IT Commercial Manager

In this role you will be expected to undertake Category Management and Contract Management activity, providing a customer focused service, understanding the business need and stakeholder drivers, with the aim of becoming a trusted commercial advisor.

You will play an essential part in leading parts of the overall commercial life cycle. You will own key aspects of Category Management, including strategy and policy development, understanding needs and sourcing options, and the procurement process itself.

The role is varied, and to carry out successful contract management activity, you will work to mobilise contracts; manage the delivery and performance of the contract; carry out contract changes; manage risk within the contract; and be responsible for contract transition and exit.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic delivery and management within a category:

• • Feeding into the development of category strategies and delivery of sourcing requirement within Commercial Services, as part of the team supporting business as usual and project activities
  • Understanding demand by forecasting and planning requirements with internal stakeholders and suppliers
  • Developing and maintaining category plans for key spend areas

• Understands relevant sourcing options and analysis, and delivers positive outcomes through the procurement process:
  • Working with key stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view of business requirements, and supporting business units in articulating their commercial requirements
  • Advising and providing professional guidance throughout the sourcing process, considering and evaluating a range of sourcing models
  • Leading development of commercial input into business cases, demonstrating a project's benefits, value for money and risk
  • Identifying opportunities to develop collaborative partnerships with suppliers
  • Responsible for negotiation with 3rd parties where necessary, and has knowledge and experience relating to commercial negotiation techniques
  • Understanding and being accountable for sourcing compliance and frameworks

• Ensuring effective Commercial Contract and Supplier Management within the category:
  • Evaluating the performance of suppliers against the specification, reporting regularly
  • Actively contributing to the management of the supply chain portfolio, including the development and implementation of supply chain and supplier relationship strategies
  • Acting as commercial lead, managing one or more contracts, ensuring effective stakeholder management, governance, performance management frameworks, escalation, risk management, issues resolution, financial management, change control and compliance
  • Developing and maintaining positive commercial relationships with the supply chain to maintain and enhance performance, improve service delivery and create additional value
  • Collate and verify commercial KPIs covering supplier performance, spend, contract compliance, VFM, risks and opportunities and gather it for reporting at governance level
  • Ensure the control and delivery of all spend through compliant contracts and make available through catalogues (or as otherwise appropriate) online
  • Help drive innovation in contracts to demonstrate continuous improvement. Continually analyse contracts in order to develop and drive value adding initiatives
  • On an ongoing basis, track operation demand and patterns and introduce demand management mechanisms where applicable
  • Work with, and support, other commercial contract managers to ensure clarity, resilience and consistency across the team and wider commercial family
  • Tracking and owning risks relating to specific contracts, taking steps to mitigate commercial risks
  • Seeking out and integrating with key suppliers, developing relationships at all levels to promote commercial strategies across MPS

• • Developing effective working relationships with supplier organisations to establish appropriate governance and relationship arrangements, ensuring the effective management of clarifications and change requests
  • Provision of commercial advice to stakeholders on all aspects of commercial
  • Engaging, where required, with the relevant senior business lead, ensuring that business requirements are supported by category strategies

• • Championing of procurement best practice and working with others to create a proactive and intelligent function
  • Contributing to the maintenance and updating of systems throughout the procurement lifecycle
  • Managing catalogues and commercial content, and may be responsible for owning key aspects of this
  • Working with key stakeholders to promote the use of catalogues
  • Playing a role in building capability of new starters and those on development programmes (e.g. students)

Essential Criteria

• Excellent understanding of sourcing and procurement methodologies, ideally within a regulated or public sector environment.
• Experience of developing and implementing procurement / contract management strategies in collaboration with the business which deliver high quality commercial outcomes and organisational benefits, whilst ensuring value for money.
• Experience of leading a negotiation with suppliers and successfully employing appropriate negotiating techniques based on the category sourcing strategy.
• Experience of developing, delivering and implementing contract management plans, evidencing commercial management and delivery in complex environments.
• A proven track record and detailed understanding of contract law and contract management processes. Proficient in the composition and interpretation of complex agreements/contracts.
• Experience in developing effective supplier relationships and the ability to resolve issues in performance or variations in supply without the need for legal or contractual recourse, working in partnership to deliver continuous improvement and innovation for all parties including complex performance management and incentivisation mechanisms.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a demanding workload whilst balancing both operationally urgent and important tasks to deliver to deadlines aligned with strong project management capabilities gained through practical professional experience,
• Experience working and effectively influencing stakeholders, projecting personal impact and credibility at all levels of the organisation and the external market, demonstrating an ability to influence, persuade and effectively communicate.