Commercial Manager

Money and Pensions Service; Bedford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Interest-free season ticket loan

Cycle to work

Eye tests & flu jabs

Give as you earn

Employee assistance programme

Enhanced family and sick pay

Paid volunteering

Recognition Scheme

Discounts portal

Job summary

Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) in Bedford is seeking a Commercial Manager to provide procurement and commercial support across the Customer Directorate. You will help plan, source, manage and improve contracts in line with policy and governance, delivering value for money for millions across the UK.

You will work with commercial, finance, legal, policy, digital and operations teams to support effective procurement outcomes and contribute to the wider commercial delivery.

Qualifications

• Relevant commercial, procurement or contract management experience is essential.
• Desirable but not essential: MCIPS or equivalent qualifications and accreditation.
• Good working knowledge of PCR2015 and PA23 in a public sector context.
• Understanding of procurement routes, governance and contract management principles.
• Proven ability to work with delivery teams and stakeholders to achieve objectives.
• Experience in sourcing, negotiating and managing contracts across categories.

Responsibilities

• Identify routes to market for goods and services and assess options.
• Run compliant procurement and grant funding award procedures at pace.
• Provide commercial governance, approvals and documentation clearly.
• Support supplier performance management and contract variations.
• Develop and maintain commercial systems, templates and records.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Procurement knowledge

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Sourcing

Contract management

Governance

Education

MCIPS (or equivalent)

World Commerce & Contracting accreditation

Job description

Ready to make a real difference? Join us at the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as our Commercial Manager. This is your chance to play a meaningful role in helping people across the UK build stronger financial futures and to do it as part of a supportive, energetic team.

Why this role matters?

As Commercial Manager you will provide professional procurement and commercial support across MaPS Customer Directorate, helping teams to plan, source, manage and improve contracts in line with public sector policy, governance requirements and commercial best practice. You will be supporting colleagues with commissioning best‑class solutions that directly support the UK public, seeking innovative ways to maximize benefit to millions of people in need of Debt Advice, Money or Pensions Guidance.

You will support a range of commercial activity, including sourcing, supplier engagement, contract and grant management, governance, negotiation and stakeholder management, with a focus on delivering value for money and wider organizational benefits.

The post holder will work collaboratively with colleagues across commercial, finance, legal, policy, digital, operations and delivery teams to support effective procurement and contract outcomes. You will be an active and contributing member of the wider commercial team, sharing experience and knowledge to develop our functional delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Sourcing

• Use commercial knowledge and experience to identify suitable routes to market for a range of goods and services requirements
• Assess available sourcing options, articulate the benefits and risks of each approach, and recommend the most appropriate route to market
• Run compliant procurement and grant funding award procedures efficiently, transparently and at pace
• Complete commercial governance, approvals and documentation clearly and effectively
• Support commercial pipeline planning by identifying upcoming requirements, key milestones, dependencies and potential procurement risks
• Provide practical commercial advice to internal stakeholders on routes to market, procurement options, commercial risks and value for money considerations

Commercial Contract Management

• Provide commercial contract management support in line with agreed terms, governance processes and organisational requirements
• Support commercial negotiations, variations and change control activity to ensure agreements remain appropriate, affordable and commercially advantageous
• Support supplier performance management by monitoring delivery, addressing issues, reviewing service levels and identifying opportunities for improvement

Commercial Delivery

• Review, develop and maintain commercial systems and documents, including digital pipeline and contract records, and documents such as specifications, statements of work, schedules, service levels and contracts
• Build effective relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders throughout the commercial lifecycle

Contribute to improvements in commercial tools, templates, processes and ways of working to support consistent and effective delivery

You will need to demonstrate the following experience;

• Relevant commercial, procurement or contract management experience is essential.
• MCIPS, World Commerce & Contracting accreditation or equivalent professional development is desirable but not essential
• Solid public sector or regulated environment commercial experience. Including a good working knowledge of PCR2015 and PA23
• Good understanding of procurement routes, commercial governance and contract management principles
• Proven track record of working effectively with delivery teams, business managers and project stakeholders to achieve service objectives
• Strong experience of sourcing, negotiating, varying and managing contracts across a range of categories
• Ability to run compliant, pragmatic commercial activity at pace while managing risk effectively
• Experience of general grant funding competitions, grant management and the Government Grant Functional Standards desirable but not essential

Personal attributes

• Sound judgement and confident decision-making, with the ability to solve problems pragmatically
• Clear and effective communicator, able to engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels
• Collaborative team player who is self‑motivated, organised and able to work independently
• Analytical, with strong attention to detail and the ability to interpret commercial information
• Confident negotiator with sound commercial judgement and a focus on achieving value for money
• Able to build trusted relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders

About Us

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.

At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We're not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:

• Caring
• We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform.
• Connecting
• We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections.
• Transforming
• We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.

By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to "bring their whole selves to work."

Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women's health, men's health, ethnicity, and diversity.

What We Offer

• Pension scheme - contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
• Interest‑free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
• Give as you earn scheme
• Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• Enhanced family and sick pay
• Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
• Recognition Scheme
• Discounts portal to numerous retailers

Flexible Working

At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per month. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.

Reserve List

If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

Deadline - 26/09/2026

We follow fair, open, and merit-based recruitment in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.