Commercial Manager

Necsu; North East; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

NHS discounts

Free car parking

Generous holidays and pension

Job summary

NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit seeks an experienced Commercial Manager to lead procurement and commercial strategy across a portfolio of projects. Hybrid role across home and office locations, with potential transfer to NHSBSA.

You will provide specialist procurement and market management expertise, work with stakeholders, and ensure governance and compliance. As part of the Healthcare Procurement Service, you will line-manage staff, drive continuous improvement, and align

Qualifications

• Degree at Masters level or equivalent is required.
• Significant procurement and market management experience essential.
• Experience leading teams and managing complex procurements in health context.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a portfolio of procurement and commercial projects.
• Provide specialist procurement and market management expertise.
• Support the development and implementation of procurement strategies and processes.
• Work strategically with customers, partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with procurement standards and governance.
• Line-manage identified team members and support development.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Procurement strategy

Contract management

Relationship building

Negotiation

Risk management

Education

Masters degree or equivalent in relevant field

CIPS/MCIPS or equivalent certification

Tools

Procurement systems (e.g., e-sourcing)

Job description

Go back NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit

Commercial Manager

The closing date is 18 November 2026

Are you an experienced and commercially focused professional who can build strong relationships and deliver effective procurement solutions?

We are looking for an experienced Commercial Manager to support the BSA Commercial function. The Commercial Manager is a key role in supporting the development and delivery of effective procurement and commercial strategies. The postholder will oversee a portfolio of procurement projects, provide specialist procurement and market management expertise and work with key stakeholders to develop and implement effective procurement systems and processes.

This is a hybrid working role, with the successful candidate working across a mixture of home and office locations.

This vacancy is restricted to employees currently working within a Commissioning Support Unit (CSU). The role is being recruited to support services moving to NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The successful applicant may therefore potentially transfer to NHSBSA as part of the relevant service transfer arrangements. Further information will be provided as part of the recruitment and transfer process.

This role will close Wednesday 18th November and interviews/selection are expected to take place during the week commencing 23rd November.

Main duties of the job

This role will be responsible for:

• Lead and oversee a portfolio of procurement and commercial projects.
• Provide specialist procurement and market management advice and expertise.
• Support the development and implementation of procurement strategies and processes.
• Work strategically with customers, partners and key stakeholders.
• Support compliance with relevant procurement requirements, standards and governance arrangements.
• Project manage procurement development and improvement initiatives.
• Support continuous improvement of procurement systems and processes.
• Provide leadership and line management to identified team members.

About us

At NECS we are very proud to be part of the NHS England family. We are one of the very few truly customer-owned entities within the NHS. We have grown from our roots in the North East to be an NHS business with customers the length and breadth of the UK and further abroad. Our customer base has diversified significantly over this period, and we are now very pleased to be serving NHS providers as well as commissioners, NHSE regions, Local Authorities, General Practices and national NHSE Directorates.

NECS combines specialist skills and expertise with scale and resilience to achieve required results. We combine core NHS values with a sharp focus on customer care and a relentless pursuit of continuous improvement. We very much see ourselves as a key partner in the future success of the healthcare system and we take our share of the responsibility for shaping effective delivery.

Our people are the heart of our organisation. We strive to ensure they feel trusted, valued and empowered. We are passionate about nurturing and developing people. When you join us, we want you to grow, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that as well as an excellent benefits package including generous holidays and pension plus free car parking and access to NHS discounts.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will support the development of procurement strategy and associated procurement frameworks and will have a sound knowledge base of statutory/regulatory requirements relating to health care procurement. He/she will be part of the senior management team within the Healthcare Procurement Service (HPS) and will support delivery of operational activities, having particular oversight for the management of internal systems and processes.

The post holder will;

1. Oversee a portfolio of projects related to the procurement of healthcare and health improvement services.

2. Support the implementation of competition and procurement strategies, providing input to the senior management team of HPS.

3. Work with key stakeholders at a strategic level to support and implement procurement systems and processes.

4. Support the use and development of information systems (relating to procurement) across customer organisations, ensuring that technology opportunities underpin service developments where this will support achievement of stated outcomes.

5. Support internal and external information/communications (relating to procurement) to ensure a consistent and effective approach, encouraging and supporting customers to take a coordinated and strategic approach to procurement of healthcare and health improvement services.

6. Act as line manager to identified direct reports and, through them, to their teams. This will include agreeing objectives and identifying training and development requirements ensuring effective day to day management and control of HPS resources within budget and supporting individual appraisal/development activities.

Leadership

• Provide management input into the development of procurement systems and processes(relating to healthcare services) across the NECS customer base, ensuring that coherent local plans and detailed programmes are managed and successfully implemented to schedule.
• Support the Head of Procurement and Senior Procurement Manager in the implementation of national and local policy across customer base, in relation to scope of responsibilities.
• Offer specialist procurement and market management expertise to other work streams across customer base where necessary to support cooperative working.
• To act as a bridge between customer organisations and partners. This will involve both advising customers on national policy developments and influencing customer requirements.

Strategic planning

• To project manage procurement development and/or research initiatives within the scope of responsibilities.
• To support effective communications and involvement mechanisms for patients, carers, the public and staff within the scope of responsibilities.
• To support the delivery of continuous improvement methodologies and practices and oversee HPS compliance to internal systems and processes.
• To support the implementation and achievement of the full range of national and local policies and targets, within the scope of responsibilities, across all customer organisations.
• To support delivery of business objectives in relation to HPS.

Operational Management

• Priority project areas for this post will be agreed annually via objectives and reviewed quarterly.
• The post holder will be responsible, and accountable, for authorising financial expenditure for projects / service development initiatives from within a delegated budget overseen by the Senior Procurement Manager.
• To work with designated staff to ensure the effective management and delivery of all aspects of HPS core functions.
• To support the development and ensure delivery of effective, integrated and systematic processes to ensure procurement outcomes are known and improved.
• To monitor conformance with national standards within the customer organisations through HPS systems and processes.
• To line manage members of the HPS and to contribute to the appraisal and development of staff working directly within the team or undertaking project work for the post holder.
• To support the production of analytical advice (in relation to procurement and market management activities) to customers and others, where agreed.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Good understanding of NHS strategy and policy agendas in relation to choice, competition and contestability.
• In depth, expert understanding of procurement legislation, national guidance and best practice.
• Good understanding of service improvement tools and techniques.
• Good understanding of project management.

Experience

• At least 3 years senior management experiences in a complex organisation with a proven track record of using professional and managerial knowledge to bring about change.
• Significant specialist experience and track record of procurement and market management.
• Track record of achievement in the development and delivery of improved NHS services.
• Material experience of facilitating and managing change within and across healthcare organisations.
• Proven track record and significant experience of successful working with clinical staff, service users and carers.
• Senior management experience (the successful candidate is likely to have at least 5 years substantive experience in a number of senior managerial roles).
• Track record of regional networking.
• Significant experience in a number of health care settings (commissioner, provider, regional or national).

Qualifications

• Degree at Masters level (or equivalent).
• Evidence of specialist knowledge (procurement or market management).

Skills, Abilities and Qualities

• Demonstrates leadership qualities, skills and behaviours.
• The highest level of communication skills will be required to engage NHS leaders and local communities in service development and change issues. This includes well developed interpersonal, persuasion, influencing and conflict management skills required to communicate controversial service improvement or organisational change issues, handle sensitive media issues and negotiate successful outcomes.
• Well-developed analytical and problem solving skills will be required for assessment of procurement strategy and formulation of procurement/market management interventions for a number of organisations where opinion may differ on the best course of action.
• Project leadership expertise.
• Proven team worker with ability to motivate others.
• Highly developed presentation skills.
• Confident in the use of service improvement and OD tools and techniques.
• Able to understand complex issues and translate them into understandable knowledge.
• Training, coaching and mentoring skills
• Numerate and IT literate.
• Prioritisation skills with ability to manage multiple portfolio areas.
• Flexible, enthusiastic and committed.
• Able to keep projects and people on track.
• Able to drive with own transport.
• Politically aware and sensitive.
• Self aware.

Employer name

NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit