Contracts Lead

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Parliamentary Commercial Department (PCD) working at the heart of the UK Parliament. As Contract Lead, you’ll be responsible for managing and improving contract performance across a varied and high‑profile portfolio, working closely with contract managers, senior stakeholders, suppliers and commercial colleagues.

Job description

With an annual parliamentary spend of around £1bn, this role offers exposure to complex and high‑value contracts, including those supporting transformational programmes across the Parliamentary Estate and the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Palace of Westminster.

What makes this role particularly rewarding is the opportunity to help shape how contract management is delivered across Parliament, building strong partnerships, embedding best practice from the outset, and contributing to a growing and ambitious commercial function. Alongside this, you’ll gain a unique insight into the workings of the UK Parliament and the chance to make a tangible impact on how public money is used.

This role is offered on a hybrid working basis, with an expectation of you spending 40% of your time in the office.

Find out more about working at the House of Commons.

Person specification

• You’ll hold CIPS membership at Level 5, or be able to demonstrate equivalent expertise gained through relevant professional experience, with a willingness to work towards a formal qualification if required. Level 6 (MCIPS) qualification would be an advantage.
• You bring strong experience in managing contracts and frameworks, alongside effective supplier relationship management, and can clearly explain their value and impact to non-specialist audiences.
• You’re comfortable working collaboratively with stakeholders and suppliers, even in complex environments, to drive value for money outcomes from contractual arrangements.
• You’ll have experience in contract data management such as KPI and performance reporting, production of pipelines, maintenance of contract registers, etc.
• You’ll have experience of building commercial capability and implementing contract management best practice.
• You communicate confidently with the ability to present complex information clearly and adapt your style to suit different audiences.
• You work positively as part of a team and are committed to upholding equality, diversity and inclusion through your behaviours and ways of working.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,559, House of Commons contributes £17,543 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including but not limited to:

• Generous annual leave starting at 30 days and increasing to 35 after one full working year.

• Enrolment in the excellent Civil Service pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%

• Flexible working options that help you find a balance including enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave, caring leave and alternative working patterns.

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

• CV – If you would like to apply for this role, please submit your anonymised CV.

More information on the application process can be found here: Application process - UK Parliament

Interviews are scheduled for 10th & 11th August 2026. As part of the recruitment process, we may ask you to complete a test, presentation or other assessment. Details will be provided in advance if you are shortlisted for the role and invited to attend an interview.

At the interview, we will ask you a combination of competency questions and role specific questions solely based on Person Specification.

We are currently recruiting for one Contracts Lead role; however, there is potential for additional positions to become available soon. Candidates placed on the reserve list following this recruitment campaign may therefore be considered for future appointments should suitable vacancies arise.

We may close the vacancy prior to the closing date stated due to a high volume of applications.

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 counter-terrorist 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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 : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@parliament.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@parliament.uk

Attachments

Contracts Lead Job Description Opens in new window (docx, 945kB)