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 a Senior Commercial Specialist. This role is part of our Commercial Service Delivery Team and work in the People pillar. This means you\'ll play a key role in shaping the county of Oxfordshire. You\'ll work across Digital, Property & FM, Professional Services, Communications, Finance, and other resourcing directorates.
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
* 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.
About You
* Experience delivering commercial projects.
* 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 organizational 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.
Rewards and benefits
* Hybrid working - typically one day per month in our Oxford office for team collaboration, 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
* Generous annual leave - 30 days plus bank holidays, and an option to buy additional holiday
* Enhanced family friendly policies
* Local Government Pension Scheme - with employer contributions up to 19.9%
* Discounts - local and national offers for shopping and travel
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