AMS PSR

On behalf of our client, we are looking for a Commercial Category Lead (Software and Hardware Technology) Inside IR35 for a 6 month contract based Hybrid working (Remote with occasional travel to London for key meetings).

About the role: 

The core responsibility of this interim position is to secure and implement a programme of strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), with key technology suppliers. This is essential to ensure that all public sector organisations receive pricing that accurately reflects the combined size of public sector demand. The role requires close collaboration with the Software and Hardware Category teams within the department and relevant stakeholders across government.

The individual will work closely with the strategic partnerships manager and senior team leader. They will also work in partnership with three commercial leads and their teams to deliver the outputs. There will be no line management like responsibilities, but the individual will be expected to coach and upskill permanent team members and transfer their knowledge to the team

during the contract period and prior to contract end.

The main duties and responsibilities of the Commercial Category Lead would be to:

• Lead project set-up, including documenting scope, objectives, and establishing progress review updates, documenting a summary of work completed, planned activities, identified risks / mitigations, and challenges.
• Conduct comprehensive supplier commercial analysis, including reviewing relevant existing MoUs, assessing past performance, spend, market reports, strategic interests and commercial leverage/risk exposure.
• Engage key departments and stakeholders throughout the negotiation process.
• Conduct joint kick-off meetings with suppliers to agree on objectives, process, and timelines.
• Brief stakeholders and ensure negotiation mandates are in place.
• Manage HMG and Supplier Governance approvals and the operational handover post-signing.
• Develop and finalise the negotiation strategy and plan, including internal outcomes, principles, outline and detailed negotiation strategies (including 'red lines'), and the formal negotiation mandate.
• Plan and execute joint kick-off meetings with suppliers, agreeing on objectives, process, and timelines. Lead, conduct, and iterate negotiations and MoU drafting until final agreement is reached.
• Oversee all formal approval processes, including legal review, compliance checks, HMG Governance, and Supplier Governance approvals. Manage the formal signing process and joint communication plan.
• Assist with other ad-hoc commercial tasks as required. This will include drafting terms of reference for commercial working groups and preparing commercial information and documentation required to enter into strategic agreements with key technology suppliers to Government.

Essential:

• The contractor should have experience leading and managing large scale, complex commercial strategies. The contractor should have strong people leadership skills to enable a cross functional group of colleagues to successfully deliver a complex agreement.
• Software & Hardware Technology Category experience
• Experience of designing and/or delivering commercial strategies for the Software and Hardware category, such as cloud, infrastructure and end user devices and knowledge of suppliers operating within IaaS, SaaS, PaaS.
• Proven track record in leading and successfully concluding complex commercial negotiations within the technology and public sector domain.
• Demonstrated ability to perform in-depth supplier and market assessments, understand commercial leverage, and identify risk exposure.
• Strong experience in managing complex projects, including planning, governance, risk management, and delivery within agreed timescales.
• Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal, collaboration, influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage and manage senior stakeholders across government.
• A focus on delivering measurable commercial benefits (savings and cost avoidance) and driving successful knowledge transfer outcomes.
• Experience of developing colleagues and leading multi-disciplinary teams to successfully deliver without line management authority.
• The role balances strategic thinking combined with a pragmatic grasp of operational realities. The contractor should be comfortable switching between strategy development (e.g. designing a negotiation strategy) and operational tasks (e.g. developing a negotiation plan and running stakeholder engagement events).
• The contractor must be adaptable, resilient under pressure, and proactive. Able to make decisions when faced with conflicting views and information.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the client guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".