Head of commercial

Band 8d · Head of procurement · 703 job evaluation points

Leads procurement, category management, and contract management together as one commercial function, and sets the commercial strategy.

Responsibilities

Lead the commercial function, including procurement, category management, and contract management.
Set the commercial strategy, including the approach to technology and cloud contracts and lock-in.
Lead negotiations with strategic suppliers, such as clinical system and cloud providers.
Lead the response to supplier failure and serious contract disputes.
Advise executive directors on commercial risk, value for money, and the commercial case for major investments.
Lead collaborative commercial work with other health and care organisations.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Commercial managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: act as the escalation point and resolve large or high risk commercial management issues coach others in appropriate commercial management
Creating value for moneyUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: develop and own a business case and iterate it throughout the life cycle coach others on identifying benefits whilst balancing user and business needs communicate the delivery of incremental value build the case for an organisational approach to value through product strategy coach and empower teams to take a value for money approach
Category managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the category management approach for the organisation lead categories with the highest spend and risk, and align them with organisational strategy work with other organisations on collaborative buying
Contract managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's contract management framework and standards lead the management of strategic, high-risk contracts resolve major disputes and decide on termination or re-procurement
Supplier relationship managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's supplier relationship strategy lead executive relationships with strategic suppliers lead the response when a critical supplier fails
Technology and cloud procurementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's commercial strategy for technology and cloud lead negotiations on enterprise agreements and strategic platforms advise digital leaders on the commercial risks of technology choices
Commercial negotiationThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: lead high-value, high-risk negotiations with strategic suppliers coach others in negotiation and set the organisation's negotiation approach
Leadership and guidanceUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs lead on the strategy for the whole organisation, marrying business needs with innovative analysis make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level understand the psychology of a team and have strong mediation skills coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution
People managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: lead managers and shape the culture of a large area design workforce plans and organisational change coach leaders and resolve complex people issues
Organisational risk managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: design the organisation's risk management framework and appetite advise the board on strategic risks

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised procurement professional qualification at the highest level, or a master's degree in a related subject, or equivalent experience.
Extensive experience of leading commercial functions.

Band 8d outline

Knowledge: Strategic knowledge across functions and the wider health and care system.
Autonomy: Shapes organisation-wide strategy; deputises for a director.
Scope: A major function or several functions.
Leadership: Leads several functions or a large department.
Accountability: Major functions, large budgets, and organisation-wide risks.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	6	Gives highly complex, highly contentious information where there are significant barriers to acceptance, using the highest level of communication skills.	60
Knowledge, training, and experience	8	Advanced knowledge (doctorate plus further training or equivalent), or specialist knowledge across more than one discipline built over a long period.	240
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	5	Forms long-term strategic plans, with uncertainty and effects across the organisation.	60
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	5	Implements and develops a range of policies or services for a directorate.	45
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	5	Holds or sets budgets, or manages assets, for several services.	45
Responsibility for people	5	Line manages several departments, or manages training or a large part of HR across the organisation.	45
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	6	Interprets overall policy and strategy to set goals and standards.	60
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8d: 675 to 720)			703

Health-sector adverts place this role at Band 8d. Knowledge is level 8 for knowledge across procurement, category management, contract management, and commercial law, and freedom to act is level 6 because the job sets the commercial strategy. Communication is level 6 for negotiating highly contentious commercial matters with strategic suppliers.