Commercial Consultant

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Commercial Function are responsible for delivering end-to-end commercial lifecycle management and supporting the wider business in working with third parties. The MPS spends about £800 million each year on a diverse range of goods and services and we aim to procure them in the most cost effective and compliant way, while satisfying often urgent operational needs. We proactively manage thirty large complex and operationally critical outsourced service contracts, to ensure that we receive the quality services we are paying for and achieve value for money through the entire life of the contract. This is an exciting time to be working in commercial management for the MPS. The MPS Commercial Function are in the middle of a large-scale transformation, working to deliver the following strategic aims:

• Build a world class capability and team;
• Engage effectively with our markets and suppliers;
• Improving and simplifying how we work;
• Delivering outcomes through commercial policy.
In addition to large-scale transformation within the Commercial team, there's the unique and ever-evolving challenge of policing London. This means that there are more opportunities for you to get involved with making London the safest global city in a time of unprecedented change within the UK's largest Police Service. MORE CHALLENGES. MORE EXCITEMENT. MORE OPPORTUNITIES. BE AT THE HEART OF A CHANGING SERVICE. Role Description This role is an integral part of Commercial Services. In 2020, the MPS Commercial Function revised its operating model, establishing six Pillars which have overall accountability for activity covering the commercial life cycle, as well as relevant Business Partnering responsibilities across the wider business. In this role you will be expected to undertake Category Management, contributing to delivering Commercial Excellence for the Met, providing a customer focused service, understanding the business need and stakeholder drivers, with the aim of becoming a trusted commercial advisor. You will also develop relationships with MPS's key and strategic suppliers, driving value for money and risk management excellence across the category. The role is varied, and you will play an essential part in supporting the overall commercial life cycle. You will be working primarily on aspects relating to Category Management, feeding into Strategy and Policy development, analysing data and using market insight to support the sourcing options, and working on aspects across the procurement process. You will work as part of a larger team, but be expected to work autonomously and independently, and liaise with the wider business to support improved commercial outcomes for MPS., What does the average day look like? Your core duties will include (but are not limited to): Strategic delivery and management within a category:
• Supporting development of specifications to deliver requirements that are in line with business needs, and existing category strategy
• Engaging, where required, with the relevant lead ensuring that business requirements are in line with existing category strategies
• Carrying out analysis, research and requirements gathering to feed into demand forecasting and category strategies
• Tracking progress against category plans and working to deliver key tasks
Understands relevant sourcing options and analysis, and delivers positive outcomes through the procurement process:
• Working independently across end-to-end strategic sourcing activities for MPS
• Engaging with key stakeholders across MPS to support the team develop a clear and agreed view of business requirements
• Advising and providing professional guidance throughout the sourcing process, supporting the evaluation of a range of sourcing models
• Gathering inputs for the commercial input into business cases, demonstrating a project's benefits, value for money and risk
• Providing a procurement service to the MPS which delivers demonstrable value for money and compliant goods and services contracts as part of a team of procurement professionals on larger procurement activities
• Understanding, and being able to advise on, sourcing compliance and frameworks
Ensuring effective Commercial Contract and Supplier Management within the category:
• Supporting Contract Management team in management of Strategic contracts within relevant category
Building and maintaining key relationships across the MPS and with important external stakeholders:
• Engaging and working closely with the relevant senior business lead, ensuring that business requirements are supported by category strategies
• Identifying key suppliers and articulating management and engagement level required to assure the supply chain
• Assisting with senior internal stakeholder management across the business, helping them be informed about business elements that aim to move forward critical decision making at the top level
• Assisting with senior external stakeholder management, holding working level relationships with individuals at external stakeholder groups
Enabling and developing the MPS:
• Contributing to the maintenance and updating of systems throughout the procurement lifecycle
• Feeding into catalogue and content management for the MPS, owning key aspects and working with stakeholders to promote the use of catalogues
• Working within a secure environment upon sensitive projects as required, The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups and women.
As a Disability Confident employer, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. The Met is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure disabled applicants can perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments or changes to the application and recruitment process, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence. Please note, if you are applying for a police officer role or to become a police community support officer (PCSO) or designated detention officer (DDO), there is a minimum requirement that you must pass a job-related fitness test (JRFT) at point of entry. This does not apply to police staff roles. Find out more about


• Experience of working in a procurement/category management environment where evidence of cost savings and value for money efficiencies can be demonstrated.
• A good understanding of sourcing and procurement methodologies, ideally within a regulated or public sector environment.
• An understanding of contract law and experience or knowledge of managing service agreements / contracts / frameworks.
• Experience of commercial management and delivery and supporting the development, delivery, and implementation of contract management plans.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a demanding workload whilst balancing both operationally urgent and important tasks to deliver to deadlines, aligned with project management capabilities gained through practical professional experience.
• Experience of effectively communicating with a range of stakeholders, projecting personal impact and credibility, and demonstrating an ability to listen, adapt, influence, and persuade.
• Ability to generate effective solutions to resolve problems.
• Evidence of inspirational and inclusive leadership, developing a professional culture and building commercial capability that empowers team members through coaching, mentoring, and sharing of expertise/knowledge.
Desirable:
• Ability to understand commercial imperatives and trading relationships.
Required Languages English Reports To Commercial Manager