Head of Commercial and Procurement Management

Integrated Care System; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Head of Commercial and Procurement Management to drive ethical practice and deliver results. You will manage supplier relationships and lead a dynamic team while fostering a culture of respect and accountability. Candidates must have a postgraduate degree, relevant procurement qualifications, and experience in a large-scale service environment. This role offers extensive NHS benefits and is expected to be home-based with some travel.

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance

Career average NHS pension scheme

NHS/Emergency Services discounts

Salary sacrifice lease car scheme

Qualifications

• Significant experience of managing a wide range of suppliers and contracts.
• Experience working within large scale programmes and service management structure.
• Respectful and able to promote equality in opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Championing ethical procurement practices and fostering collaborative teams.
• Managing complex programmes in collaboration with the Department for Health and Social Care.
• Obtaining and maintaining Security Clearance.

Skills

Team Leadership

Interpersonal Skills

Supplier Management

Equality Promotion

Education

Post Graduate Degree

Masters Level Qualifications

CIPS Professional Diploma in Procurement

PRINCE2/MSP/ITIL Qualifications

Job description

Go back South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Head of Commercial and Procurement Management

The closing date is 27 August 2025

*Please only apply once as this advert is duplicated but all for the same role.

We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven Head of Commercial and Procurement who brings a strong commitment to ethical procurement practices. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of change. With a collaborative and inclusive leadership style, you will inspire and empower teams to deliver excellence. You will actively champion our organisational values, fostering a culture built on respect, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Main duties of the job

The post isanticipated to be home based but depending on the location and preference of the successful candidate, it will be possible to work out of one of ARPs offices (there are currently offices in Barnsley, Bristol and Central London).It is expected that for home-based candidates there will be a need for occasional travel to one of the offices or to meet external colleagues and/or other members of the ARP team.

About us

The Ambulance Radio Programme (ARP) is an enduring organisation directly appointed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to provide and upgrade emergency communications for UK ambulance services.

ARP has a team of over eighty staff consisting of commercial, finance, project, implementation, technical, user assurance and service colleagues.They are based all over the country to support the successful delivery and maintenance of a £460m programme of work.The aim of ARP is to implement new technology that provides innovation and enhances patient care with the latest equipment.ARPs solutions also play a longer-term role in preparing the ambulance service for the adoption of the Home Office's Emergency Services Network (ESN).

ARP is currently in the process of introducing an array of new technology-based services to Ambulance Trusts and Air Ambulance charities.The Services include the introduction of new technology to the national Ambulance fleet (approx. 6500 vehicles) and upgrading and developing new, data-rich communications products (apps and hardware) for use by over 15,000 frontline paramedic and Control Room staff. Overall, ARP is responsible for providing an end-to-end service covering installation, maintenance, and replacement, which plays a key role in enabling effective response to critical life-threatening incidents.

Job responsibilities

For further information about this role please see attached the job description.

Although the team is delivering complex programmes on behalf of the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), the team is hosted by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which means the successful candidate will enjoy all the benefits that working for an NHS Foundation Trust has to offer. These include a generous annual leave allowance (starting at 27 days), career average NHS pension scheme, access to a network of NHS / Emergency Services discounts offered by third party partners and NHS tax free initiatives like a salary sacrifice lease car scheme, plus cycle to work and technology scheme tax saving initiatives.

This role requires Security Clearance, and you will need to have been a UK resident for at least 5 years. For more information on the Government requirements, please visit the Gov website.

Check out our website to find out more about us as an organisation, our programmes, and latest press releases where we celebrate the huge team effort required for a successful delivery.Ambulance Radio Programme - Providing national critical communication solutions to the English, Scottish and Welsh Ambulance Services

Interviews to be held 10th-12th September 2025 - Interview location will be the Barnsley Office.

Person Specification

Education, Skills and Knowledge

• Post Graduate Degree and Masters Level Qualifications
• CIPS professional diploma in procurement and supply
• Significant experience of managing a wide range of supplier and contracts
• Strong Team Leader and interpersonal skills & able to develop and maintain effective and credible relationships with business leaders and supplier management
• Respectful to and able to promote equality in opportunity, employment and service delivery
• Experience of working within a large scale programmes and service management structure
• Practitioner level PRINCE2, MSP and/or ITIL qualifications

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Ambulance Radio Programme

Part Ground Floor, South Wing, Equinox North, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke

Part Ground Floor, South Wing, Equinox North, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke