Senior Commercial Lead x 3
2 x Permanent and 1x Fixed term contract 24 - 36 months
Warrington / North-West (preferred) - Hybrid (2 days per week)
£125,000
Great British Energy - Nuclear is an arm's length body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of new nuclear technologies in Great Britain. We play a crucial role in advancing nuclear new build, ensuring the UK's energy security and achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Great British Energy - Nuclear focuses on fostering innovation, facilitating investment, and coordinating efforts across the nuclear industry to build a resilient and sustainable energy future.
Great British Energy - Nuclear's first step was to start the technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in 2023. SMRs can potentially be quicker to deploy and less expensive to build than traditional nuclear power plants because they are smaller, have factory based modular manufacturing and more flexible deployment options. In June 2025, Great British Energy - Nuclear announced that Rolls-Royce SMR had been selected as the preferred bidder to build the UK's first SMRs, following a technology selection process that began in 2023.
Great British Energy - Nuclear is aiming to deliver fast, based on a supportive and collaborative culture which values equality and diversity and creates an inclusive workplace.
Our activities will be driven by our values, which are:
Trust - We prioritise safety, we act responsibly and with integrity.
Collaboration - We work as a team; we value diversity and expertise.
Challenge - We are curious and courageous in the way we think and act.
Care - We are thoughtful, inclusive and respectful of others.
Drive - We get things done and we make a difference.
Job Profile
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead is a senior role within the Commercial Directorate and will be responsible for working with key stakeholders to identify and set appropriate packaging, procurement and commercial strategies across a portfolio of projects to support the delivery of a SMR Power plant.
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will sit within GBN’s Commercial Directorate and report to the Commercial Deputy Director.
The ideal candidate will be highly experienced, motivated, and personable, with a proven track record in managing and delivering commercial activity to complex, multi-disciplinary construction and engineering programmes. Team working and collaboration will be key to delivering this role. Experience in Public Sector Procurement is seen as highly desirable.
What you'll do:
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will be responsible for the management of a small team to ensure the successful delivery of commercial and procurement activity to deliver a portfolio of procurements, including being responsible for:
- Proactively leading [through review and approval] the procurement and commercial activity of a portfolio of projects across the full commercial lifecycle from strategy to contract award in conjunction with business stakeholders.
- Ensuring all team members are aware of their individual and collective responsibilities with commercial activity aligned to relevant policies, commercial strategies and security requirements.
- Working collaboratively with other senior stakeholders and functions including colleagues in Finance, Programme Management Office (PMO), Legal and Technical to provide a seamless service offering.
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities for each individual within line management chain.
- Appling the skills of supporting, coaching, enabling, and facilitating to create and develop future leaders.
- Developing individual and collective leadership skills and develop non-technical skills: interpersonal, team and relationships.
- Managing external contractors and consultants - ensuring budgets are managed appropriately
- Demonstrating ability to make sound decisions on matters of high financial value and ensure all commercial arrangements represent value for money.
- Leading on the delivery of commercial reporting to the Commercial Deputy Director, including but not limited to, procurement activity updates and risks and opportunities.
Principal Responsibilities
Commercial and Procurement Strategy
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will be responsible for the review and approval of the commercial and procurement strategies for individual procurements within its portfolio including the identification of the commercial mechanisms (including payment mechanisms relevant to the delivery of major complex critical infrastructure programmes) to go in the contract that will achieve value for money for GBN and support success for GBN’s overall strategy. The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will review and be responsible for the commercial mechanisms identified in individual procurement commercial strategies aligning with the commercial drivers and the commercial critical success drivers for the programme. The Commercial Lead will be responsible for review and approval of the identification of the approach GBN will take to procure the outsourced components required to deliver the procurements, including but not limited to being responsible for defining the procurement objectives, the routes to market and lotting strategy, market engagement activity and the evaluation strategy. The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will use their extensive commercial and procurement experience within major projects / major infrastructure procurements to show awareness and appreciation of in life contract management during the strategy phase development.
Commercial Policy
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will apply their extensive commercial knowledge to proactively lead on the development of commercial policy, procedures and templates.
Commercial Assurance and Governance
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will be responsible for ensuring all assurance activities across the commercial lifecycle have been followed and are aligned with relevant policies, commercial strategies and relevant security requirements. This may include responsibility for operational and risk management reviews as well as leading the support for any internal and/or external audits.
Market Analysis and Commercial Intelligence
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will be responsible for reviewing the findings of analysis conducted on key supplier markets to understand the key characteristics of the nuclear and related marketplaces to ensure adequate competition exists to continue to drive value for money. This may also include reviewing an assessment of the business needs together with supply market analysis and to provide advice on the market engagement approach and overall commercial and contract strategies.
Procurement Process and Tender Management
The Senior Commercial Lead/Commercial Lead will be responsible for using their extensive procurement experience for review and approval of key commercial and procurement activity (including deliverables) and overseeing the management for all stages of the procurement process from tender initiation to contract award and supplier mobilisation. This would also include review and assurance of the ITT, contract and schedules as well as review and approval of contract sign off and feedback to unsuccessful tenderers. All stages will be managed through the appropriate GBN governance processes which the Commercial Lead will be responsible for ensuring all team members supporting the procurement have followed.
What we're looking for:
- Extensive experience of supporting NEC suite of contracts, including drafting and negotiation (Essential)
- Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams in high-pressure environment.
- Extensive experience of supporting the delivery of commercial, procurement and contract management activity whilst adhering to Government processes (CAB, CO and HMT) and requirements (Essential)
- Extensive experience in overseeing project cost estimation and development of appropriate costs and pricing strategies
- Proven skills and experience in leading and reviewing business case development (Green Book - HMT) and working with multiple stakeholders (Essential)
- Strong personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure within an agile environment (Essential)
- Experience of navigating commercial and procurement activity within the Crown Commercial Services ("CCS"), e.g. assessing at pace CCS frameworks as potential routes to market (Desirable)
- Extensive experience of working within Public Sector Procurements (PCR and Procurement Act) (Desirable)
- Experience of working in a challenging, fast paced environment, managing competing priorities and delivering to tight deadlines.
Behavioural Competencies
- Leading the planning and delivering of results under tight timelines
- Building a culture that maintains trust, integrity and values diversity and expertise
- Working and adapting with stakeholders at all levels
- Communicating with impact and challenging respectfully
- Leading with thoughtfulness, inclusivity and respectfulness to others
- Influencing senior stakeholders and/or suppliers to support commercial solutions in a complex commercial environment.
Professional Competencies
- Relevant experience in a nuclear, construction, engineering and/or critical infrastructure programme (Essential).
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at
[email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can assist.
