Commercial Continuous Improvement Lead
Application Deadline: 24 September 2025
Department: Commercial
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Milton Keynes
Description
A little bit about us: East West Rail is an infrastructure programme linking communities between Oxford and Cambridge. The area is currently let down by a lack of transport choices, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to fix that – improving prosperity for people and places along the way.
East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.
At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple – to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences.
Role Summary: This role will lead strategic initiatives to optimise commercial capability, learning and development, lessons learned, and embed a culture of continuous improvement in the commercial function. The Commercial Continuous Improvement Lead will be instrumental in embedding a bespoke commercial capability approach for the function which defines the skills and capability required for each commercial role, and the learning and development required to meet commercial standards. The role will establish and lead a commercial continuous improvement strategy for the function which should meet the ambitions of the organisation’s strategic priorities, as well as establishing and managing a lessons learned process across commercial projects and initiatives.
Function: The Commercial function provides commercial and procurement capability across the programme lifecycle, including strategy (setting the commercial strategy and advising risk allocation underpinning the delivery strategy), delivering procurement activities for the goods and services required to deliver the asset and run EWR Co, and delivering contract management services for the complex network of suppliers supporting EWR Co. Across all three of these domains the commercial function will run governance and reporting to measure compliance and provide commercial assurance.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop, implement and manage a commercial continuous improvement strategy for the function that is aligned to business goals, strategic priorities and public sector best practice.
* Establish a robust lessons learned process for commercial and ensure that lessons and best practice are disseminated throughout the function and embedded into operational practices and training materials.
* Capture insights from successes and challenges to inform future strategy and decision making in the commercial function, and the wider organisation as required.
* Manage a commercial capability approach for the commercial function that defines the required skills and capability for the commercial team, including procurement and contract management capability. Support will be provided to the role holder to fulfil this responsibility.
* Collaborate with and participate in public sector learning and development and capability forums to influence the development of tools and process to ensure that they are fit for purpose for the organisation.
* Ensure that that the provision and communication of knowledge is accessible, relevant and appropriate to the audience, and there is robust management information to report on the delivery of continuous improvement and capability for the function.
* Take responsibility of your own and others’ health and safety by adopting and working to the EWR Co Health and Safety principles.
* Demonstrates a cost-conscious mindset, keeping tax payers’ money at the forefront of decisions.
* Shows a commitment to innovation by proactively seeking creative solutions to challenges and opportunities.
* Act as a role model for EWR Co’s vision and behaviours, working in ways that are aligned with EWR Co’s Ways of Working, as well as encouraging and supporting others to do so too.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
* Good understanding of commercial, procurement and contract management activities, preferably in the public sector, and/or experience of working in a commercial environment.
* Proven experience in a commercial continuous improvement role, potentially with exposure to L&D and knowledge management.
* Experience of managing change through change management tools and techniques.
* Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.
Benefits
What we offer:
* Competitive base salary
* Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
* 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
* Life assurance
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform
* On-the-spot and annual awards
* Advanced learning and development programmes
* Great work-life balance and flexible working opportunities
* Enhanced family-friendly policies
* Exceptional IT tools
EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style.
Diversity and Inclusion: To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.
We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.
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