Commercial Contracts Director, Justice & Immigration, UK&E

Serco Group plc; London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading public service provider is seeking a Commercial Contracts Director for the Justice & Immigration sector in London. In this high-profile role, you will lead commercial operations, negotiate contracts, and collaborate with senior leaders for effective risk management and profitability. Competitive package includes salary, bonus, and flexible working options.

Benefits

Performance-related bonus

Company car allowance

Employer pension contribution

Private medical insurance

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Strong background in commercial contracts leadership, essential experience.
• Deep knowledge of commercial contract management, ideally in the UK public sector.
• Exceptional negotiation skills and ability to balance commercial/legal requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership in commercial contracts.
• Partner with senior leaders for sustainable profitability.
• Manage high-stakes negotiations and material contract changes.

Skills

Leadership in commercial contracts

Negotiation skills

Business acumen

Stakeholder influence

Team leadership

Job description

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Commercial Contracts Director - Justice & Immigration, Serco

Location: Flexible with regular travel into Victoria, London & sites across UK
Package: Competitive six figure salary + bonus + car + pension + private medical + flexible working

At Serco, we deliver essential public services that make a real difference-supporting governments and citizens across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare and more. With 50,000 employees operating in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, we operate in some of the most challenging and scrutinised environments, where commercial discipline and contractual rigour are critical to success.

We are now looking for an experienced Commercial Contracts Director to join our UK & Europe Legal and Commercial Contracts team. Reporting directly to the Head of Commercial Contracts, UK & Europe and working in close partnership with the Justice & Immigration SLT, you will provide strategic & commercial leadership across one of our most complex and politically sensitive sectors. This is a high-profile role, requiring both deep technical expertise and the ability to build trusted relationships at Board and MD level.

What you'll be doing

• Provide strategic and visible leadership in commercial contracts across the Justice & Immigration Business Unit.
• Partner with the MD, FD, and senior leadership team to balance growth ambitions with effective risk management, enabling sustainable profitability.
• Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing team of commercial professionals, embedding best practice and driving capability.
• Take a hands-on role in high-stakes negotiations with customers, SPVs, partners and subcontractors, resolving issues to deliver successful outcomes.
• Ensure expert commercial support on bids, rebids, and organic growth opportunities, directly influencing how Serco secures and delivers future business.
• Manage material contract changes and disputes with rigour, ensuring governance and commercial protections are in place.
• Enhance commercial awareness across the Business Unit through training, guidance, and embedding robust processes.
• Represent Serco with credibility in an environment of public accountability, media interest, and political challenge.
• Build and develop relationships across the Minister of Justice, Home Office and Cabinet Office.
• Develop and maintain a commercial performance led culture across the Business Unit

What you'll need to bring

• A strong background in commercial contracts leadership within the contracting, outsourcing sectors or an analogous sector- this experience is essential.
• Deep knowledge of commercial contract management and complex contractual constructs, ideally in the UK public sector.
• Demonstrable ability to balance commercial, legal, and operational requirements to achieve pragmatic outcomes.
• Exceptional negotiation skills, combining resilience with the ability to maintain trusted, respected relationships.
• Proven track record of partnering at MD/Board level, with the confidence and gravitas to influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong business acumen and ability to operate strategically while engaging in operational detail when required.
• Experience leading teams and driving continuous improvement in commercial contract management practices.
• Flexibility to travel and build presence across multiple sites.
• Ability to obtain and maintain SC level security clearance.

What we offer

• Competitive base salary
• Performance-related bonus of up to 30%
• Company car allowance
• Employer pension contribution
• Private medical insurance
• 25 days holiday + flexible working options

About Serco

At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services for the benefit of everyone.

By joining Serco you will have unlimited access to our Global Employee Networks - SercoInspire (Gender), SercoEmbrace (Multicultural), SercoUnlimited (Disability) and In@Serco (LGBT & Networks). Serco Employee Networks, led by colleagues who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Apply

Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. We operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly Disability Confident Leader employers and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview. For help with your application please contact 0345 010 4000.

At Serco we support fair access to employment for those with unspent criminal convictions through the \"Ban the Box\" pledge (some may be exempt due to the nature of the role and the security clearance required). Please contact our recruitment team directly on 0345 010 4000 to discuss.