Providing services to over 750,000 residents, supporting them at the most vulnerable times in their lives, and working across rural and urban communities with some of the most fantastic heritage and landscapes in the country. It is a significant responsibility, and the Commercial & Procurement Service sits at the heart of the organisation. We are transforming our approach, moving away from a traditional procurement service to driving a more commercial mindset across the Council. This means finding new and innovative ways of delivering value from savings to service improvements, from innovation in delivery to shaping the environment, economy, and communities that we partner with. As part of this transformation, we’re expanding our new Commercial & Procurement Service and structuring ourselves around 4 pillars:
* Strategic Commercial Partnering – senior commercial experts working closely with senior stakeholders to identify and explore long-term opportunities, scan the horizon for opportunities and risks, and bringing new commercial delivery models to the table (such as joint ventures, Local Authority Trading Companies, and a range of investment options).
* Commercial Service Delivery – the engine room of the service delivering the day-to-day projects from insourcing, outsourcing, and re‑procurements, utilising the new freedoms under the Procurement Act 2023 to craft the most effective commercial processes to achieve the outcomes we want to achieve for our residents.
* Contract & Supplier Management – setting the standard for ‘excellent’ contract management across the Council, working with our decentralised contract manager community to professionalise our capability, and leading the contract & supplier management activity for our most complex and strategically critical agreements.
* Commercial Excellence – from providing analytics, developing our commercial system roadmap, curating a commercial curriculum, to setting our policies, developing templates and tools, and supporting driving the efficacy of our service as a whole, the Excellence team underpin our efforts to drive more commerciality across the Council.
As a service we’re committed to recruiting on potential. The details below set out the specifics of the role we’re recruiting for, and we want to encourage anyone with relevant experience to apply who is motivated by the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) mission to support our residents and wants to be part of a transformation of a commercial & procurement service. At OCC, you’ll be part of a team that’s not only passionate about what we do - but also about how we do it. We foster a culture of inclusion, respect, and continuous improvement, and we’re proud to offer flexible working arrangements, professional development opportunities, and a strong sense of purpose in everything we do. Our core values are at the heart of everything we do. They shape our culture and guide how we work, lead and grow together:
* Always learning
* Be kind and care
* Equality and integrity in all we do
* Taking responsibility
* Daring to do it differently
If you’re ready to make a meaningful difference and lead through values, we’d love to hear from you.
About the Role
Are you ready to make a real impact across a diverse range of Commercial & Procurement projects? As a Senior Commercial Specialist at Oxfordshire County Council, you’ll take ownership of projects from concept through to delivery, building deep expertise in specific categories while developing your skills across new areas. You’ll act as a trusted commercial adviser, driving value for the Council and its stakeholders through every deal. We are recruiting for one Senior Commercial Specialist. This role sits as part of our Commercial Service Delivery Team and work in the Place pillar. This means you’ll play a key role in shaping the county of Oxfordshire. You’ll work across a range of categories including waste, environmental services, capital infrastructure, Highways, transport, and Fire & Rescue.
Responsibilities
* Lead procurement activities: Deliver end-to-end service across the commercial lifecycle for high-risk projects, ensuring compliance with all regulations.
* Support complex projects: Assist senior team members with the most complex procurements, including preparing and managing processes, drafting tender documents, evaluating bids, and supporting new commercial models (insourcing, outsourcing, grants, LATCos, joint ventures, and more).
* Manage contract transitions: Advise and support the mobilisation of new contracts and the exit of existing ones, ensuring continuity of service and value for money.
* Conduct market research: Identify potential suppliers, understand market trends, and gather intelligence to inform procurement decisions.
* Perform financial analysis: Support cost analysis, budget monitoring, and identify opportunities for savings.
* Ensure compliance and reporting: Make sure all procurement activities comply with laws, regulations, and council policies, and prepare reports on performance.
* Engage stakeholders: Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand their needs, provide advice, and ensure procurement aligns with council objectives.
* Champion sustainability: Implement best practice sustainability initiatives, seeking opportunities to improve outcomes through commercial projects and working with stakeholders to deliver them.
Qualifications
* Understanding of commercial policy landscape and how to implement it effectively.
* Strong communication skills—able to inform, instruct, persuade, and encourage feedback with authority and credibility.
* Excellent persuasion and negotiation skills, able to influence outcomes and constructively challenge senior managers.
* Proactive problem‑solving skills, with the ability to identify opportunities and manage risk.
* Leadership skills to inspire and develop organisational thinking and deliver high performance.
* Commercial awareness, with an ability to understand cost drivers, value for money, and identify opportunities for greater value.
* Ability to connect the dots across the organisation, identify implications of proposals, and implement change to maximise value.
* MCIPS qualified or equivalent commercial/procurement qualification, or willingness to work towards.
Required Skills
Before applying, we recommend reviewing the attached job summary. It has further information and clear guidance on what we’re looking for. Could this be you?
Pay range and compensation package
* Hybrid working - with flexibility to suit your role and lifestyle.
* Culture of flexible working.
* Great learning and development opportunities to support your growth.
* Technology to support agile working, including unlimited access to Copilot for smarter productivity.
* Employee Assistance Programme – including health and wellbeing support.
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