will qualify for the full sift and be considered for interview.

If shortlisted, you will be invited to attend a 1 hour first stage panel interview via video call.

First Stage Interview

As part of this interview you will be asked to make a 10 minute presentation aimed at demonstrating your experience in a scenario related to strategic contract management.

The questions in this interview will assess experience and the selected behaviours.

The first stage interviews are planned to take place w/c 23 November 2026.

Second Stage Interview

Successful candidates from this first interview stage will then be invited to a final second stage interview expected to last up to 45 minutes.

In this interview the questions will look to delve deeper into your contract management experience and better understand the specific technical expertise shared in your application.

Candidates will be assessed and scored separately against each of the three strategic contract areas covered by the roles. Appointments will be made in order of merit within each contract area, rather than on the basis of the overall interview score.

This approach will help us appoint the candidate best suited to each role and avoid offering candidates a position in an area that does not align with their expertise or preferences.

The second stage interviews are planned to take place between 9-11 December 2026.

Right to Work

As part of our recruitment process NS&I will ask about your right to work status. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK and meet eligibility requirements to work within the UK Civil Service.

If applying for a role on a fixed-term contract, you must hold a valid visa that covers the full duration of the contract, or at a minimum, the majority of the term.

Please note we are currently unable to offer visa sponsorship, as a result candidates requiring sponsorship are not eligible to apply.

Security and Credit Checks

This role is subject to Baseline Personnel Security Standard and financial credit checks, and a Security Check.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Working for NS&I

Any move to NS&I from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

For NS&I employees: If you are applying for a role at the same NS&I band as you are currently and the advertised salary of the role is higher, if you are successful, any salary increase will be at the discretion of NS&I and will be reviewed as part of the next annual pay review, in accordance with the NS&I employee handbook.

For Existing Civil Servants: If you are transferring from another government department at the same grade, your current salary will generally be matched within reasonable parameters and subject to NS&I pay ranges. If you are transferring on promotion, you will be offered the starting salary at the bottom of the pay scale. If you are transferring on promotion and your existing salary is within the advertised range, you will be offered a maximum of a 10% uplift on your existing salary (up to the advertised maximum).

For External Candidates: If you are not currently employed within the civil service, you will be offered the starting salary at the bottom of the advertised pay range.

Further information

Please visit our website http://nsandi-corporate.com/about-nsi for further details about NS&I.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : HR Team
• Email : jobs@nsandi.com

Recruitment team

• Email : jobs@nsandi.com

Further information

The law requires for selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis for fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service recruitment principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact jobs@nsandi.com in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission info@csc.gov.uk

Attachments

SCM - Role profile Opens in new window (pdf, 1006kB)Candidate pack SCM Opens in new window (pdf, 217kB)Benefits Leaflet - V2 updated 22-11-23 Opens in new window (pdf, 413kB)Pension candidate-pack V1 Opens in new window (pdf, 163kB)