DDaT Framework Manager

Position: DDaT Contract Framework Manager
The role As the DDaT Contract Framework Manager, you will be responsible for developing the Contract Management Support Service within Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT). You will provide effective leadership and direction to your team, demonstrating a high degree of commercial knowledge and awareness to internal customers and wider stakeholders. You will advise senior managers on strategic contractual issues across a broad range of contract types, managing risks as required.

You will also refine and implement improvement measures that increase business performance, working closely with other enablers to strengthen contract management across the organisation through a structured framework that complements existing procurement policies and procedures. As a member of the Natural Resources Wales Management Team, you will play a key strategic role in supporting the organisation's transformation to deliver the sustainable management of natural resources.

You will set the strategic direction for the function, evolve and progress the DDaT procurement framework, and contribute to the delivery of the NRW Commercial Strategy, promoting good governance and compliance throughout. As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment.

Any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance. To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Ray Sherry at Interviews will take place w/c 22 June 2026 through Microsoft Teams What you will do In this role, you will lead the end-to-end management of complex, high-value and strategic contracts, taking full accountability for their successful mobilisation, delivery, performance, and closeout.

You will operate at the centre of contract activity, ensuring that supplier performance, financial outcomes, risk management, and governance requirements are effectively managed and aligned to business objectives. Through strong stakeholder engagement and commercial expertise, you will drive value for money, resolve issues, implement change, and ensure contractual obligations are met, maintaining a clear focus on achieving high-quality service delivery and tangible outcomes within each contract.

Provide strategic leadership of the Contract Management Support Service within DDaT, shaping organisational policy, long-term direction, and commercial strategy. Act as senior adviser to organisational leaders on complex and high-risk contractual matters across a diverse portfolio of contract types. Provide authoritative commercial insight to inform strategic decisions, anticipate and manage enterprise-level risks, and ensure contractual approaches align with organisational strategy, governance expectations, and public-sector obligations, policies and procedures already in place for procurement.

Provide assurance on critical DDaT contract management control processes and help build and develop commercial capability and professionalism both inside the function and across the business, promoting compliance across NRW and challenging senior leaders where non-compliance is identified. Develop a deep knowledge of diverse business areas, their needs, and priorities, looking at the bigger picture to ensure that the business understands the regularity and propriety implications alongside value for money in the work they undertake, providing commercial advice to ensure contracts are progressed within the confines of managing Welsh public money, legislative boundaries, our scheme of delegation and other external best practice guidance.

Lead major programmes of work to strengthen commercial governance, capability, and assurance across NRW, providing advice and guidance on policy and governance issues with a commercial impact; contributing to new initiatives and projects, developing procedures, consulting with other governance leads to assess potential impact and manage policy changes. Work collaboratively with enabling functions to drive continuous improvement across NRW, delivering a structured, organisation-wide contract-management framework that complements procurement policy, strengthens governance, and supports long-term strategic outcomes.

Manage the team that will lead on the DDaT procurement framework procedures, providing effective leadership and direction, working with senior stakeholders to identify and own commercial risks, drive organisational-wide improvements, and implement robust measures that strengthen commercial governance and resilience. Exercise delegated financial authority for the DDaT procurement framework, ensuring all contracts are compliant, and deliver value for money. This includes applying NRW's financial governance framework, adhering to schemes of delegation, monitoring financial performance, and escalating risks, or non-compliance where required.

Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post Be…