Strategic Commercial Manager

Oxfordshire County Council; Oxford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Learning and development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

A local government authority in Oxford is seeking a Strategic Commercial Manager to lead procurement efforts for high-value contracts. The role is pivotal in ensuring that procurement strategies deliver value for money and align with council objectives. Responsibilities include managing procurement processes, negotiating contracts, and fostering relationships with suppliers while focusing on sustainability. A strong background in procurement and leadership is essential, along with a commitment to continuous improvement and a collaborative approach to enhancing the local government services.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering projects across the procurement lifecycle.
• Ability to influence outcomes and provide constructive challenge to senior managers.
• Experience managing staff performance and development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of strategic procurement plans.
• Manage the end-to-end procurement process, ensuring compliance.
• Negotiate and deliver commercial projects to achieve the best value.

Skills

Strategic procurement planning

Commercial awareness

Negotiation skills

Leadership skills

Problem-solving

Education

MCIPS qualification (or equivalent)

Job description

Providing services to over 750,000 residents, supporting them at the most vulnerable times in their lives, and working across rural and urban communities with some of the most fantastic heritage and landscapes in the country. It is a significant responsibility, and the Commercial & Procurement Service sits at the heart of the organisation. We are transforming our approach, moving away from a traditional procurement service to driving a more commercial mindset across the Council. This means finding new and innovative ways of delivering value from savings to service improvements, from innovation in delivery to shaping the environment, economy, and communities that we partner with. As part of this transformation, we’re expanding our new Commercial & Procurement Service and structuring ourselves around 4 pillars:

• Strategic Commercial Partnering – senior commercial experts working closely with senior stakeholders to identify and explore long-term opportunities, scan the horizon for opportunities and risks, and bringing new commercial delivery models to the table (such as joint ventures, Local Authority Trading Companies, and a range of investment options).
• Commercial Service Delivery – the engine room of the service delivering the day-to-day projects from insourcing, outsourcing, and re-procurements, utilising the new freedoms under the Procurement Act 2023 to craft the most effective commercial processes to achieve the outcomes we want to achieve for our residents.
• Contract & Supplier Management – setting the standard for ‘excellent’ contract management across the Council, working with our decentralised contract manager community to professionalise our capability, and leading the contract & supplier management activity for our most complex and strategically critical agreements.
• Commercial Excellence – from providing analytics, developing our commercial system roadmap, curating a commercial curriculum, to setting our policies, developing templates and tools, and supporting driving the efficacy of our service as a whole, the Excellence team underpin our efforts to drive more commerciality across the Council.

As a service we’re committed to recruiting on potential. The details below set out the specifics of the role we’re recruiting for, and we want to encourage anyone with relevant experience to apply who is motivated by the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) mission to support our residents and wants to be part of a transformation of a commercial & procurement service. 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. Our core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:

• Always learning
• Be kind and care
• Equality and integrity in all we do
• Taking responsibility
• Daring to do it differently

If you’re ready to make a meaningful difference and lead through values, we’d love to hear from you.

About the Role

Are you ready to lead strategic procurement activities for some of the most complex and high-value contracts in local government? Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a talented Strategic Commercial Manager to join our team. This pivotal role ensures our procurement strategies deliver value for money and align with the council’s objectives. You’ll work closely with Strategic Commercial Partners, drive continuous improvement, and help shape the future of procurement across the council. This role sits as part of our Commercial Service Delivery Team, leading the Resources pillar. This encompasses all of our corporate requirements, cutting across Digital, Property & FM, Professional Services, Communications, Finance, and other resourcing directorates.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of strategic procurement plans for high-value and complex contracts.
• Manage the end-to-end procurement process, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and council policies.
• Negotiate and deliver commercial projects to achieve the best value for the council.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Provide expert advice on procurement strategies and best practices.
• Monitor and report on procurement performance, identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure procurement activities support the council’s sustainability and social value objectives.
• Lead and mentor a team of procurement professionals, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with public procurement regulations and best practice.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering projects across the procurement lifecycle and across multiple procurement categories, particularly including resource categories such as Digital, Property & FM, and Professional Services.
• Strong commercial awareness, with an ability to understand cost drivers, value for money, and identify opportunities for greater value.
• Excellent persuasion and negotiation skills, able to influence outcomes and provide constructive challenge to senior managers.
• Strong leadership skills to inspire and deliver high performance within your team and across cross-functional projects.
• Ability to proactively solve problems, manage risk, and look for opportunities.
• Experience in managing staff performance and development.
• MCIPS qualification (or equivalent), or willingness to work towards it.
• Excellent communication skills, able to articulate complex concepts and support capability building in others.
• Experience with a range of commercial models (in-sourcing, out-sourcing, joint ventures, etc.) is desirable.
• Local Government experience is desirable but not essential.

Before applying, we recommend reviewing the attached job summary. It has further information and clear guidance on what we’re looking for.

Pay range and compensation package

• Hybrid working – with flexibility to suit your role and lifestyle.
• Culture of flexible working.
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your growth.
• Technology to support agile working, including unlimited access to Copilot for smarter productivity.
• Employee Assistance Programme – including health and wellbeing support.
• Generous annual leave – 30 days plus bank holidays, and an option to ‘buy’ additional holiday.
• Enhanced family friendly policies.
• Local Government Pension Scheme – with employer contributions up to 19.9%.
• Discounts – local and national offers for shopping and travel.