Job outline
Overall purpose
The role will develop and implement commercial approaches for the organisation to generate alternative sources of income to invest in Council priorities, in order to meet the demands of increasing service pressures and to offset the costs of public service delivery. The role will report to the Commercialism Board and will be supported by the nominated Commercial Champions in each Directorate who will together form a supporting task group led by this post, to deliver the Commercialism Board’s ambitions and priorities. This post will operate and develop commercial approaches for the organisation to deliver the Commercial Strategy aims.
Principal accountabilities
- Lead and drive the Council’s Commercial Strategy using the key principles of the strategy to generate alternative sources of income to invest in Council priorities, in order to meet the demands of increasing service pressures and to offset the costs of public service delivery.
- Develop and lead the delivery of the Commercial Strategy.
- Promote commercial principles to develop commercial approaches for the organisation to deliver the Commercial Strategy aims.
- Seek to grow existing business potential using the organisation’s existing skills and assets and seek to develop new potential income opportunities.
- Manage risk appropriately to find the balance between being risk reckless or risk averse and ensuring appropriate probity and due diligence for all proposals to be taken forward in advising the Commercialism Board.
- Act as Operating Officer to the Commercialism Board.
- Devise and deliver appropriate infrastructure to support commercial governance and enthuse and create the framework for commercial skills development within service areas.
- Develop trading opportunities and new lines of business enterprise.
- Encourage engagement and approaches for commercialism, taking a lead from the Commercial Strategy.
- Lead the small corporate Commercial Office for the Council and be the key driver supporting the Council’s Commercialism Board.
- Report to the Head of Digital, Change and Technology Service and advise the Commercialism Board Chair and CMT on all Commercial Strategy matters.
- Present to Cabinet and Committees as required.
- Support commercial ideas generation, prioritisation, overseeing models, commissioning specialist advisors/consultants for options, market research and feasibility studies.
- Identify the commercial capabilities of the Council and identify any gaps including cultural, cost, appetite, aspirations, probity and security.
- Draft or contribute to business cases, give guidance, oversee, support and promote commercial proposals, reporting to the Commercialism Board for approvals.
- Draft complex reports and presentations as required.
- Develop plans and approach and implement those plans for commercial skills development amongst service managers.
- Lead the collaborative development of the Commercial Strategy and articulate the strategy to all sections of the Council internally.
- Identify and draw on private sector commercial knowledge and best practice from national research, other best practice and shared learning e.g. APSE, LGA.
In your role you are required to speak English with sufficient fluency to effectively perform your duties, as required by Section 77-84 of the Immigration Act 2016.
The above principal accountabilities are not exhaustive and may vary without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility.
Employee specification
Essential criteria
- Extensive knowledge of leading and delivering commercial approaches and Commercial Strategy with relevance of the issues for public ownership and accountability.
- Up to date knowledge of latest commercial developments, lending rules, legislation and freedoms to trade applicable to local government including ethics and social conscience considerations, Teckal rules and procurement essentials.
- Ability to understand and exploit commercial opportunities and manage risk to deliver successful outcomes for the organisation.
- Significant experience of commercial operations and development of income/profit in a major business environment, probably with experience of application in the public sector.
- Experience of the many facets of commercial strategy, operations and delivery.
- Experience of driving commercial developments in a major organisation.
- Experience of developing skills and enthusiasm to engage internal managers in business enterprises and delivering services efficiently and in a business-like manner.
- Management responsibility for budgetary control, strategic and commercial investment.
- Experience of collaborating with business partners, investors, business advisors, commercial solicitors and industry.
- Experience of innovation, negotiation and delivering successful profit-making operations, including bringing new business ideas, products or services to market.
- Senior level management experience.
- Sound commercial industry knowledge gained in a national, regional, public or private sector environment.
- Good grounding in the national environment affecting commercial operations and issues affecting the public, businesses and governments.
- Management skills and team leadership.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of leading and delivering commercial strategy in other business settings.
- Proven track record of advising business on investment, feasibility, options and business case development.
- Proven influential and negotiation skills, dealing with extremely complex issues at Chief Executive, Board and Members/Shareholders meetings level.
Additional details
- Responsible to: Head of Digital, Change and Technology
- ERYC Grade: 17