Head of Commercial Corporate - £60,778 p.a. + benefits

Job summary

We are currently looking for a Head of Commercial - Corporate to join our Commercial function within the Corporategroup.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU or South Mimms, Hertfordshire. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 8 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 12 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly.

Who are we?

The Commercial team reports to the Chief Finance Officer and makes up part of the wider Finance Group. The Commercial team is responsible for the purchase of goods in services in the categories of Digital and Technology, Facilities Management, Science and Corporate; with around 400 contracts across the categories and with a spend of circa~£120m per annum.

Main aims are: driving value for money, embedding a stronger commercial focus, reducing risk and improving commercial capability across the MHRA.

Job description

What’s the role?

The Head of Commercial Corporate will be responsible for managing a pipeline of procurement activity for the Corporate Category, which includes but not limited to the subcategories of Communications, Human Resources, Professional Services, Travel and Finance, ensuring an acute focus on value creation and risk management. The post holder will possess subject matter expertise across subcategories products and services and have a keen insight on market drivers.

Key responsibilities:

• Running end to end complex tenders for the Corporate category (Comms, HR, Professional Services, Travel etc)
• Stakeholder management during the procurement process and complete contract life cycle.
• Provide leadership for a very small Category team and provide expert Public Sector Commercial advice to all MHRA staff.
• Draft Commercial processes and templates in line with current UK Gov legislation.

Person specification

Who are we looking for?

Our successful candidates will have the following:

• Knowledge and experience of e-tendering platforms. Extensive Atamis experience would be useful but not mandatory if there is a willingness to get up to speed quickly.
• Must be a good communicator to staff at all grades and external stakeholders. Capable of influencing with integrity and respect.
• Proved ability to develop sourcing strategies that minimise risk to the buyer side.
• Solid experience of procuring goods and services within the Public Sector, with some experience of complex, new or novel procurements.
• Ability to interpret, challenge and draft contractual terms and conditions using UK Government templates.

Person Specification:

Method of assessment: A=Application, I=Interview

Behaviour Criteria:

• Communicating and Influencing (I)
• Seeing the Big Picture (I)
• Changing and Improving (I)

Experience Criteria:

• Proven track record as a leader driving commercial best practice within your team and stakeholder community (A)
• Experience of managing competing demands for priorities and resources. (A)
• Building effective relationships across teams and within stakeholder community. (A)
• Ability to develop sourcing strategies that minimize RISK and maximize value or money (A)

Technical Criteria:

• Experience of procuring goods and services in the Corporate Category, which includes but not limited to the subcategories of Communications, Human Resources, Professional Services, Travel and Finance. Public Sector experience using PCR2015 and Procurement Act 2023 desirable but not required. (A, I)
• And the ability to interpret, challenge and draft contractual terms and conditions during procurement activity as part of the commercial lifecycle. (A, I)
• Ability to communicate commercial complexity when using novel approaches to deliver public sector procurements and act in an advisory capacity to senior stakeholders that enables them to arrive at informed decisions and take calculated risk. (I)
• Have a working knowledge of E-Procurement Platforms preferably ATAMIS (A)
• MCIPS qualification desired but not required. (A)

Strengths Criteria:

• Problem Solver (I)
• Team Player (I)

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please click here for further details

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,778, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £17,607 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave on entry, rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff. PLUS 8 bank holidays
• Privilege Leave: 1 day
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): One month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay/five months half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allowing staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Civil Service Pension Scheme. Please see the link for further information http://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/ For enquiries relating to the Civil Service Pension Schemes please contact MyCSP's Pension Service Centre directly on 0300 123 6666
• Flexible working to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Interest free season ticket loan or bike loan
• Employee Assistance Services and access to the Civil Service Benevolent Fund
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)
• Variety of staff and Civil Service clubs
• On-going learning and development

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

The selection process:

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Application, which will include a CV and supporting statement, which should demonstrate how you meet the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profile criteria. Please submit your application to Archer Mac by visiting this link https://shorturl.at/SW4QJ
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

Closing date: 15 February 2026

Shortlisting date: 19 or 20 February 2026

Interview date: 26 or 27 February 2026

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens
• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings
• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required
• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the MHRA Recruitment Team at careers@mhra.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

info@csc.gov.uk

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

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 : Stephanie Robinson - 07513 221028
• Email : stephanie.robinson@ArcherMac.co.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Careers@mhra.gov.uk

Further information

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at Careers@mhra.gov.uk, in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk - info@csc.gov.uk - Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ