Senior Manager, Contract Management Services

About the role

As a Senior Manager Contract Management Services  you are responsible for the teams entrusted by the CPS Market Unit to oversee and optimise the financial aspects of the Contracts they agree with our customers, you will provide direction and leadership to your team of professionals to ensure that Contract costs are controlled, revenue is maximised and all key contractual obligations are met.

Your team will support Market Unit customer facing Contract Managers to prep for contract negotiations and management, reviewing contracts to ensure favourable terms and conditions which align with our financial goals, including assessing risks, identifying cost saving opportunities and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

You will implement processes and controls within your team to monitor and manage costs associated with CPS contracts, leading a team of professionals who will analyse financial data, identify cost variances and implementation strategies to mitigate risks and optimise cost efficiency. 

In support of customer facing Market Unit contract managers, you will develop strategies to optimise revenue generation from contracts, including pricing optimisation, revenue recognition and contract performance analysis. Your teams will undertake financial analysis and reporting to assess financial impact of contracts, track revenue and cost trends, they will identify and mitigate financial risks such as financial fluctuations, contract disputes or non-compliance by implementing risk assessment frameworks, developing contingency plans and ensuring adherence to internal controls and regulatory requirements.

You will drive strong stakeholder management/ partnership capability within your team, delivering professional and effective stakeholder relationships with legal, finance, sales and operations team to ensure alignment and effective communication regarding contract terms, financial implications and performance metrics.

You will collaborate with Service Control colleagues to ensure that ITIL framework principles are deployed across your team and supporting ITIL capabilities available in the Managed Service space are utilised to further enhance the professionalisation of your function.

You will drive transformation within your function, sponsoring the design and delivery of a major transformation programme designed to optimise a strategic system driven approach to cost assurance and revenue management to optimise the service we offer at best cost and utilise our professional resources on the highest value activities within the function.

Overall you will play a crucial role in optimising financial outcomes related to the contracts we manage on behalf of the Market Unit customer facing contract managers, you and your teams will be seen as trusted partners of the Market Unit Contract Management teams,  you will help ensure that our contracts are financially viable, costs are controlled, revenue is optimised and risks are mitigated, ultimately contributing to the CPS aorganisations financial success.

What you’ll be doing

Strategic Oversight
Accountable for the strategic direction, organisation, operational performance and cost-to-serve of Contract Management Services (CMS), leveraging industry best practices and strategic tooling.
Develop and implement strategies to enhance customer trust, satisfaction and colleague experience while delivering professional services at optimum customer value.
Define end-to-end CMS processes in alignment with Market Unit Contract Management partners.
Champion emerging industry practices and leverage ITIL principles across Service Control to continuously improve CMS capabilities.
Operational & Commercial Management
Lead implementation of the Service Operations strategy and delivery of contractual service requirements, maximising service profitability and customer outcomes.
Provide SME leadership across complex, high-risk commercial opportunities, including negotiations, SLAs, contract management and P&L responsibilities.
Accountable for implementation of CMS governance across CPS contracts in partnership with customer-facing Contract Managers.
Define processes and governance, coordinate cross-functional teams, and drive improvement and quality assurance plans.
Optimise resources, demand, capacity and cost base to support operational and commercial objectives.
Drive integration and transformation across CMS, working with Service Control, Design & Delivery, Procurement, Product, Finance, Legal and Market Units to improve customer experience, reduce costs, optimise revenue and maintain regulatory compliance.
Quality Assurance & Performance
Establish and monitor quality assurance standards across CMS and matrix teams.
Define and track KPIs to measure operational effectiveness, efficiency and service quality.
Translate performance data into actionable insights that improve quality, resource allocation and business outcomes.
Drive governance and best practice, particularly across processes impacting cost, revenue and customer experience.
Team Leadership & Development
Lead and develop CMS leaders and teams, creating an inclusive, collaborative and high-performance culture.
Coach leaders to improve performance, navigate challenges and deliver customer and operational objectives within a matrix environment.
Develop training and communication programmes to strengthen CMS capability and service standards.
Build strong partnership and stakeholder-management capabilities across the team.
Promote appropriate professional accreditation and continuous development to strengthen expertise.
Stakeholder & Customer Management
Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, department heads, internal partners and customers.
Understand business requirements and align CMS priorities with customer and organisational objectives.
Drive a strong understanding of customers within CMS, protecting their brand, customers and service expectations.
Act as the customer champion for CMS across Service Control, Managed Services and the wider business.
Continuous Improvement & Crisis Management
Drive continuous improvement, innovation, process automation and strategic tool optimisation across CMS and matrix teams.
Identify, analyse and resolve complex operational issues, implementing proactive measures to maintain service continuity and improve outcomes.
Lead change initiatives that enhance efficiency, quality, customer experience and colleague experience.

Essential Skills / Experience

 Operational Expertise:  Proficiency in ITIL principles and experience working within a Contract Management, Cost Assurance and Revenue Management environment, preferably within a global context.  A good understanding of BT products and services and the e2e customer lifecycles process. Strong working knowledge of Managed Services,  CPS contract tooling ecosystem. Possesses the ability to take well-evaluated risks and be audacious in making decisions and taking action.

 Customer Focus:  Ability to understand customer needs, infrastructure, brand and business objectives and foster positive relationships at a Senior level to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Strong customer focus and drive to provide proactive, pre-emptive and best in class service.
Communication Skills:  Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders and customers at all levels.
Problem-Solving Abilities: Proven track record of identifying root causes, analysing data, and implementing effective solutions to resolve operational issues. Demonstrable tenacity in driving improvements through matrixed teams.
Change Management:  Experience managing organisational change and driving transformational initiatives to improve operational performance. Proven ability to lead teams through transformation and continuous change Clear focus on continuous improvement and uses initiatives such as upskilling, automation and process improvement on a regular basis across their area of expertise and specific processes.                                                                   
Leadership Standards:  Demonstrated leadership qualities, including integrity, accountability, customer-centricity, and a growth mindset.
Commercial Acumen:  Understanding of commercial and financial drivers impacting service and business performance, with the ability to translate business plans into operational priorities.
Team Management:  Experience leading and developing diverse teams, fostering a culture of inclusivity, high performance, and continuous improvement.
Matric Management: Experience of driving governance and engagement across matrixed teams and stakeholders, proven ability to drive Change Management across teams outside of own operational control.
Previous experience in managing teams of CMS professionals or similar roles within a fast-paced environment.
Good understanding of the Managed Service, CPS Contract strategic tooling ecosystem.
Good understanding of existing barriers and challenges impacting CMS.
Experience of sponsoring major transformation programmes
Proven ability to lead large teams and drive performance improvements.
Track record of building successful relationships with stakeholders and managing customer expectations.
Familiarity with digital trends and market dynamics impacting contract management, cost assurance and revenue management processes.
Strong financial abilities and commercial acumen.
A very good understanding of ITIL environments including ITIL Foundation (V4) accreditation
In depth knowledge of managed customer solutions and market dynamics in a service context.
The role holder must have significant experience in working and leading in an IT environment using ITIL framework. 
Understanding of how effective implementation of these services will enable the business to be best in class in the industry.   

Desirable Skills / Experience

Sirion Deployment
Supplier Management
Contractual Accounting Background