Head of Commercial, Specialist Role

7832

1
Commercial Services
Kilburn, West Brompton, Westminster
KILBURN POLICE STATION , EMPRESS STATE BUILDING
Band S
Full Time
36 hours per week
Permanent

Job Title: Head of Commercial

Salary: £75,763 to £83,752 plus an allowance of £2,148 (Zone 1) or £1,341 (Zone 2) depending on Location. You will receive £75,763 the band minimum. Progress to the band maximum of £83,752 will be via incremental progression.

Location: London

MORE CHALLENGES.

MORE EXCITEMENT.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES.

BE AT THE HEART OF A CHANGING SERVICE.

 

Background to the Role

 

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Commercial Function are responsible for delivering end-to-end commercial lifecycle management and supporting the wider business in working with third parties.

 

The MPS spends about £800 million each year on a diverse range of goods and services and we aim to procure them in the most cost effective and compliant way, while satisfying often urgent operational needs. We proactively manage thirty large complex and operationally critical outsourced service contracts, to ensure that we receive the quality services we are paying for and achieve value for money through the entire life of the contract.

 

This is an exciting time to be working in commercial management for the MPS. The MPS Commercial Function are in the middle of a large-scale transformation, working to deliver the following strategic aims:

 

  • Build a world class capability and team;
  • Engage effectively with our markets and suppliers;
  • Improving and simplifying how we work;
  • Delivering outcomes through commercial policy.

 

In addition to large-scale transformation, there's the unique and ever-evolving challenge of policing London. This means that there are more opportunities for you to get involved with making London the safest global city in a time of unprecedented change within the UK's largest Police Service.

 

Role Description

 

This role is an integral part of Commercial Services. In 2020, the MPS Commercial Function revised its operating model, establishing six Pillars which have overall accountability for activity covering the commercial life cycle, as well as relevant Business Partnering responsibilities across the wider business.

 

In this role you will provide essential commercial support to the business, managing the activity across the commercial lifecycle. You will contribute to delivering Commercial Excellence for the Met, providing a customer focused service, understanding the business need and stakeholder drivers, with the aim of becoming a trusted commercial advisor. You will also develop relationships with MPS’s key and strategic suppliers, driving value for money and risk management excellence across the category.

 

You will play an essential part in managing and/or overseeing the overall commercial life cycle, meaning that the work you do is varied, challenging and exciting. Activities could vary from developing the category strategy, to leading complex procurements, to being accountable for some of the MPS’s most complex and high profile contracts, all whilst ensuring activity complies with MPS’s legislative framework.

 

 

The responsibility of this role spans the commercial life cycle, as set out in the Government Functional Standard. This includes:

 

  • Commercial strategy, governance and planning for the category
  • Developing Category and Market strategies
  • Managing and being accountable for the commercial life cycle itself – across define, procure and manage
  • Embedding supplier relationship management principles and activity, working closely with the central SRM team

 

 

As a leader within the MPS Commercial Function, you will support the ongoing change and transformation activity happening to develop the MPS’s commercial capability, helping lead the implementation of a new Supplier Relationship Management strategy or rolling out commercial and contract management standards across the organisation.

 

The MPS Commercial Function is aligning its roles with the levels of the Government Commercial Organisation, which sits within the Government Commercial Function. This role has been mapped to Associate Commercial Specialist level, and the typical attributes of a role holder can be found in the Government Commercial Function People Standards.

 

An Associate Commercial Specialist is broadly defined as: a commercial specialist who is a leader within the department’s commercial function, actively building capability across the function.

 

  1. Key Responsibilities

 

What does the average day look like? Your core duties will include (but are not limited to):

 

  • Strategic delivery and management of the category:
    • Developing category strategies for all relevant expenditure
    • Coordinating spend data and insight within the category and owns demand management across the category
    • Ensuring category management processes are in place that enables the assessment of the market capabilities to meet the needs of users and the business

 

  • Understands relevant sourcing options, and delivers positive outcomes through the procurement process:
    • Driving and leading sourcing activity, including strategic sourcing processes in support of MPS strategic aims
    • Finalising and approving commercial arrangements, including final negotiation
    • Preparing, developing and commissioning Business Cases, where necessary, to demonstrate the value, benefits and risks of sourcing activity

 

  • Ensuring effective Commercial Contract and Supplier Management within the category:
    • Ensuring control of MPS spend and specifically critical contracts are continually analysed in order to develop and drive value adding initiatives
    • Responsible for the strategic SRM process within their category to drive supplier performance and ensure commercial rigour, quality of service and continuous improvement and innovation
    • Ensure legal compliance and risk mitigation of MPS/MOPAC contracts

 

  • Building and maintaining key relationships across the MPS and with important external stakeholders:
    • Developing and owning relationships with the MPS Business Groups, and building detailed knowledge of their needs in order to deliver value through sourcing and procurement activity
    • Working with colleagues within the MPS in Corporate Services, in support of managing the category (e.g. Finance, Legal)
    • Providing procurement leadership and market insight across the MPS to ensure that it achieves maximum value for its spend
    • Seek collaboration across GLA, other forces and the wider public sector as the default Position. Working with other external stakeholders (including ACPO, MOPAC, Home Office)

 

  • Enabling and developing the MPS:
    • Bringing the best of the external market to MPS through leveraging industry best practice, market insights and knowledge
    • Supporting the Enablement and Performance Team roll out their central support structure (e.g. improved processes, systems deployments etc) and be a key advocate of their work
    • Responsible for the implementation of standard procurement policies, processes and Standard Operating Procedures within their category
    • Drive innovation in category to demonstrate continuous improvement

 

  • Performance and day-to-day management of a team to deliver on the Category Strategy and activity across the commercial life cycle

The MPS Commercial Services department is made up of 6 category pillars: Property, IT, Operations, Counter Terrorism Policing & Covert, Vehicles and Corporate and Professional Services. These teams are enabled by the seventh team, Enablement & Performance.

The Head of Commercial - Specialist role, has responsibility for supporting the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in specialist operational technology / services that directly support policing operations. The accountability sits across the whole commercial lifecycle from category management to contract management including all of the Strategic contracts. The prime stakeholders are within the Met Operations leadership team. This will require an agile and highly capable individual to support the ambition set out to transform the way future commercial activity is delivered. This post requires a minimum vetting level SC/MV.

This post requires access to the most sensitive intelligence material on a daily basis. Applicants must hold or be prepared to undergo National Security Vetting (NSV) Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) level before taking up the post; with a willingness to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) once in post, if required.

Please click on the below link to view an online candidate information pack that will you give you an insight into the Met, the competency framework we use which shapes our daily work behaviours, the application process and a host of other information, that will help inform and support your application:

https://sscl-innovation.com/MPScandidatepack/

To apply, please visit our website to download a role-specific information pack. Applications will be via a detailed CV and online application form.

Completed applications must be submitted by 11th December 2020.

We view diversity as fundamental to our success. To tackle today’s complex policing challenges, we need a workforce made up from all of London’s communities. Applications from across the community are therefore essential.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer the Met have committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

This role will need to be ADC accredited to Associate Specialist level - if you do not currently have this accreditation you will be required to sit and pass this course once in post

Skills

Essential:


  • Strong leadership skills, with an ability to manage a multi-disciplinary team across commercial activity and lead on Performance Management for the team
  • Demonstrates strategic thinking and can generate solutions to complex problems
  • Extensive Category Management experience and knowledge
  • Ability to manage high-value, critical, complex contracts
  • Excellent understanding of sourcing and procurement methodologies, as well as relevant Public Sector processes, policy and governance
  • Ability to build collaborative partnerships and work closely with users to act as a ‘critical friend’ with effective analysis and challenge, and responsiveness to queries and complaints
  • Ability to negotiate large scale contracts, strategic procurement and delivery at senior level with complex demand challenges in a complex operational environment
  • Projects personal impact and credibility at all levels (including senior) of the organisation and the external market, demonstrating an ability to influence, persuade and effectively communicate
  • Ability to prioritise and manage own workload whilst balancing both operationally urgent and important tasks to deliver to deadlines 
  • Strong project management capabilities gained through practical professional experience

Desirable:


  • Ability to deliver significant corporate change in a planned and resilient manner

Experience and Qualifications


Essential:


  • Experience of leading a category with a similar size and spend
  • Achievements centred on cost savings and value for money efficiencies can be demonstrated
  • Experience of delivering and implementing strategic commissioning plans; focused on cost reduction and total cost of ownership models
  • Experience of negotiating large scale contracts
  • Experience of strategic procurement and delivery at senior level
  • Experience of dealing with complex demand challenges in a complex operational environment
  • Experience working and effectively influencing senior stakeholders with or without authority
  • Experience of managing in a diverse workforce including non-direct reports
  • Experience of delivering major/complex procurements
  • Experience of managing a team; demonstrating an ability to empower team members, track their performance, and develop their potential
  • Requirement for candidate to pass ADC at Commercial Lead (CL) level.

Desirable:


  • MCIPS/IACCM qualification

Competencies


In line with the Government Commercial Organisation, Associate Commercial Specialists are expected to demonstrate the competencies listed below. 


Seeing the Big Picture:


  • Understand and disseminate the strategic aims of MPS through own delivery
  • Shape strategies and plans which help put into practice and support the Commercial function’s vision and long-term direction
  • Bring together views and perspectives of stakeholders to gain a wider picture of the landscape surrounding activities and policies

Changing & Improving:


  • Encourage a culture of imaginative thinking, seek to expand mindsets and genuinely listen to ideas from employees and stakeholders
  • Identify step changes that quickly transform flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service

Leading & Communicating:


  • Establish a strong direction and a persuasive future vision; managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity, and upholding the reputation of MPS
  • Lead from the front, communicating and motivating people towards stretching goals
  • Communicate with conviction and clarity in the face of tough negotiations or challenges

Collaborating & Partnering:


  • Develop quick and effective relationships with colleagues and stakeholders to help get the job done
  • Encourage contributions and involvement from a broad and diverse range of staff or stakeholders by being visible and accessible
  • Proactively seek information and resources to the benefit of the team’s work
  • Build trust based on integrity and personal expertise
  • Build high performing teams within own area, aligned around common goals
  • Proactively create, maintain and promote a strong network of connections with colleagues across the public sector

Building Capability for All:


  • Identify capability requirements to deliver strategy and grow sustainable  capability across all groups, including those identified as having high potential and development needs
  • Role model continuous learning and self-development, evaluating own effectiveness and growth and planning next learning steps accordingly

Delivering at Pace:


  • Building a performance culture to deliver outcomes with a firm focus on prioritisation and addressing performance issues resolutely, fairly and promptly
  • Create an environment that promotes fast progress and regularly review what is necessary to maintain progress and improve results
  • Get the best out of people by giving enthusiastic and encouraging messages about priorities, objectives and expectations and maintain effective performance in difficult and challenging circumstances

 


 

Commercial Pillar Director

Disability Confident Statement 

The Met is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from ethnic minority groups and females.

As a Disability Confident employer, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. If you consider yourself to have access, workplace or reasonable adjustment requirements that need to be accommodated, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence and will not affect any recruitment decisions.

Read our full disability confidence statement.

Disability Confident Employer

This opportunity is closed to applications.