Assistant Director - Commercial

Location: Southampton 💷 Salary: £72,281 - A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% 🕒 Contract Type: Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

As the Assistant Director Commercial, you will report to the Director of Finance and Analysis and provide strategic leadership and oversight of MCA’s commercial activity, ensuring robust commercial decision-making and value for money. As a key member of the Finance and Analysis Directorate Senior Management Team, you will provide effective and inspiring leadership to the Commercial team, fostering a high-performing culture through continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leading MCA’s Commercial Strategy, ensuring alignment with MCA objectives, financial plans and the Government Commercial Function Strategy.

• Leading MCA’s Commercial team, embedding continuous improvement and high performance, and ensuring effective commercial support, advice and stakeholder engagement.

• Providing strategic procurement advice and commercial challenge on high-impact, high-value and business-critical requirements, including specifications, market engagement, procurement routes, risk allocation and contract structures.

• Maintaining strategic oversight of key supplier relationships and critical commercial markets to strengthen resilience, competition, innovation and long-term value throughout the contract lifecycle.

Benefits

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary.

• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).

• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.

• Access to the staff discount portal.

• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.

• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.

• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.

• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

About you

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Proven experience of developing and implementing commercial strategies and governance arrangements in a complex organisation.

• Evidence of leading complex, high-value or business-critical commercial activity, including negotiation and risk management.

• Advanced expertise across the commercial lifecycle, including sourcing, procurement, contract management and supplier management.

• Strong knowledge of public procurement legislation, government commercial policy, controls and assurance requirements.

• Evidence of leading commercial teams, building capability and influencing senior stakeholders to secure value-for-money outcomes.

📅 Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 1st November 2026