Area Manager jobs in United Kingdom

Reporting into Chief Finance Officer (CFO)

Contract Permanent

Vacancy Type Full time

Location Palestra (Southwark) with 50% hybrid working

Transport for London (TfL) is one of the world's most recognised and successful integrated transport authorities. Every day, we enable millions of journeys and deliver projects that shape the future of London. Our work goes far beyond transport : we drive innovation, sustainability and economic growth across the UK through one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the country.

Managing a £10bn annual budget, TfL plays a vital role in keeping London moving and thriving. With major infrastructure projects planned and long-term partnerships with strategic suppliers, this is an exceptional opportunity to lead at scale and shape the future of London. Our procurement and commercial function is critical to ensuring value, resilience and social impact across everything we deliver.

As Group Procurement and Commercial Director, you will shape strategy, influence key stakeholders including the Mayor, GLA, Government departments and the TfL Board and ensure our commercial approach delivers value, resilience and measurable economic benefits.

Reporting to the CFO, this role leads a diverse function of around 600 professionals, including 10 senior Heads and creates a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement. You will drive performance across a global supply chain, accountable for £3.5bn annual external spend and delivering £300m in supply chain savings over the next four years.

You will define the vision and set the pace for procurement and commercial strategies that transform London's landscape for generations to come. A critical part of the role is building long-term partnerships with strategic suppliers to deliver value and performance, supporting TfL's ambition to provide an affordable, sustainable and world-class transport network while maximising the supply chain's contribution to London and the UK economy.

This is a pivotal leadership role driving a major transformation programme to strengthen capability in long-term planning, category management and contract management. You will shape and deliver a long-term strategy for Procurement & Commercial aligned with TfL's Business Plan and the Mayor's Transport Strategy, while securing external capital funding and advocating the UK-wide benefits of TfL's supply chain.

You will lead strategic planning across all supplier spend, provide expert advice to ExCo and develop deep market and supplier intelligence to drive greater value. The role also ensures compliance and mitigates risk across TfL's diverse global supply chains.

This is an opportunity to create a high-performing, collaborative culture that champions professional growth and delivers measurable impact for London and beyond.

We're looking for a visionary commercial leader - someone who thrives on complexity, inspires confidence at the highest levels, and sees opportunity where others see challenge. You will have extensive experience in supporting working on large-scale project with complex engineering and technological challenges (essential). You have experience in transport or similar sectors such as utilities, aviation or civil engineering (essential).

Confident and credible at Board level, you have represented organisations with major suppliers and interfaces with government. You combine strong commercial acumen with the ability to inform strategic decisions, challenge assumptions and balance multiple competing priorities. You excel at building long-term supplier relationships that deliver measurable value (essential).

As an exceptional people leader, you have experience of leading and inspiring large, diverse multi-disciplinary teams in procurement, commercial and / or finance functions (essential). You demonstrate your commitment to diversity and inclusion. You have a proven track record of leading organisational change, driving continuous improvement and embedding process excellence (essential).

Key strengths include exceptional negotiation skills, particularly in dispute resolution and complex agreements and a collaborative communication style with energy and enthusiasm. Ideally you hold a relevant professional qualification (e.g. RICS, CIPS), but this is not essential if you have comprehensive knowledge of UK legislation on commercial activities, compliance and governance, especially in capital delivery environments.

For a confidential discussion, a copy of the candidate pack and to make an application, please contact the team at Korn Ferry on TFLprocurement@KornFerry.com

Any applications submitted directly to the TfL portal will not be considered and declined in the first instance.

Friday 16 January 2026

TfL is a place that's open to your ideas. Where you can make a tangible impact and see the positive results of your work on the people and places around you. It's a place where you can thrive and achieve. Where you're encouraged and enabled and empowered to feel pride in the work you do. The clue is in the name, really. We work together for a better London. A better place for everyone. Constantly improving and enhancing how we operate to shape a city of the future.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.

Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role and business area but mostly include :

• Final salary pension scheme.
• Free travel for you on the TfL network.
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home or 75% reimbursement on a 28-day flexi ticket.
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays.
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow. 50% time in the office.
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional).
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme.
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers.
• Discounted Eurostar travel.
• TfL employees can access electric vehicles through salary sacrifice, making them more affordable. Whether brand-new or preloved, the scheme helps you save on tax and NI while making a greener choice.

Terms and conditions :

Applications to internally advertised roles can only be accepted from temporary workers who are on PAYE terms via agency, or PAYE via Umbrella Companies. Temporary workers who are paid through their own limited companies are not covered by the Agency Worker Regulations and are ineligible to apply.

NPL members of staff are not eligible to apply to secondment opportunities.