At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead commercial governance for prison contracts and ensure effective contract delivery.
- Company: Join Mitie Care & Custody, a leader in justice and immigration services.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible benefits, financial wellbeing support, and access to discounts.
- Other info: Opportunities for training and career progression in a supportive environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the justice sector while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing complex contracts and strong stakeholder management skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
Mitie Care & Custody is looking for an experienced Commercial Manager to lead the commercial governance of the Millsike Prison Contract and support other prison contracts across the justice portfolio. This role has end‑to‑end responsibility for commercial delivery across the contract lifecycle, with a strong focus on mobilisation, transition into service, and steady‑state performance. You will ensure contracts are mobilised effectively, managed compliantly, and deliver against financial and performance targets. You will play a key role in the mobilisation of new prison contracts, setting up robust commercial processes, controls, and governance arrangements from contract award onward. Working closely with operational, finance, legal, and mobilisation teams, you will ensure commercial readiness, risk management, and compliance from day one. Acting as a trusted commercial partner to senior stakeholders, clients, and government bodies, you will provide practical commercial insight that supports decision‑making and improves contract performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead commercial governance for the Millsike Prison Contract and wider prison portfolio.
- Act as the primary commercial contact, supporting operational teams to deliver compliant, sustainable, and profitable contracts.
- Play a lead commercial role in contract mobilisation, ensuring all commercial and financial arrangements are in place at service commencement.
- Establish and embed effective commercial processes, controls, and governance frameworks.
- Manage the full contract lifecycle, including contract interpretation, variations, change control, and performance mechanisms.
- Monitor KPIs, payment mechanisms, and service credits, supporting challenge and resolution where required.
- Support financial modelling, budgeting, and forecasting, including mobilisation costs and risks.
- Identify, manage, and raise commercial and contractual risks in line with governance requirements.
- Lead or support commercial input into negotiations, claims, and disputes.
- Build strong relationships with operational leaders, finance, legal teams, and external stakeholders.
- Provide clear, pragmatic commercial advice to senior management.
- Deliver guidance and training to operational teams to strengthen commercial understanding and compliance.
About You
- Proven experience managing complex contracts, ideally within prison, justice, immigration, or wider public sector environments.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to manage risk and optimise performance.
- Confident working closely with operational teams in a regulated environment.
- Able to interpret complex contractual and financial information and provide practical solutions.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Organised, disciplined, and comfortable working in a high‑accountability setting.
Additional Information
Applicants must have resided in the UK for the past five years and have the right to work in the UK. The role requires Enhanced DBS and CTC clearance. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Benefits
Our market‑leading offering provides you with benefits that suit your lifestyle. We have a virtual GP on hand for you and members of your household. So you can get expert advice by video or phone without having to leave your home. We offer financial wellbeing assistance through our Salary Finance scheme. For example, you could access 50% of your earned pay before payday for a small fee. Salary Finance also offers competitive loans. When you join us, we’ll give you a link to our flexible lifestyle benefits platform, Choices. You might choose to purchase up to five extra days’ holiday each year. You might buy critical illness insurance, seek dental treatment or buy technology products at an affordable cost. There are many choices! We give you access to high street discounts from thousands of well‑known retailers, gyms and more through our MiDeals platform. And we have a cycle‑to‑work scheme. Life cover of up to four times your salary is available. We also offer enhanced pension contributions, a save‑as‑you‑earn scheme, and a Mitie Matching Share Plan (you could even be awarded free shares in Mitie). We award our employees with Mitie Stars as recognition for their hard work. There are cash prizes up for grabs each month and at the end of the year there’s a chance to scoop a top prize of £10,000! Our success is a direct result of the experience and quality of our people. Progressing your career is therefore a top priority for us. We offer a diverse variety of training and development avenues via a wide selection of learning resources to suit you.
Equal Opportunity
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long‑term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing Karen Hayes at Karen.hayes@mitie.com.
Commercial Manager - Prison Contracts employer: Mitie Cleaning & Hygiene Services
Contact Detail:
Mitie Cleaning & Hygiene Services Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Commercial Manager - Prison Contracts
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those who work in prison contracts or similar fields. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its contracts. Understand their challenges and think of how you can contribute to their success. We want you to show them you're not just another candidate, but the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience with complex contracts and how you've managed risks in the past. We need you to demonstrate your commercial acumen and stakeholder management skills confidently.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Commercial Manager - Prison Contracts
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Commercial Manager role. Highlight your experience with complex contracts, especially in the justice or public sector, and show how your skills align with the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your duties; share specific examples of how you’ve successfully managed contracts or improved performance in previous roles. Use metrics where possible to demonstrate your impact, as this will catch our eye!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and ensure your key points stand out. This will help us quickly see why you’re a great fit for the role.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people and is considered promptly. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mitie Cleaning & Hygiene Services
✨Know Your Contracts
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of contract management, especially in the context of prison and justice sectors. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully managed complex contracts in the past, as this will show your understanding of the role's requirements.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Skills
This role involves working closely with various teams and stakeholders. Prepare to share experiences where you've built strong relationships and provided commercial insight to senior management. Highlight your communication skills and how they’ve helped in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Financial Acumen
Since financial modelling and budgeting are key parts of the job, be prepared to discuss your experience with these areas. Bring examples of how you've managed risks and optimised performance in past contracts, and be ready to answer questions about financial metrics.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that test your problem-solving abilities. Think about potential challenges in contract mobilisation or compliance issues and how you would address them. This will demonstrate your practical approach and readiness for the role.