Commercial Lead (Major Programmes), Science Hub Programme

Job summary

Hi,

I’m delighted you are interested in joining the UK Health Security Agency.

I have the privilege of leading a world class team in my role as Commercial, Vaccines and Countermeasures Delivery Director.

UKHSA’s mission is very clear: “we are here to make the nation’s health secure”.

The work we do in Commercial is absolutely pivotal to this mission. We deliver an agile and resilient commercial service that shapes the supply chain and market and provides the analysis and insights to inform UKHSA’s strategy and operations and achieve its objectives. We provide creative solutions to deliver a wide range of health security services, maximising value and generating income to ensure UKHSA gets the most from its resources.

If successful, you will join a fantastic team. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved already and excited by the opportunities ahead. I am sure you will be too.

Good luck with your application.

Sarah Collins, UKHSA’s Commercial Director.

Job description

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for protecting every member of every community from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents, and other health threats.

This role sits within UKHSA’s Commercial team. Truly dynamic, our teams operate at a significant pace in a commercially complex environment to procure a diverse range of goods and services in a highly competitive global market.

The Harlow Science Hub will be the future home of this mission. It represents a once-in-a-generation investment in our facilities and in our people. By bringing together UKHSA’s leading capabilities – from high-containment laboratories to advanced analytical platforms – on a single, modern campus, we will ensure the UK has the infrastructure and capabilities to respond rapidly and effectively to the health challenges of the decades ahead.

Delivering a project of this scale demands exceptional expertise across construction, engineering and specialist services.

Locations
The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace.

Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance.

This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading Major Programmes to drive and deliver against the following activities:

• Leading the development and progression of associated business cases with internal stakeholders, external stakeholders, and the market
• Commercially leading on pillars of delivery required within the programme
• Pre-sourcing and Sourcing
• Commercial Contract Management including benefit realisation
• Contract administration
• Process, Policy, and Risk Management

This is likely to include:

Pre-Sourcing & Sourcing:

• This covers the totality of the procurement life cycle, with an up-front focus on leading the business case process, controls, and governance (for SOBC, OBC and FBC) internally and externally, and will result in best-in-class procurement and contract management processes based upon the candidate’s deep commercial and category expertise
• Provide specialist category expertise to enable delivery of creative and innovative market leading commercial solutions
• Lead on the development and delivery of the commercial category strategy including planning, governance, and performance management
• Contribute to and oversee procurement reporting and analysis of management information to identify improvement opportunities
• Lead and input into a progressive commercial strategy for the specification, procurement, and management of all contracted and outsourced activity
• Ensure agreed category cost savings, efficiencies and value add targets are delivered and reported against an approved methodology
• Responsible for cascading guidance and direction on commercial principles and good practice and ensuring the correct application of commercial rules and principles apply when delivering UKHSA business
• Ensure business continuity and that robust contingencies are in place for critical delivery
• Lead and support the development of key documentation including business cases and tender documentation
• Lead development of negotiation strategies and negotiate Commercial Agreements with third parties, coordinating interfaces and integrating across contracts and suppliers
• Lead the development and creation of contracts
• Take overall responsibility for the performance of suppliers and manage underperformance to resolution. This includes leading mediation and dispute resolution
• Lead transition management, exit strategy and contract renegotiations including driving value from the use of performance metrics and success criteria

Contract Management:

• Lead, support or create opportunities to improve performance and value across all classified contracts
• Manage Contract negotiations, extension, and renewals
• Manage Contract disputes and issues and liaise with Legal and or Disputes Team(s)
• Develop and manage deep knowledge of Commercial contracts, ensuring systems (Atamis/Power BI) are up to date, correct and compliant
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of respective supplier markets and understand how their categories are evolving in the market to provide expert advice on relevant regulation and compliance issues
• Deliver and embed Strategic Supplier Relationship Management processes and procedures with key suppliers, in line with GCO Standards
• Co-Chairing monthly supplier reviews with Operational Contract Manger (OCM) including ensuring key stakeholders in attendance
• Establishing clear, concise, and objective management reporting and KPIs on progress, status, issues, and risks
• Lead and or support the establishment of a clear invoice payments and deliverables process, for auditability of Milestones

Process, Policy, and Risk Management:

• Lead Commercial contribution to all Change Requests and Project Requests
• Maintain comprehensive audit trails and justifications for price control
• Be responsible for implementing and maintaining adherence to the department’s risk management framework
• Oversee risk register to ensure risk owners across all levels of the department manage risks and put relevant controls in
• Engage with staff at all levels as appropriate to ensure that risk management remains visible, accessible, proportionate, and relevant to all those involved in decision-making
• Lead on continuous improvement activity, supporting the design and implementation of new policies and procedures in line with Commercial best practice
• Ensure that effective financial management arrangements are in place for all contracts. This includes financial monitoring, budgetary controls, approving invoices and generally establishing financial control arrangements which provide absolute assurance that the financial terms of the contract are met including responsibility for any adjustments or deductions as applicable
• Embed the Cabinet Office, DHSC and DDAT spend controls across the commercial team ensuring alignment and compliance with Policy

Leadership:

• Develop strong strategic relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders to maximise opportunities to collaborate, achieve efficiencies, improve capability, and promote the procurement profession
• Lead or support the development or create opportunities to improve commercial leverage and drive best practice across all categories
• Provide consistent and clear commercial advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders and be a key point of contact to the department
• Ensure the Department is compliant with all relevant Government, EU and Departmental policies, regulations, and legislation
• Comply with Civil Service policies and procedures; this includes ensuring that responses to Freedom of Information Requests and Parliamentary Questions are handled robustly and accurately
• Develop a commercially focused culture within the team and work to develop relationships with key stakeholders to improve commercial understanding across the business
• Proactively support the professional development of all team members, taking responsibility for the ongoing performance and development of staff and performance of the team as a whole
• Create an environment that enables empowerment and support of the team
• Work collaboratively to deliver the team’s vision and objectives
• Provide leadership direction, standards, and advice to the wider Commercial department, contributing to the culture of meeting the highest commercial standards and continuous learning and improvement
• Proactivity input and be visible in the Team and wider UKHSA Commercial Community

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Experience in a minimum of three of the following categories from a commercial perspective: Contract administration of NEC contracts, Estates, Construction or Professional Services.
• Extensive experience of delivery across the full commercial lifecycle including knowledge and understanding of commercial policies, their practical application, and the ability to implement the latest commercial methodologies.
• Experience leading Commercial Programme Governance, managing large contracts with complex structures in construction space; ensuring value for money and positive results. Demonstrating strategic thinking, flexibility, risk management, resilience.
• Experience identifying, developing, and building strong, productive relationships at all levels and with varying stakeholders of different backgrounds, perspectives, and drivers. Experience managing external controls - CAB, IC, CO/HMT controls.

Benefits

As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK.

For existing Civil Servants: For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack. Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers.

Kindly refer to the following link for the GCF Rewards and benefits page.

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-benefits/

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Tuesday 16th June 2026 and will require a full day's attendance.

If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team on commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.

For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the attached candidate pack.

Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the Technical Skills (essential criteria) and your Job History (CV) that you will be asked to provide during the application process. Further help and advice on our application and selection process can be found at this web address https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-how-to-apply/

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-re…

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Hayley Parfitt
• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should direct this to the Head of Commercial Resourcing Hub at the following email commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk quoting the vacancy reference number (if applicable) and the details of your complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission via the following web page: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

Attachments

461073 - Candidate Pack - Commercial Lead (Major Programmes), Science Hub Programme - UKHSA.docx Opens in new window (pdf, 517kB)Guaranteed Interview Schemes Opens in new window (pdf, 70kB)