Contract and Compliance Manager

At Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), our Supported Travel Service plays a vital role in keeping communities across the county connected, independent and involved. Every day, a dedicated team of around 200 staff members supports the journeys and travel of approximately 10,000 residents, using a blend of more than 70 in-house fleet vehicles and over 800 contracted vehicles. The service arranges and delivers a wide range of safe, efficient and reliable travel solutions, including home-to-school and SEND transport, independent travel training, personal travel budgets, community and public transport schemes, and essential journeys for children’s and adults’ social care.

Our core commitment is to provide alternative, safe and efficient travel solutions that empower people of all ages to access education, care, and social opportunities. Placing residents and their communities at the heart of everything we do, we focus on enhancing access, enabling participation and improving quality of life.

Safeguarding is central to our mission, with all journeys underpinned by robust assurance, professional training and a culture of dignity and respect. Through practical, community-centred solutions, our service ensures that Oxfordshire’s residents can travel confidently and safely, whatever their needs.

This is an exciting time to be joining the team as we shape and embed new ways of working to support high-quality supported travel services!

What You'll Do

Are you someone who thrives on collaborative leadership, forging strong relationships, and giving clear guidance across different teams? As the Contracts and Compliance Manager, you will be responsible for the strategic oversight of an essential portfolio of transport contracts, ensuring that services are safe, compliant, financially stable, and delivered to the highest standards.

In this role, you will offer decisive leadership and guidance, managing and developing a specialist team focused on effective assurance practices and continual improvement. By working closely with Finance and Travel Commissioning colleagues, you will embed rigorous safeguarding, quality, and financial controls throughout all commissioned services. You will also serve as a key contact for stakeholders by addressing concerns, conducting investigations, and leveraging insights to enhance service delivery.

Your remit includes overseeing one of the council’s core service areas: transport contracts for Home to School Travel Assistance and Adult Social Care Transport. These critical services ensure vulnerable residents have reliable access to education, community resources, and essential support in a safe manner.

As the Contracts and Compliance Manager, you will provide strategic oversight of contract performance, ensure rigorous legal and regulatory compliance, safeguard service users, and efficiently manage complex relationships with providers. You will advocate for continuous improvement across all aspects of the service. The position entails leading a team that oversees comprehensive management of over 800 contracts and thousands of tenders annually, necessitating robust administration of a diverse portfolio. The team is also responsible for conducting regular audits, on site provider inspections, and quality assessments of service providers to confirm adherence to Passenger Transport Legislation and uphold safeguarding standards. Your leadership, through close collaboration with commissioning, finance, operations, and external partners, will drive transformational change and promote high-quality outcomes.

Through successful collaboration and adherence to strong regulatory practices, you will address contractual and compliance challenges, supporting the ongoing evolution of transport services to meet the needs of children, young people, and adults - particularly those with special educational needs, disabilities, or care requirements. Joining our team offers you the opportunity to contribute to a culture of continual progress and supportive working practices, with real scope to make a tangible impact.

Could this be you?

What You Can Look Forward To

At OCC, you'll be part of a team that’s not only passionate about what we do, but also about how we do it. We foster a culture of inclusion, respect, and continuous improvement, and we’re proud to offer flexible working arrangements, professional development opportunities, and a strong sense of purpose in everything we do.

• Hybrid working - We recognise the importance of flexibility in delivering the service and supporting different lifestyles. We encourage open conversations at interview, as we understand there’s no one size fits all approach
• Culture of flexible working
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your growth
• Technology to support agile working, with unlimited access to Copilot for smarter productivity
• Employee assistance programme with health and wellbeing support
• Generous annual leave - up to 30 days plus bank holidays, and an option to 'buy' additional time off

Ready to Apply?

• If you are interested in this role, please submit your application via our careers portal by 15 March 2026. Please note - we encourage early applications and reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of suitable candidates are identified.
• When applying, please upload a current CV along with a personal statement. Your statement should explain how your skills and experience match the role, referring to the key requirements in the job description.
• Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Candidates who are shortlisted will be invited to interview shortly thereafter, and we will communicate next steps as soon as possible.