Commercial & Procurement Specialist - Defence & Security - Consultant

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Do you feel the desire to join a highly motivated team that aims to create positive and lasting changes in the world?

Our Major Programme Services (MPS) team is looking for an exceptional Commercial & Procurement Specialist.

As part of PA’s Delivery stream, PA’s Centre of Excellence for all project, programme, and portfolio capability, MPS works across Defence, major projects & infrastructure, transport, and public sector in client-facing roles on long-term assignments. Having experienced repeated successes in delivering value and excellence for our clients, most of whom are within daily commuting range from home, we are in high demand and are now expanding further across the UK.

As a Procurement & Commercial Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in executing complex projects across various industries. Your expertise and strategic thinking will be crucial in delivering successful outcomes for our clients.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to work in a collaborative and innovative environment, shaping projects that drive meaningful impact.

Location

Hybrid working - our approach is to be on client site 2 days per week.

You will have opportunity to:

We typically work with the buyer organisation, sometimes with prime suppliers, on high spend categories, typically in complex equipment and capabilities, digital services, infrastructure and professional services. Some examples of assignments can include the following:

• Designing and running major procurements: helping clients to understand their requirement and how to leverage major procurements to improve their business; creating the procurement and contracting strategy, creating commercial agreements and advising on how drive the best from the market.
• Project managing and providing expert advice on the process of procurement: managing supplier engagement; the evaluation of tenders; helping to negotiate and close deals; and making the business case to launch procurements and award agreements.
• Advising and putting the systems and processes in place to successfully transition from legacy to new frameworks and contracts, and to properly manage major contracts including the associated business change.
• Reviewing client procurement and commercial team performance and identifying and leading programmes to restructure the function and improve capability. This may include category management, supplier relationship management and sustainable supply chains.
• Support to renegotiate and improve agreements or help resolve major disputes.
• Providing effective commercial management for PA’s largest complex assignments, often with large collaborative teams.

About You

This is an opportunity to develop your skills and gain experiences that will take you into the top levels of the profession. Experience will include:

• Working with large and complex procurements, in any or all of equipment, digital services and infrastructure.
• Understanding of the procurement lifecycle and comfort around: identifying procurement and commercial strategies; running the processes of sourcing; managing the evaluation of tenders; helping to negotiate and close deals; and properly managing major contracts.
• Experience advising on contract terms and designing agreements to drive the best from a particular market.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including recognising how to manage multiple stakeholders.
• Experience with major government procurements, including the approvals processes, is highly desired.
• Familiarity using NEC contract forms would be an advantage.
• Ideally possessing MCIPS or MRICS Chartered status.
• Project management or financial management skills; this would be an advantage but can be learned.

We know the skill-gap and ‘somewhat need to tick every box’ can get in the way of meeting brilliant candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply - we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today by completing our online application.

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work.

Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We're focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self.

Find out more about Life at PA here.

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits:

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Generous company pension scheme
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives
• Annual performance-based bonus
• PA share ownership
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on [email protected]