Head of Commercial - Grade DIR 52.5

Leeds City Council - Resources & Housing

Head of Commercial - Grade DIR 52.5 - Job Description

Procurement and Commercial leadership roles

Procurement and Commercial Services (PACS) is a trusted internal provider at the heart of procurement and commercial activity within Leeds City Council. PACS is a forward-thinking multidisciplinary service, and our adaptable and outcomes focused staff continually develop innovative and market-leading practice to maximise outputs, add value and help achieve the council’s Best City Ambition.
We have reviewed our Procurement and Commercial Service and identified new leadership opportunities within the procurement and commercial teams.

Procurement
PACS procurement team uses a category management approach and provides services with industry insights, knowledge and expertise to help shape procurement activity in relation to Leeds City Council’s £1bn annual external spend.

Head of Procurement £66,373 to £72,811
As our next Head of Procurement, you will provide leadership to the council’s team of about 50 procurement and social value officers and be the council representative in relation to procurement matters at a regional and national level.

Working with senior officers from across the council, you will develop and embed the council’s new procurement strategy, together with a new supplier and market engagement strategy, with a particular focus on inclusive growth and zero carbon.

As a key part of the council’s Core Business Transformation Programme, you will oversee the adoption of efficient user-friendly procurement policies and practices and identify opportunities for innovation and use of technology in procurement and purchasing processes.

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Senior Category Manager £57,176 to £62,694
As a Senior Category Manager, you will provide leadership and oversight to category managers and their teams, in relation to either people or place based categories. You will help staff to ensure the highest quality of procurement practice by overseeing career development, from apprenticeships to a focused continuing professional development training package.

You will work closely with senior officers in services across the council to ensure a whole contract lifecycle approach which delivers continuing best value from procurement activity and leverages maximum benefits for Leeds communities from our external spend. You will play a crucial role in the development and delivery of the council’s procurement and supplier/market engagement strategies.

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Commercial
PACS commercial service team uses financial analysis and commercial acumen to provide insights and support projects and services across the council. The team works collaboratively to maximise income, deliver savings, develop business cases, support transformation and ensure best outcomes.

Head of Commercial £66,373 to £72,811
As our next Head of Commercial you will provide leadership to a multi-disciplinary team within PACS consisting of over 30 commercial finance experts, lawyers, contract managers and data analysts.

You will develop a council-wide commercial strategy ensuring best governance practice and oversight, helping to identify and realise measurable benefits from commercial activity, and shaping the council’s ways of working (knowledge sharing, identification of innovative solutions, improving process efficiency and ensuring better data and oversight).

You will help develop a team of commercially astute staff to ensure the highest quality of commercial support, facilitating staff to achieve relevant professional qualifications and with a focused continuing professional development training package. You will also collaborate with and support senior officers in services to develop a more commercial mindset across the council, creating a community of commercial staff to share knowledge, expertise and best practice.

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Strategic Commercial Business Partner £57,176 to £62,694
As a Strategic Commercial Business Partner, you will work closely with directorates in relation to either people or place based services, being a first point of contact for all commercial initiatives (from procurements and contract management to income generation and service transformation).

This is a senior commercial role working as a trusted colleague with services to deliver their commercial ambitions, by providing support in respect of strategic and commercial activities and sharing knowledge and expertise to develop a more commercial culture within services. You will lead on providing advice particularly in relation to high value/high profile contracts and commercial activity. You will also draw in resource and expertise from PACS and other sources where required.

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We pride ourselves on offering the best employee experience, with a genuine commitment to keeping our colleagues safe and well at work. You can expect a range of staff benefits whilst working for us including:

• a competitive pay progression structure and the opportunity to join the West Yorkshire Pension Fund – one of the most generous pension funds in the UK
• flexible career paths with tailored personal and professional development
• support for you, your home and your family including personal, and financial support
• flexible working arrangements including a hybrid model between home and office-based working, flexitime and a generous leave entitlement
• a strong and robust organisation founded on excellent leadership and sound equality, diversity and inclusion policies and practices, built on shared core values

How to apply
To apply for any of these roles please upload your CV and a personal statement of no more than 500 words to explain why you are suitable for the role.

If you are interested in more than one role, please select a role to apply for and specify in your personal statement which other vacancies you wish to be considered for.

If you have any queries or would like to arrange an informal conversation about these roles please email Kieron Dennett, Head of Procurement and Commercial Services, on Kieron.Dennett@leeds.gov.uk.

Interviews will take place during the week commencing 03 July 2023 for the Head of Procurement and Head of Commercial roles, and during the week commencing 10 July 2023 for the Senior Category Manager and Strategic Commercial Business Partner roles.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is an Inclusive employer, ranked 70 on the Stonewall top 100 employers 2023 list. We are also an Age friendly employer, a Mindful employer and a Disability Confident leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.