Head of Commercial Services

Package Description

Vacancy type:  Permanent

Location: The Quadrant MK / London based

Closing date: 25th November 2022

Band & Salary: Band 2C (£81,718 - £91,933)

About us

We’re an organisation where people matter. We matter to millions.

We offer excellent benefits, including:

• Flexible working patterns such as working from home and working compressed hours
• Extensive training and development opportunities, ranging from e-learning courses to management and higher education programmes
• A range of pension schemes
• Healthcare Scheme
• 75% rail and underground season ticket subsidies
• 75% discount on leisure travel for you, your partner and any dependents
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• 5 volunteering days
• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for our Armed Forces community
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• GymPass – Access to gyms across the UK
• Access to ‘My Benefits’ portal which include discounts in food, technology and experience days

In 2021, we were voted as one of the Best Places to work in the UK.

Click ‘apply for this job’ to apply. If you would like to speak the Resourcing Team, please contact georgina.brookes@networkrail.co.uk

Job Introduction

This role sits in Route Services, a business area that has been created to supply services to our front-line teams and corporate business functions in the safest, most efficient, and effective way.

The Commercial & Procurement (C&P) team leads the design and delivery of commercial strategies to provide solutions for a diverse range of operational and commercial challenges.  We cover the whole lifecycle of category strategies, sourcing and supplier management, all of which are underpinned by our procurement operations team.

We are passionate about safety and procurement excellence, working closely with our colleagues and the supply chain to provide solutions that deliver great value for passengers.

Main Responsibilities

What will you be doing?

Lead the development, negotiation and deployment of commercial agreements and provide post contract and contract management support for the strategic signalling programme and strategic support to procurement and business case activities within the programme as required.

• Develop, implement and maintain complex commercial funding strategies
• Develop, implement and maintain complex third party and industry commercial strategies
• Lead negotiation of complex, and high value contracts, achieving best value.  Prepare and execute the corresponding contracts.
• Lead commercial activity, which is compliant with Network Rail policies, procedures and governance and legal (including EU Directives) and regulatory requirements.
• Identify cost reduction and efficiency opportunities, including contributing to continuous improvement initiatives and the establishment of tools to benchmark programme efficiencies.
• Influence and liaise with other Industry and national programmes to manage consistency in the commercial approach to supply market.
• Identify key commercial and contractual risks to business and manage contracts to mitigate risk.
• Develop appropriate processes and systems to regularly measure and monitor supplier performance and exercise delegated authority to procure in accordance with established policies and governance.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of best practice systems and processes for the effective, efficient and consistent management of procurement and supply chain activities.
• Lead and direct the preparation and implementation of appropriate commercial assurance regimes and prepare robust tender documents structuring the pricing document to facilitate cost analysis feedback for high value/high risk contracts and manage the whole tender process.

The Ideal Candidate

Do you have the following skills and experience?

Essential

• Proven commercial leadership at a functional level
• Successful experience in negotiating commercial arrangements
• Substantial experience in setting up, implementing and running 3^rd Party financing and commercial arrangements
• Qualified to degree level in relevant subject area
• Chartered membership of relevant professional institution
• Thorough knowledge of construction and third party contracts and contract requirements
• Proven experience of balancing stakeholder expectations against the needs and capabilities of the business and suppliers
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Practitioner experience of risk management and contracts assurance

Desirable

• Wide and successful management background either in rail or construction industry with extensive experience at a senior level of procurement and contracting
• Experience of operating contracts and procurement processes and procedures within Network Rail
• Experience of leading private financing programmes and/or complex multiple party commercial arrangements

We are committed to a diverse workplace enriched with representation from diverse cultures, backgrounds and skills. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where difference is embraced, and individuals can thrive. We recognise that the success of the team is dependent on a multi-cultural, multi-disciplined group of individuals, aligned to deliver successful solutions.

At Network Rail, we have several employee networks to reflect our diverse population and help to raise issues to the wider workforce and support their membership and support our Everybody Matters strategy, led by our central Diversity & Inclusion team. In IT Services, we have a group of Diversity & Inclusion Champions who take part and lead on many activities, to drive through more initiatives to support an inclusive environment for all its people and promote a professional and positive working environment. For more information on D&I at Network Rail, please follow this link

About The Company

We’re an organisation where people matter. We matter to millions. 

Our role is to run a safe, reliable, and efficient railway, serving customers and communities. We exist to get people and goods where they need to be and to support our country’s economic prosperity. Safety is our number one priority.  

We're undertaking an ambitious change. Our vision is Putting Passengers First - becoming a company that is on the side of passengers and freight users. As one of the UK’s leading equal opportunities employers, our values, and the way we behave is important to us and we have created an environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution. We have seven employee networks that provide fantastic support, opportunities and development for applicants from all backgrounds. Click here for more information