Senior Commercial Lead

Reporting to: Associate Commercial Director

Dept/Pillar: ICT

Hours: 37

Grade/Salary: £69,011 

Contract Type: Permanent

Vetting Level: NPPV 3 & SC

Role overview 
As a Senior Commercial Lead, you will play an integral role within the BlueLight Commercial team, shaping the commercial strategies, procurements and supplier relationships that enable police forces to access the technology, services and capabilities they need to protect communities and respond effectively to emerging challenges.

Working closely with the Associate Commercial Director, you will lead complex technology and digital commercial activities across the full commercial lifecycle, from strategy development and market engagement through to procurement, contract award and ongoing supplier management. You will develop and implement commercial strategies that align with organisational objectives, while acting as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders across policing and partner organisations.

The role requires strong commercial judgement, negotiation and influencing skills to secure optimal outcomes and ensure services deliver value for money while meeting operational requirements. You will be responsible for identifying and managing commercial, operational and delivery risks, driving innovation and continuous improvement, and engaging with the market to identify new opportunities and solutions that support the future needs of policing.

As a senior member of the commercial team, you will help develop commercial capability across the organisation through coaching, mentoring and supporting colleagues. You will also represent the commercial function at senior governance boards, stakeholder forums and industry engagements, building strong relationships that help deliver successful commercial and operational outcomes.

This role is as much about personal qualities as it is about commercial expertise. We are looking for someone who can influence and collaborate effectively, build credibility quickly and drive positive change across a complex stakeholder landscape. You will be a trusted commercial adviser, capable of establishing productive relationships with suppliers, policing organisations, Heads of Service, the College of Policing and commercial professionals across the sector. Above all, you will bring the energy, leadership and strategic thinking needed to help shape technology-enabled solutions that support modern policing and deliver lasting public value.

Despite being a remote company we seek flexibility as some travel to attend work on sites will be required.

My Team and the BlueLight Team 

You will be a key member of the wider commercial team, contributing to BlueLight Commercial's high-performing culture and commitment to delivering commercial excellence that makes a tangible difference across policing. Working at the heart of complex technology and digital programmes, you will help shape the commercial solutions, supplier relationships and market strategies that enable police forces to access innovative, resilient and cost-effective technology services.

As a senior commercial professional, you will work closely with policing stakeholders, suppliers and partners to develop procurement approaches, lead strategic sourcing activities and manage critical supplier relationships. Providing expert commercial advice across the full commercial lifecycle, you will support informed decision-making on major technology investments, digital transformation initiatives and nationally significant programmes.

Building on existing commercial arrangements and market knowledge, you will identify opportunities to improve performance, manage risk, drive innovation and maximise value for money. Your work will directly influence the technology and services that support modern policing, ensuring public funds are used effectively while delivering wider social value and sustainability benefits.

This is an opportunity to work on complex and visible programmes that support police forces across the UK. We are a fully remote and agile organisation, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere while remaining part of a collaborative, supportive and ambitious team. Although remote, we place real value on teamwork, professional development and shared success.

If you are an experienced commercial leader with a strong background in technology, digital procurement or strategic supplier management and are looking for an opportunity to shape national commercial solutions that make a genuine difference to policing and the communities it serves, we'd love to hear from you. You'll join an organisation that values professional development, encourages new ideas and provides opportunities to build experience, expand your influence and grow and develop your career through meaningful and impactful work.

My Responsibilities and accountabilities (what will I be doing?)

• Support the development and implementation of pillar, category and sourcing strategies aligned to organisational objectives.

• Lead complex commercial projects and national procurement activity across the full commercial lifecycle.

• Contribute to strategic planning activities and the delivery of grant and business objectives where required.

• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including Home Office, police forces, national bodies and suppliers.

• Act as a trusted commercial adviser to stakeholders, providing clear recommendations and evidence-based decision-making support.

• Lead supplier negotiations and performance discussions to maximise commercial outcomes and value.

• Monitor market trends, supplier performance and emerging risks to support commercial decision-making.

• Coach and mentor Commercial Officers, supporting development of commercial capability across the team.

• Monitor and manage budgets, commercial expenditure and financial performance within areas of responsibility.

• Identify and implement opportunities for process improvement, innovation and efficiency.

• Act as deputy to the Associate Commercial Director where required, representing the function in meetings, forums and stakeholder engagements.

• Undertaking any other work as directed by your line manager in connection with your job as may be requested.

Qualifications & Accreditations

You are someone who has attained:

• CIPS qualified to Level 6 and/or a minimum of 4 years’ experience within a commercial environment i.e. commissioning, procurement, contract manager.

• Government Commercial Function (GCF) accreditation to Commercial Lead level or willingness to work towards attainment.

• Evidence of continued professional development within commercial, procurement or contract management disciplines.

Experience & Knowledge

You are someone who has:

• Previous experience pertinent to the role, e.g. working within the public sector and a working knowledge of Public Procurement regulations, Equality Act 2010 and Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

• Experience leading complex procurement and commercial activities through the full commercial lifecycle.

• Experience developing and implementing category, sourcing or contract management strategies.

• Experience delivering measurable commercial benefits, efficiencies or savings.

• Experience managing supplier performance and commercial risk.

• Experience working with senior stakeholders and influencing strategic decision-making.

Skills

You are someone who is:

• Excellent interpersonal & communication skills with the ability to influence in a collaborative manner.

• Demonstrable relationship management skills, creating trusted relationships with partners and stakeholders.

• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to balance value, risk and operational requirements.

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.

• Highly numerate and analytical, able to recognise financial challenges and escalate accordingly.

• Ability to lead multiple complex projects simultaneously and deliver results through others.

• Ability to identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

Personal Qualities

You are/have:

• Resilient, proven ability to successfully lead multiple projects across categories that on occasion have competing timelines.

• Commercially astute, with strong awareness of risk, value and organisational priorities.

• Results focused with a proactive approach to problem solving.

• Excellent commercial and financial acumen.

• Committed to professional development.

• Collaborative and influential, building strong relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced and evolving commercial environment.

Our Values

Our values guide our behaviour. They inform how we act, the decisions we make and how we collaborate with each other and the organisations we work with. They were shaped by our Teams purposefully designed to ‘inter-connect’. They remind us of ‘how to be’ in all we do and strive to achieve as a diverse and agile company.

• Be the best

• Be responsible

• Be a team

• Be open

• Be the difference

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We foster a work environment that is inclusive as well as diverse, where our people can be themselves. We value every idea and perspective towards helping us to evolve and innovate.

What We Offer - Total Rewards Package

• Salary £69,011 p.a. 

• Quality equipment for successful remote working, laptop, mobile phone, monitor, chair & desk and a Welcome ‘kit box’

• 12% employer pension contribution

• Support for your development for your Role and future career development (a framework to achieve this)

• Pension salary sacrifice scheme

• Life insurance 4 x salary

• 28 days annual leave (rising on service)

• Birthday Leave (1 x extra day per year to be used in birthday month)

• Paid bank holiday leave

• Occupational sick pay

• Wellness – free vouchers for eye test and flu jab

• Employee Assistance Programme for health and wellbeing

• 1 x annual professional subscription

• Learning Management System – access to free training & e-learning (more than 80,000 learning resources)

CLOSING DATE: 8th November 2026

POTENTIAL INTERVIEWS: 20th & 23rd November 2026

*Please let us know confidentially if you require any adjustments in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience, this can be prior to applying or when you apply.

“The legal bit”

The successful applicant will be subject to pre-employment checks including medical screening and vetting (carried out externally NPPV3* ) due to the nature of our business this is important. As standard you will need to satisfy:

• Employment eligibility check (right to work in the UK)

• Residency qualification (meaning you must have a 5 year 'checkable history' in the UK, ideally you have been and you are a resident in England or Wales for the last 5 years).

• Employment references (last 3 years or educational / personal reference where applicable)

*NPPV3: Vetting process | Warwickshire Police

This level of vetting grants the applicant to have unsupervised, unrestricted access to police premises and systems and could include those working in areas where the police roles have been identified as designated posts. NPPV3 allows access to classified police material or information up to SECRET and occasional access to TOP SECRET

Clearance at SC level, sits alongside NPPV3 allows applicants access to a higher level of secure information and systems.