Head of Contracts and Commercial Partnerships
3 days per week in Central London
The opportunity
A G15 Housing Association is seeking a senior commercial leader to take ownership of its outsourced repairs and maintenance supply chain. This is a strategic leadership role with accountability for contract performance, supplier partnerships and commercial outcomes across a large scale operational environment.
The role exists to move contract management away from transactional oversight and towards genuine partnership working, shared accountability and continuous improvement. You will act as an intelligent client, balancing strong governance and value for money with collaboration that enables suppliers to perform at their best.
You will lead a senior management team with direct responsibility for approximately four to five senior managers, collectively overseeing operational teams of around thirty to forty people per area.
Key responsibilities
• Set the strategic direction for repairs contracts and commercial frameworks
• Act as senior owner for all outsourced repairs and maintenance contracts
• Lead and develop four to five direct reports, each responsible for large multi disciplinary teams
• Hold overall accountability for an annual budget exceeding £70m
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Tier 1 contractors and specialist suppliers
• Lead mobilisation, governance and ongoing performance management of contracts
• Drive continuous improvement using data, insight and performance trends
• Oversee commercial controls, risk management and dispute resolution
• Work closely with finance, procurement and legal teams to ensure compliance and value
• Provide clear reporting and recommendations to senior stakeholders
What success looks like
• Strong contractor performance against agreed KPIs
• Improved customer satisfaction and service reliability
• Reduced risk, fewer disputes and clearer accountability
• Measurable efficiency gains and value for money outcomes
• High performing, engaged internal teams
About you
You will be a commercially astute leader with significant experience managing large scale contracts within repairs, maintenance or property services, combined with the credibility to operate at executive level.
Essential experience and skills
• Senior leadership experience in contracts, commercial management or strategy
• Proven experience leading managers who oversee large operational teams
• Strong understanding of contract law and procurement frameworks such as NEC or JCT
• Demonstrable experience managing multi million pound budgets
• Proven ability to lead change and improve operational performance
• High level of commercial and financial acumen
• Strong data literacy with the ability to use insight to drive decisions
• Experience managing complex stakeholder and supplier relationships
Desirable
• Experience within social housing, local government or regulated environments
• Professional membership or accreditation such as RICS, MCIOB, CIOB or CIH
• Knowledge of statutory and compliance requirements within property maintenance
Why apply
This is a rare opportunity to shape how a major housing organisation works with its supply chain and to deliver tangible improvements for residents at scale. The role offers senior level influence, autonomy and the opportunity to lead teams and budgets of significant scale while driving meaningful change.
For a confidential discussion or to apply, please contact directly.