9 months Fixed Term / Secondment Development Opportunity Job Summary You will lead, manage, and be accountable for a Commercial Team with responsibility for approximately 160 supplier contracts within the Science Goods and Services category, including Blood Packs, Pathology and Managed Services for Blood Testing. You will ensure that all resources are focused on delivering sustainable, quality, and innovative commercial solutions in compliance with legislation. As the leader of the Science Supplier and Contract Management team, you will need to bring a vision, a passion for delivery, and strong people management skills. You will provide professional expertise to formulate, develop, and implement long-term strategic plans for the category and contracts managed by the team. Additionally, you will actively engage and collaborate with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and public sector bodies to support our commercial strategies and their effectiveness. You will continuously improve the commercial service delivered to stakeholders, enhance expertise, and build the capability and potential of the function. You will take a pivotal role in delivering significant cost improvements in a creative, innovative, and sustained manner to help us meet our financial objectives. Main duties of the job In this role you will support in the delivery of the planning & organisation, day to day operations, financial, quality targets and vision of the Commercial directorate within NHSBT. Your responsibilities will include: Developing and managing a portfolio of larger high-risk projects, typically with a high level of expenditure and/or complexity. Developing working relationships with key suppliers and ensuring excellent performance standards are achieved in line with contractual requirements and stakeholders expectations. Line managing the team and developing a culture that encourages open communication and ensures that people are managed through effective teamwork, leadership, and motivation across the team and wider Commercial function. Managing operational multi-stranded budgets for products and services within their category group. Leading and supporting in the preparation of complex tender documents, inviting tender bids from suppliers, including the selection of suppliers following pre-qualification analysis of supplier information and pre-tender commercial discussions. Leading and supporting category strategies, market shaping, strategic sourcing, and procurement. Developing long-term strategic plans for the sourcing, procurement, and delivery of contracts. About You Experience and Knowledge Experience of Market Shaping, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Strategy, and Contract Management including negotiation of significant value contracts and/or significant risk contracts, and disputes at a senior level. Supply chain management and supplier relationship management experience. The ability to lead strategic planning and implementation processes. Time Management skills and the ability to meet deadlines. Experience in using electronic sourcing and purchasing systems. Change management experience including awareness of impacts on Quality when implementing new contracts. Decision making and problem-solving skills. Leadership and management experience Experience of working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint). Qualifications and Training Educated to Master s level or equivalent experience in a professional purchasing area. CIPS Professional Diploma Level 6 or equivalent experience. Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD). About Us It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, you ll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need. Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever. You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community. What we offer: NHSBT promotes flexible working opportunities where the role will allow. 27 days annual leave (pro rata for part-time) plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years service and to 33 days after 10 years. NHS pension scheme. The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns) Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions We ve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. It s open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role. To learn more, please see our recruitment profile, which provides a summary of the job description and person specification. This can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking Apply if you are viewing this advert on another site. This vacancy will close at 23:59 on Wednesday 3rd September. Panel interviews to be held on w/c 15th September subject to confirmation. For informal conversation, please contact Wendy Thorne at wendy.thorne@nhsbt.nhs.uk .