Senior Commercial Lead

NHS BLOOD AND TRANSPLANT; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Blood and Transplant is seeking a Category-based Commercial Lead to steer a portfolio of supplier contracts, deliver value, and ensure compliance with public sector procurement rules. The role is national with travel across England and offers a hybrid working model, with a base location to be agreed.

You will develop long-term strategic plans for categories, work with internal stakeholders and external suppliers, drive cost improvements and ensure governance and audit readiness while

Qualifications

• Experience leading category-based commercial teams in public sector procurement.
• Strong contract lifecycle management and supplier performance oversight.
• Ability to travel across England and work in a hybrid environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic sourcing and category strategy development, market analysis, and end-to-end procurement.
• Contract and supplier management with KPIs, SLAs, governance, and lifecycle oversight.
• Financial management, cost optimisation, budgeting, and value realisation.
• Stakeholder and supplier relationship management, negotiation, and partnership building.
• Risk, compliance and governance to ensure regulatory adherence and audit readiness.
• Performance improvement to drive supplier performance and service enhancements.

Job description

You will lead, manage and be accountable for a Category based Commercial Team with responsibility for a portfolio of supplier contracts and ensure that all resources are focused on delivering sustainable, quality, and innovative commercial solutions, in compliance with legislation. You will providing professional expertise to formulate, develop and implement long term strategic plans for the categories and contracts managed by the team as well as actively engage and collaborate with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and public sector bodies in support of our commercial strategies and their effectiveness. You will continuously improve the Commercial service delivered to stakeholders, enhance expertise, and build the capability and potential of the function and take a pivotal role in delivering significant cost improvements in a creative, innovative, and sustained manner to assist us to meet our financial objectives. Note: This is a national role, requiring travel across England based on business needs. The role offers a hybrid working option. You will be assigned a base location, which could be one of the NHSBT main centres or blood centres. The exact location will be confirmed after the final interview and mutually agreed upon with the line manager during the verbal offer stage., In this role you will support in the delivery of the planning & organisation, day to day operations, financial, quality targets and vision of the Commercial directorate within NHSBT. Your responsibilities will include,

• Strategic sourcing & commercial planning category strategy development, market analysis, and end-to-end procurement delivery.
• Contract & supplier management expertise managing KPIs, SLAs, governance, and full contract lifecycle (award to exit).
• Commercial acumen & financial management cost optimisation, budget oversight, pricing models, and value realisation.
• Stakeholder & supplier relationship management influencing, negotiating, and building strong internal and external partnerships.
• Risk, compliance & governance ensuring regulatory adherence, managing commercial risks, and maintaining audit-ready processes.
• Performance & continuous improvement driving supplier performance, resolving issues, and leading service and operational improvements.

  It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, you'll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need.