We're looking for an experienced and forward-thinking IT Business & Commercial Manager to own and run the contracts, commercial and financial engine of our innovative technology function.
You'll get the remit to build the processes, standards and methods of this function: ensuring the Council gets maximum value for money, makes solid investments and identifies innovative and reliable partners to deliver technology and systems critical to our public services.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead in the transformation of our technology operations, and devise a function that delivers.
What You'll Be Doing
Reporting to the Head of IT Operations, you'll be:
- Leading and manage the commercial, contractual, supplier, purchasing and financial management functions for IT & Digital.
- Acting as the division’s lead contact to corporate finance, procurement and legal.
- Coordinating budget-setting and medium-term financial planning processes, working with Heads of Service to produce robust forecasts and plans.
- Coordinating procurement pipelines and ensuring technology procurements are done well.
- Maintaining the division-wide technology and commercial contracts register, and ensuring the division marches to the cadence of renewals.
- Providing expert commercial and financial advice and assurance to projects and decisions.
- Representing IT & Digital in supplier, partner and corporate forums and deputising for the Head of IT Operations or other senior leaders on commercial, contractual and financial matters as required.
About You
We're looking for someone who can combined good technology expertise along with excellent business management and negotiation skills. You'll be able to demonstrate:
- IACCM qualified and/or CIPS Level 5 qualified or equivalent substantial professional experience in commercial, procurement, contract or financial management.
- Strong knowledge of commercial and contract management across the full lifecycle.
- Good knowledge of public-sector procurement, governance and decision-making.
- Broad knowledge of technology markets and commercial models.
- Significant experience leading a commercial, contract, supplier or business management function in a large or complex organisation.
- Demonstrable experience managing a portfolio of high-value and strategically important technology contracts and suppliers.
- Substantial experience of budget planning, forecasting, financial monitoring and presenting financial information to senior leaders.
- Experience of public-sector procurement or of operating within an equivalently regulated and highly governed environment.
- Significant management experience, including leading and developing specialist staff.
Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of local residents, supporting one of the most innovative local government technology functions in the country.
We offer:
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Learning and development opportunities
- Wellbeing support and employee benefits
- A diverse, supportive and inclusive working environment
Encouraging a diverse workforce
Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.
Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).
Why work for us?
As a council, we want to:
- be connected
- be confident
- be innovative and creative
- be diverse and inclusive
- be healthy and psychologically safe
For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us which gives details of our wellbeing support, our benefits including leave and pensions as well as details of our training and development.
How to apply
Please read our Apply for a job at the council pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.
As part of your application, you will need to provide your education and career history and answer some application/shortlisting questions. Your answers to the application/shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.
AI advice for candidates
We are interested in hearing about your experience and skills in your own words. While we value people who know how to use AI, we ask that you minimise using it in your application.
We are keen to hear how your experience and skills align to our values and the skills and experience needed to perform well in our roles with clear real examples from you. To support you in this, we have guidance on using the STAR model which can help you ensure you are telling us your whole story. We also provide clarity on the skills we are looking for in our adverts and in the job description/person specification attached to each job advert.
All the applications we receive are read by at least two hiring managers and we do not use AI in this process. Our experience of reading applications is that those that have heavily used AI contain generic paragraphs that are strikingly similar to other applicants’ responses. This makes it extremely difficult to differentiate between applications, and doesn't give us enough evidence of your individual skills. There is a risk that we will therefore not be able to shortlist you. Instead, we recommend you ensure your application stands out by presenting clear examples of your actual skills and experiences in your own words.
Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.
Please note that this post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Criminal Records Check.
We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.
Recruitment scam alert
Some third-party websites may be using details from our vacancies to advertise roles that are not authorised by us. To protect your personal information, please ensure you verify the job details and application route through the Brighton & Hove City Council jobs board.
We will never ask candidates to pay a fee, purchase a subscription, or make any payment to apply for one of our vacancies.
