Up to £61,000 per annum DOE + bonuses
Culham, Oxfordshire, UK
2 days a week on site

Your new company
My client is a UK government research entity responsible for the development of fusion energy. It operates as an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Their role is to research fusion energy and related technologies, with the aim of positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy. The organisation continues to make strides in fusion energy development, aiming to transform this transformative energy technology into a viable source of power. As such, they are seeking a Commercial Lead to help them on this journey.

Your new role
As the Commercial Lead, reporting to the Head of Procurement, you will spearhead a new corporate category team for Professional Services (including HR, Finance, Marketing, and ICT). You will adopt a category-led approach, fostering market relationships to design contracts and streamline sourcing activities. The role involves strategic direction for each subcategory, developing commercial category strategy and policy, and ensuring alignment with the upcoming Public Procurement Regulations 2023. You will manage four individuals across two indirect subcategory teams and ensure alignment with other indirect category teams. You will lead the organisation in public sector procurement, support Directors in leveraging the organisation's expertise, and develop commercial intelligence. In addition, you will oversee all sourcing activity for this major spend category, manage the organisation's supply chain, and apply strategies to support key strategies. Budget responsibilities include controlling procurement costs, leading negotiations for high-value contracts, and having a £15M signing power authority. Other duties include mentoring and development of team members, undertaking CIPS qualifications, providing support to training programmes provided by the department when required, and acting as the Commercial Lead for DESNEZ & Cabinet Office controls for procurements over £10m within their area of control. They will also lead the Commercial Assurance & Control Review panel on behalf of the organisation and attend other equivalent meetings as required as part of their area of responsibility.

What you'll need to succeed
The ideal candidate for this role should be fully qualified and possess a degree or equivalent experience. You will have had experience working with public contract regulations since 2015 on end-to-end procurements and good working knowledge of the Public Procurement Regulations 2023. You will have experience at a strategic procurement project and programme level, acting as the lead expert for complex/critical Procurement and Commercial issues, and be able to influence both internal and external stakeholders. You will be a dynamic, inspirational, and motivational leader.

What you need to do now
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