Contract Manager, Export Control Joint Unit

at  Department for Business and Trade

JOB SUMMARY

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is a Directorate within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). ECJU brings together operational and policy expertise from DBT with advisory teams from the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Its mission is to promote global security through strategic export controls and facilitate responsible exports.
ECJU is the UK’s Licencing Authority and an integral part of the UK’s export control system, working across His Majesty’s Government when considering applications for export licences. This work includes a range of issues including national security, international commitments and agreements, humanitarian law, and Counter-Proliferation. Stakeholders across Whitehall and beyond are interested in our work, including Other Government Department partners, Ministers, NGOs, and industry. Outreach and active engagement with interested parties is an essential part of ECJU’s remit.
ECJU continues to transform and establish a system that builds on previous success to deliver a world recognised “best in class,” expert and efficient licensing function which is agile and can respond to evolving external factors. This has included a restructure of the business and introducing a new IT platform for licence applications.
Reporting to the Grade 7 Project Manager, you will lead on the relationship with the supplier and contract management for the legacy export control licencing system (SPIRE), which is used by the Department for Business and Trade.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Grade 7 Project Manager, you will lead on the relationship with the supplier and contract management for the legacy export control licencing system (SPIRE), which is used by the Department for Business and Trade.
The Licencing for International Trade and Enterprise (LITE) programme is leading the path to move away from the existing supplier to more in-house built digital and online systems.
There are multiple teams in DBT that work with the supplier and it is imperative that the successful candidate build and maintain excellent relationships with Digital,Data and Technology (DDaT), operations and the LITE programme. As the objective is to decommission the legacy platform, and ultimately exit the relationship with the supplier, the ability to understand and work closely with commercial colleagues is key.
We expect that this role will lead, alongside commercial specialists and the LITE Deputy Director in negotiating a new decommissioning contract with the supplier. As the current contract is due to end at the end of March 2025, the role will be key to working with the LITE Programme to lead the extension or creation of a new contract that will allow the legacy system to be maintained until LITE and other in-housed built system are implemented successfully.
A key output for the role is to provide a clear plan and time frame to move away from the current SPIRE system, by understanding the delivery road maps within LITE and DDaT. The role will involve identifying the opportunities for a more cost effective contract where functionalities are delivered by the in-housed systems provided by DBT.
As the nature of the decommissioning of the legacy system evolves, we also anticipate that there will be opportunities for the role to lead on key aspects of service improvement.
You will be seen as an active leader in ECJU and support us in the delivery of new initiatives and actions coming from the new export control platform, whilst decommissioning the legacy system, and helping to embed a culture of continuous improvement.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS

• Strong and visible leader
• Experienced stakeholder relationship management.
• Knowledge of commercial matters, and of contract management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills – with the ability to establish personal credibility and act as an advocate on complex issues with a wide range of internal and external audiences.
• Organised and proactive, able to remain calm under pressure and to deliver to challenging deadlines.
• A keen focus on development of teams – building a supportive culture of continuous improvement.

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)

TYPE OF ROLE

Business Management and Improvement
Commercial
Governance

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Providing contract management support for SPIRE, working with operational colleagues across ECJU, ensuring any required developments, fixes etc as part of the ongoing system are fully understood and specified with the supplier.
• Working with finance colleagues within ECJU and wider DBT to ensure the SPIRE supplier is paid when required, and monitor/forecast budget and spend where changes have occurred as well as ongoing maintenance.
• Working with commercial colleagues within DBT to provide contract management support for the existing SPIRE contract, ensuring the contract is in place and fit for purpose until LITE is fully operational.
• Working closely with the LITE programme, DDaT and commercial colleagues to provide a time frame that will allow DBT to move away from the current supplier, based upon the development and delivery road map to replace the import and export system.
• Reporting against agreed milestones within the project plan, to raise deviations from time frames and agree mitigation measures