For roles based in London, your contractual place of work will be Stratford. While the Stratford site is expected to become operational from November 2025 March 2026, you will be required to carry out your contractual duties from Vauxhall or another reasonable location on a temporary basis during the interim period.
Please note that, as Stratford will be your contractual place of work, any subsequent move from a temporary location will not entitle you to payments for travel time or costs under the Relocation and Excess Travel Policy.
Job summary
As part of the NCAs Commercial Function, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the Agencys mission to protect the public from serious and organised crime. Working at the centre of the organisation, you will partner with operational and corporate teams to provide high‑quality commercial expertise across policy development, strategic planning, sourcing, and contract management.
These roles sit within the NCAs multi‑year commercial transformation programme, offering a rare opportunity to shape how the Agency procures critical goods and services that enable frontline operations. You will gain significant exposure to complex commercial activity, high‑value portfolios, and senior stakeholders - experience that is difficult to match elsewhere in the Civil Service.
Please note that the role may involve occasional travel to other NCA sites and partner locations.
Job description
As a Commercial Manager, you will play a key role in delivering effective, compliant and value‑driven commercial activity across your category. This is a busy, hands‑on role requiring you to manage multiple priorities, respond to a wide range of commercial challenges, and provide trusted support to colleagues and customers on a daily basis.
You will work closely with senior commercial leaders to oversee all stages of the procurement lifecycle, ensuring that commercial activity is well‑planned, strategically aligned and delivered to the highest standards. This includes supporting customers with early commercial planning, developing a robust and forward‑looking pipeline, and maintaining accurate commercial records, such as contract registers and category documentation.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead, influence and drive positive change within your category, across the wider commercial function and throughout the Agency. You will contribute to improving commercial capability, strengthening governance, and embedding best practice in procurement and contract management.
Typical activities may include advising customers on commercial strategy and routes to market, preparing and managing cases through governance and assurance boards, and supporting contract management - providing guidance on performance, risk, financial considerations and opportunities for optimisation.
Duties and Responsibilities
Category Management & Commercial Planning
- Lead commercial planning activities for your category, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and commercial strategy.
- Develop and maintain a robust commercial pipeline, identifying opportunities to improve value, efficiency and market engagement.
- Advise customers on commercial strategy, early‑stage planning and appropriate routes to market.
Procurement Delivery & Governance
- Manage commercial activity through all stages of the procurement lifecycle, ensuring compliance with legislation, policy and best practice.
- Prepare, review and present commercial cases through governance and assurance boards, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations.
- Support senior commercial colleagues with complex procurements, ensuring risks, dependencies and commercial considerations are properly addressed.
Contract & Supplier Management
- Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date commercial records, including contract registers and category documentation.
- Provide guidance on contract management issues such as performance, financial monitoring, risk, change control and opportunities for optimisation.
- Work with customers and suppliers to resolve commercial issues and drive improved contract outcomes.
Stakeholder Engagement & Customer Support
- Build strong working relationships with internal customers, providing trusted commercial advice and ensuring commercial requirements are fully understood.
- Support stakeholders in defining needs, managing expectations, and understanding trade‑offs within commercial, financial and legal constraints.
- Communicate commercial guidance clearly and confidently to non‑commercial colleagues, supporting informed decision‑making.
Continuous Improvement & Best Practice
- Identify and drive opportunities to improve commercial processes, governance and category management.
- Contribute to raising commercial capability across the function through guidance, knowledge sharing and role modelling best practice.
- Influence positive change across the category and wider agency, contributing to a consistent, high‑quality commercial service.
Person specification
The below expected skills and behaviours are aligned to the Government Commercial Function (GCF) People Standards for the Profession - People standards for the commercial profession - GOV.UK
Commercial Expertise
- Demonstrable experience independently leading multiple high‑value and/or high‑risk complex procurements, applying sound commercial judgement throughout the full procurement lifecycle.
- Strong track record in managing and supporting large, complex contracts and key suppliers, ensuring effective performance, compliance and value for money.
- Proven ability to deliver commercial assurance - guiding stakeholders through governance and assurance processes, advising on risk, compliance standards and commercial strategy, and ensuring major initiatives are commercially robust and strategically aligned.
- Skilled in designing and running competitions using professional expertise to achieve optimal commercial outcomes.
- Proactive in identifying, recording, reporting and mitigating commercial risks, with the ability to secure strong return on investment across commercial projects.
- Confident negotiation skills, able to handle challenging supplier discussions and technical commercial points effectively.
Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Builds and maintains strong stakeholder relationships, communicating with clarity, credibility and impact across all levels.
- Able to articulate commercial motivations, constraints and expected behaviours for stakeholders, suppliers and wider delivery partners.
- Involves the right stakeholders early in the process and maintains strong engagement throughout commercial activity, especially across high‑risk or high‑value procurements.
- Promotes ethical commercial practice - ensuring compliance with standards, preventing fraud or unethical behaviour, and taking appropriate action when breaches are suspected.
- Trusted provider of commercial advice, translating complex technical and commercial considerations into plain, accessible language for non‑specialists.
Decision Making
- Evaluates evidence objectively, weighing competing factors and presenting clear, balanced and well‑reasoned conclusions.
- Able to influence internal decisions by providing strong commercial insight grounded in experience of high‑value procurement and contract oversight.
- Leads supplier discussions confidently on contractual terms, performance, risk and technical issues, using judgement to achieve favourable and compliant outcomes.
Leadership
- Adapts quickly to changing environments and tailors communication style to suit different audiences and situations.
- Provides leadership across multi‑functional teams, contributing to capability development within the commercial function through coaching, knowledge sharing and role modelling best practice.
- Demonstrates a collaborative and proactive approach, shaping positive commercial outcomes and supporting the successful delivery of major initiatives and category strategies.
Desirable Criteria
To find out more about the role and the application process we will be holding virtual opening evenings via MS Teams on Monday 23rd March at 6pm.
This event is by invitation only.
To register, please click on the following link Virtual Event registration - Commercial - Monday 23rd March 2026 Fill in form.
You will be asked for your name and email address.
Registration will close on 22nd March at 23:45.
You will not be able to register after this date and time.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Evidence of influencing key stakeholders towards commercial solutions
- Evidence of leading and securing value for money.
New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).
Other benefits include:
- Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
- Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
- Housing schemes - Key Worker status
- Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway , Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
- Staff support groups/networks
- Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
Further information is available on the NCA Website.
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
How we will assess you
- Evidence of influencing key stakeholders towards commercial solutions
- Evidence of leading and securing value for money.
CV
Please include your full career history, training, qualifications, key responsibilities, and achievements. Explain any employment gaps in the last two years. Ensure all accreditation dates are accurate.
Details of what is expected within you CV are as follows: Your CV should clearly demonstrate your experience in managing complex and/or high‑value procurements and contracts, highlighting your responsibilities, the scale and risk level of the commercial activity, and the outcomes you delivered.
Longlist
In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.
- Evidence of influencing key stakeholders towards commercial solutions .
Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.
You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.
We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.
Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.
NCA Applying and Onboarding
Assessment 1
The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.
This will be conducted at the beginning of the interview.
Success Profiles at Assessment
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Evidence of influencing key stakeholders towards commercial solutions
- Evidence of leading and securing value for money.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.
In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:
- Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
- If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
- If still tied, application sift scores will be used
Occupational Health
Multi Location
Where multiple locations are advertised, appointments will be made in merit order per location.
Indicate your preferences clearly; you may be posted to any preferred location. If you decline a post at a location you selected, another offer may not be made.
Only advertised locations are available, any notes added to the application will not be considered.
Near Miss
If you meet the criteria for a lower grade, you may be offered that role if not appointable at the advertised grade.
Conversely, if found appointable at a higher grade but no posts are available, you may be offered a lower-grade role.
All offers are made based on merit.
Hybrid Working
Reasonable Adjustments
Were proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive, equal opportunities employer.
Were committed to creating a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. If youre neurodiverse, have a disability, or live with a long-term health condition, we encourage you to let us know about any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process.
If you experience accessibility issues with the advert or require reasonable adjustments, please contact our Recruitment Team at Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk before the advert closing date.
Please ensure you complete the Equal opportunities and 'Reasonable Adjustments' sections in the application form to inform us on what support you may need in the recruitment process.
For more on our Disability Confident commitment, visit Disability Confident Scheme , Civil Service Careers.
Visit NCA Benefits and Undefined for more details.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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)
- undefined 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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment undefined (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
- Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
Further information
If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.