Commercial & Procurement Specialist

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.

Hybrid working - our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. However, the actual time you spend and where you spend it will vary by role or assignment, including up to 5 days per week on a client site.

Client locations include:

• Bristol
• Andover
• Portsmouth
• Cardiff
• Swindon

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.

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…