Strategic Lead - Commercial Improvement & Assurance

Lancashire County Council; Preston; On-site; GBP 69,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

26 days annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Financial and travel benefits

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking a Strategic Lead to strengthen how highways services are commercially managed, assured and improved. You will turn strategy into practical changes, scrutinise business cases, and drive value for money across programmes and projects.

You will lead complex improvement work, use data and benchmarking to challenge assumptions and ensure evidence-led decisions, influencing senior stakeholders while collaborating across finance, engineering, procurement and legal

Qualifications

• A relevant degree-level qualification or equivalent experience in commercial management, finance, engineering, business or programme/project management.
• Significant experience leading commercial improvement, assurance or complex programmes, ideally in highways or capital programmes.
• Strong knowledge of commercial governance, financial control, risk, value for money and project assurance.
• Analytical ability to interrogate costs, forecasts and benchmarks and translate findings into recommendations.
• Experience improving services and delivery models with continuous improvement and benefits realisation.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills for senior stakeholders.
• A professional qualification or willingness to work towards one in project, programme, procurement or change management.

Responsibilities

• Lead commercial improvement and assurance work, using data, benchmarking and insight to scrutinise business cases and costs.
• Develop gateway controls and improve cost predictability across services and projects.
• Advise senior leaders and governance forums while building cross‑functional relationships with suppliers and partners.
• Turn improvement opportunities into measurable results and build commercial capability across the organisation.
• Provide constructive challenge to enable evidence‑led decisions.

Skills

Commercial management

Programme leadership

Governance & assurance

Data analysis

Stakeholder influence

Change management

Professional qualification

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

Job Description

Salary £68,525 - £74,531 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Strategic Lead - Commercial Improvement & Assurance

We're looking for a Strategic Lead with drive and passion to deliver an effective and very specialist service to our stakeholders at an incredibly exciting time for both the present and future of Lancashire County Council and the community we serve.

About The Role

This is an opportunity to play a key role in strengthening how highways services and investment are commercially managed, assured and continuously improved.

Working alongside the Head of Commercial, you'll help turn commercial strategy into practical improvements, bringing greater financial discipline, accountability and value for money across services, programmes and projects.

You’ll lead complex commercial improvement and assurance work, using data, benchmarking and insight to scrutinise business cases, costs, forecasts, risks, procurement approaches and delivery models. From developing gateway controls and improving cost predictability to redesigning services and assuring high-value projects and contracts, you’ll provide the constructive challenge that helps us make better, evidence-led decisions.

It's a role with real breadth and influence.

You’ll work across finance, engineering, procurement, legal and operational teams, advising senior leaders and governance forums while building strong relationships with suppliers, contractors and partners. Just as importantly, you’ll help build commercial capability across the organisation and turn improvement opportunities into measurable results.

About You

You’ll be an experienced commercial, improvement, assurance or programme professional who is comfortable getting beneath the numbers, challenging assumptions and turning complex information into clear recommendations.

You’ll bring the credibility to influence senior stakeholders while remaining pragmatic, collaborative and focused on improving outcomes.

• A relevant degree-level qualification or equivalent experience, ideally within commercial management, finance, engineering, business or programme/project management
• Significant experience leading commercial improvement, assurance, transformation or complex programmes, ideally within highways, infrastructure, capital programmes or a comparable environment.
• Strong knowledge of commercial governance, financial control, risk, value for money and programme assurance, including gateway reviews and business case scrutiny.
• The analytical skills to interrogate costs, forecasts, performance, risk and benchmarking data and translate your findings into clear, evidence-based recommendations.
• Experience improving services, processes and delivery models, with an understanding of continuous improvement, change management and benefits realisation.
• Strong communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with the confidence to provide constructive professional challenge to senior leaders and work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• A relevant professional qualification or experience in project, programme, procurement or change management, with membership of a relevant professional body, or a willingness to work towards this.

About Us

At Lancashire County Council, we're committed to delivering services that make a real difference to the people and communities we serve. Our Highways Team is at the heart of that mission, helping ensure that customers are put first by delivering safe, reliable and accessible highways services that local communities can depend upon.

When you join us, you'll become part of a supportive and knowledgeable team where your expertise is valued, your development is encouraged and your contribution has a direct impact across the organisation.

In return, we offer:

• Competitive salary
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Flexible working opportunities
• Health and wellbeing support
• Family-friendly policies
• Financial and travel benefits
• Training and development opportunities

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.