Director of procurement and commercial

Band 9 · Head of procurement · 739 job evaluation points

Is the organisation's senior commercial leader, accountable for procurement and commercial policy, and advises the board on commercial strategy and risk.

Responsibilities

Set the organisation's procurement and commercial policy and strategy, approved by the board.
Advise the board and executive team on commercial strategy, risk, and the largest contracts and investments.
Assure the organisation's compliance with public procurement rules and its readiness to defend challenges.
Lead executive relationships with strategic suppliers and public sector buying organisations.
Set social value and sustainable procurement goals and report outcomes to the board.
Lead and develop the commercial leadership team and the organisation's commercial skills.
Be accountable for the organisation's commercial commitments and contract portfolio across all services.

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
Public procurement rules and policyThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: interpret new procurement rules and lead the organisation's response advise the board on procurement compliance and risk manage formal challenges with legal advisers
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
Social value and sustainable procurementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's social value and sustainable procurement policy report social value and carbon outcomes to the board
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
Financial managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: influence or create complex budgets across an organisation, programme or product view manage the budget you are given and make it work
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
Corporate governance and complianceThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: design the governance framework and advise the board lead annual governance reporting and assurance
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 at executive level.

Band 9 outline

Knowledge: Strategic expertise and system-wide leadership.
Autonomy: Sets organisation strategy with the executive team.
Scope: The organisation, and its partners across the system.
Leadership: Leads a profession or directorate.
Accountability: Organisation-wide outcomes, budgets, and 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	6	Corporate responsibility for major policy or service development across or beyond the organisation.	60
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	6	Corporate responsibility for the organisation's finances or assets.	60
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	2	Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	11
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 9: 721 to 765)			739

Health-sector adverts place this role at Band 9. Policy is level 6 for corporate responsibility for procurement and commercial policy, financial resources is level 6 for corporate responsibility for the organisation's commercial commitments, and freedom to act is level 6 because the job sets commercial goals and standards. Emotional effort is level 2 for occasional exposure to stressful disputes, supplier failures, and challenges.