Commercial Lead (Sourcing and Contracts)
Job Title: Commercial Lead (Sourcing and Contracts)
Salary: The starting salary is £74,680, which includes allowances totalling £2,928.
The salary is broken down as £71,752 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £79,042. Plus, a location allowance of £1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.
Location: Hybrid / London (average 3-day pw)
Background to the Role:
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Commercial Function are responsible for delivering end-to-end commercial lifecycle management and supporting the wider business in working with third parties.
The MPS spends about £800 million each year on a diverse range of goods and services, and we aim to procure them in the most cost effective and compliant way, while satisfying often urgent operational needs. We proactively manage thirty large complex and operationally critical outsourced service contracts, to ensure that we receive the quality services we are paying for and achieve value for money through the entire life of the contract.
There is a unique and ever-evolving challenge of policing London. As a member of the Commercial Services team, you will be directly supporting the MPS mission to make life safer for over 9 million Londoners. This means that there are more opportunities for you to get involved with making London the safest global city in a time of unprecedented change within the UK's largest Police Service.
Role Description:
This role is an integral part of Commercial Services. This role sits within the Operational Pillar within the Commercial Services team, specifically within the Operational Policing Sub-Pillar team.
Met Operations (MO) and Specialist Operations (SO) support Front Line Policing and use a wide range of specialist tactical equipment. Your primary stakeholder group will include all the armed commands requiring weapons and associated equipment. You will also be expected to provide commercial support for other specialist taskforces and operational command units requiring specialist equipment and services, including (but not limited to): the dog support unit, mounted branch, and public order.
You will support these Operational Command Units (OCU) to proactively manage commercial projects throughout the commercial lifecycle, gaining an in-depth understanding of relevant marketplaces and regulatory landscape, and developing and delivering commercial strategies to meet operational requirements.
You will need to be customer focused, understanding the business need and stakeholder drivers, with the aim of becoming a trusted commercial advisor to key stakeholder groups. You will also need to develop and maintain relationships with key and strategic suppliers, driving value for money and effectively managing commercial risk across the category.
As a leader in the Commercial Services team, you will support rolling out commercial sourcing and contract management standards across the organisation. You will also work closely with colleagues within Commercial Services to contribute to driving and delivering best practice across the wider team.
You will be expected to work autonomously to ensure effective stakeholder management and work within the commercial and wider MPS governance framework processes and procedures. You will drive performance management, risk management, issues resolution, financial management, change control and overall contract and statutory compliance whilst being responsible for continuous improvement (service and value). You will also provide Met Operations with commercial support relating to the management of supply contracts, including at least one GOLD tier contract for the supply of taser products.
PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DETAILS.
Application Process
Interview selection is based on the Government Commercial Function People Standards at Commercial Lead.
To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply button “. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement, and an online application form. Your CV and Personal Statement should evidence how you meet the Essential Criteria for this role (see below). In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and/or Personal Statement.
Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 19th January 2026.
Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager.
If successful at the paper sift stage, candidates will be invited to the Government Commercial Function Assessment and Development Centre (ADC) where your skills and experience will be assessed against the Commercial People Standards for the Profession at Commercial Lead Level. Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to undertake an ADC on Monday 16 February 2026.
Internal and external candidates who have secured an A at the ADC will be eligible for a permanent appointment. External candidates who have secured a B at the ADC are eligible for appointment on a 2-year fixed term contract, until such time they re-sit the ADC and secure an A, at which point they can be offered a permanent contract at the same level without further competition.
Following the ADC, successful candidates will be invited to interview on Monday 9 March 2026.