NHS Blood and Transplant

Senior Commercial Lead - Supplier & Contract Mgmt

The closing date is 03 September 2025

Job summary

You will lead, manage, and be accountable for a Commercial Team with responsibility for approximately 160 supplier contracts within the Science Goods and Services category, including Blood Packs, Pathology and Managed Services for Blood Testing. You will ensure that all resources are focused on delivering sustainable, quality, and innovative commercial solutions in compliance with legislation. As the leader of the Science Supplier and Contract Management team, you will need to bring a vision, a passion for delivery, and strong people management skills. You will provide professional expertise to formulate, develop, and implement long-term strategic plans for the category and contracts managed by the team. Additionally, you will actively engage and collaborate with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and public sector bodies to support our commercial strategies and their effectiveness. You will continuously improve the commercial service delivered to stakeholders, enhance expertise, and build the capability and potential of the function. You will take a pivotal role in delivering significant cost improvements in a creative, innovative, and sustained manner to help us meet our financial objectives.

Main duties of the job

In this role you will support in the delivery of the planning & organisation, day to day operations, financial, quality targets and vision of the Commercial directorate within NHSBT. Your responsibilities will include: Developing and managing a portfolio of larger high-risk projects, typically with a high level of expenditure and/or complexity. Developing working relationships with key suppliers and ensuring excellent performance standards are achieved in line with contractual requirements and stakeholders expectations. Line managing the team and developing a culture that encourages open communication and ensures that people are managed through effective teamwork, leadership, and motivation across the team and wider Commercial function. Managing operational multi-stranded budgets for products and services within their category group. Leading and supporting in the preparation of complex tender documents, inviting tender bids from suppliers, including the selection of suppliers following pre-qualification analysis of supplier information and pre-tender commercial discussions. Leading and supporting category strategies, market shaping, strategic sourcing, and procurement. Developing long-term strategic plans for the sourcing, procurement, and delivery of contracts.

About us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, youll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need. Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever. You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Details

Date posted

20 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

007240

Job locations

NHSBT

Capitol Way

Barnsley

S75 3FG


NHSBT - Colindale

Charcot Road

London

NW9 5BG


NHSBT

Plymouth Grove

Manchester

M13 9LL


NHSBT

Northway

Filton

BS34 7QH


NHSBT

Vincent Drive

Birmingham

B15 2SG


NHSBT - Tooting

75 Cranmer Terrace

London

SW17 0RB


Job description

Job responsibilities

What we offer:

  • NHSBT promotes flexible working opportunities where the role will allow.
  • 27 days annual leave (pro rata for part-time) plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years service and to 33 days after 10 years.
  • NHS pension scheme. The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns) Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions
  • Weve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. Its open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role.

To learn more, please see our recruitment profile, which provides a summary of the job description and person specification. This can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking Apply if you are viewing this advert on another site.

Job description

Job responsibilities

What we offer:

  • NHSBT promotes flexible working opportunities where the role will allow.
  • 27 days annual leave (pro rata for part-time) plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years service and to 33 days after 10 years.
  • NHS pension scheme. The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns) Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions
  • Weve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. Its open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role.

To learn more, please see our recruitment profile, which provides a summary of the job description and person specification. This can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking Apply if you are viewing this advert on another site.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience in a professional purchasing area.
  • CIPS Professional Diploma Level 6 or equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD).

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of Market Shaping, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Strategy, and Contract Management including negotiation of significant value contracts and/or significant risk contracts, and disputes at a senior level.
  • Supply chain management and supplier relationship management experience.
  • The ability to lead strategic planning and implementation processes.
  • Time Management skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
  • Experience in using electronic sourcing and purchasing systems.
  • Change management experience including awareness of impacts on Quality when implementing new contracts.
  • Decision making and problem-solving skills.
  • Leadership and management experience
  • Experience of working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint).
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience in a professional purchasing area.
  • CIPS Professional Diploma Level 6 or equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD).

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of Market Shaping, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Strategy, and Contract Management including negotiation of significant value contracts and/or significant risk contracts, and disputes at a senior level.
  • Supply chain management and supplier relationship management experience.
  • The ability to lead strategic planning and implementation processes.
  • Time Management skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
  • Experience in using electronic sourcing and purchasing systems.
  • Change management experience including awareness of impacts on Quality when implementing new contracts.
  • Decision making and problem-solving skills.
  • Leadership and management experience
  • Experience of working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint).

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Blood and Transplant

Address

NHSBT

Capitol Way

Barnsley

S75 3FG


Employer's website

https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Blood and Transplant

Address

NHSBT

Capitol Way

Barnsley

S75 3FG


Employer's website

https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Assistant Director -Supplier & Contract Management

Wendy Thorne

wendy.thorne@nhsbt.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

20 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

007240

Job locations

NHSBT

Capitol Way

Barnsley

S75 3FG


NHSBT - Colindale

Charcot Road

London

NW9 5BG


NHSBT

Plymouth Grove

Manchester

M13 9LL


NHSBT

Northway

Filton

BS34 7QH


NHSBT

Vincent Drive

Birmingham

B15 2SG


NHSBT - Tooting

75 Cranmer Terrace

London

SW17 0RB


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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