Commercial Lead– Public Sector Programme
Posted 6 days ago by Totaljobs
£700 Per day
Inside
Onsite
Leeds (LS1)
Summary: The Commercial Lead for the Public Sector Programme will provide strategic commercial leadership for a high-profile government initiative, ensuring robust governance and alignment across stakeholders. This role is focused on program leadership rather than technical delivery, requiring strong experience in public sector procurement and governance. The position is based in Leeds, with regular travel to Manchester, and is expected to operate in a high-assurance environment until March 2027. Candidates should possess a proven track record in large, complex public sector programs and be comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic commercial leadership across a large, complex programme
- Lead delivery model assessment and support programme-level decision-making
- Influence and engage senior stakeholders (Director level and below)
- Ensure strong governance, assurance, and compliance standards
- Oversee and support end-to-end procurement activity
- Align cross-functional teams to drive programme outcomes
- Operate effectively within a high-visibility, assurance-driven environment
Key Skills:
- Strategic thinking with programme-level perspective
- Strong stakeholder engagement and communication
- Commercial acumen and procurement expertise
- Governance, risk, and assurance oversight
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
Salary (Rate): £700 per day
City: Leeds
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: on-site
IR35 Status: inside IR35
Seniority Level: Senior
Industry: Other
Commercial Lead– Public Sector Programme
Location: Leeds preferred / Manchester (regular travel to Leeds)
Working Pattern: 60% office-based
Contract Length: Until 31 March 2027
Rate: Up to £700 per day (Inside IR35)
Clearance: BPSS
Application Deadline: 11th May (COP)
Interview: 1-stage (Teams)
Overview
We are recruiting on behalf of a central government client for two experienced Commercial Leads to support a high-profile, strategic programme within a major corporate services function.
These roles are not technical or delivery-focused digital positions. Instead, they sit at the heart of programme leadership, providing strategic commercial direction, ensuring robust governance, and driving alignment across a complex stakeholder landscape.
This is an excellent opportunity for senior commercial professionals who thrive in high-assurance environments and can operate confidently at enterprise level.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic commercial leadership across a large, complex programme
- Lead delivery model assessment and support programme-level decision-making
- Influence and engage senior stakeholders (Director level and below)
- Ensure strong governance, assurance, and compliance standards
- Oversee and support end-to-end procurement activity
- Align cross-functional teams to drive programme outcomes
- Operate effectively within a high-visibility, assurance-driven environment
Essential Experience
- Hands-on experience developing HMT Green Book business cases
- Exposure to Public Accounts (PA23) frameworks
- Proven track record in large, complex public sector programmes
- Strong experience across the full commercial/procurement lifecycle
- Experience operating in high-governance, assurance-led environments
- Ability to influence, challenge, and engage senior stakeholders
- Familiarity with Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks
Desirable Experience
- Experience delivering large-scale programme procurements
- MCIPS (or equivalent) qualification
- Familiarity with Atamis procurement systems
- Experience with multi-lot framework development and pre-market engagement
Key Skills
- Strategic thinking with programme-level perspective
- Strong stakeholder engagement and communication
- Commercial acumen and procurement expertise
- Governance, risk, and assurance oversight
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
Candidate Profile
- Senior commercial professional with enterprise-level experience
- Strategic thinker (not a technical delivery specialist)
- Comfortable navigating complex organisational structures
- Confident in influencing and constructively challenging senior decision-makers
Additional Details
- Role aligned to Senior Commercial Manager (Grade 7 equivalent)
- 37 hours per week
- Weekly timesheets
If you’re a commercially astute leader with strong public sector experience and a track record of operating at programme level, we’d like to hear from you.