At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex bids and manage commercial activities to drive profitability.
- Company: People-first organisation recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces.
- Benefits: Flexible working arrangements, competitive salary, and a focus on work/life balance.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make impactful decisions that enhance commercial integrity and client satisfaction.
- Qualifications: Experience in commercial management and strong client relationship skills required.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
As our Senior Commercial Manager, you'll sit at the heart of complex bids and live delivery, balancing risk, margin and pace. You'll bring sharp commercial judgement to scenario planning and resource modelling, translate policy into pragmatic choices, and ensure contractual compliance from bid through to service. Whether advising leaders or coaching the team, your decisions will directly influence profitability and strengthen the commercial integrity of everything we deliver. We're a people‑first organisation, recognised in the UK’s Best Workplaces, where great work and purpose go hand in hand. This role is hybrid, with the ideal candidate being based in the South East, with some travel to Portsmouth and London.
Responsibilities
- Lead all commercial, contractual and supplier management activities across a complex portfolio, ensuring full compliance with Sopra Steria’s commercial frameworks and driving commercially sound decision‑making.
- Shape, assure and influence major bids and proposals, working with sales, delivery and finance to qualify opportunities, design commercial models, negotiate terms and protect margin.
- Build and maintain strong client relationships, representing the commercial function in governance forums, resolving issues swiftly and identifying opportunities to improve profitability and mitigate contractual or commercial risk.
- Oversee contract performance and service delivery alignment, ensuring obligations, service levels and commercial controls are met while driving continuous improvement and maintaining high client satisfaction.
- Proactively identify, assess and manage commercial and operational risks across bids and live contracts, implementing practical mitigation plans to minimise exposure to disputes, claims or financial loss.
- Lead and coach teams to deliver high‑quality commercial outcomes, providing expert guidance on financial modelling, forecasting, billing, cost control and scenario planning to ensure robust commercial health.
Qualifications
- Significant experience leading commercial, contract and supplier management across complex client environments, with strong knowledge of commercial frameworks and contractual compliance.
- Proven background supporting major bids and business development activity, including opportunity qualification, commercial modelling, negotiation and shaping large, high‑risk proposals.
- Strong client‑facing experience, with the ability to build relationships at senior levels, resolve disputes, and identify opportunities to improve margin and reduce commercial or contractual risk.
- Demonstrable experience assuring delivery performance against commercial plans, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring service levels, invoicing and compliance are met.
- Strong risk management capability, with a track record of identifying, assessing and mitigating commercial risks across both bids and live contracts.
- High level of financial literacy, including experience of forecasting, billing, cost control and interpreting complex financial models to support commercial decision‑making.
Preferred
- Experience within BPO, pensions payroll or defence environments would be highly advantageous.
Our business is, first and foremost, about people. The solutions we develop are driven by the connections they make and the problems they solve. Known for our collaborative approach, we provide consulting and digital services, creating innovative solutions, at scale, to deliver sustainable growth and services that make life better. We embrace difference as a source of creativity, innovation and competitive advantage and are striving to become a more diverse organisation. We welcome applications from people with a diverse variety of backgrounds and identities. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status. We partner with Vercida, the UK’s largest diversity and inclusion focused careers site, where all our vacancies are available in an accessible format. If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, to enable you to perform to the best of your ability, please let us know when completing your application. We participate in the Disability Confident scheme and are committed to offering an interview to any candidate with a disability who meets the minimum criteria for the role. If you believe this could apply to you, please let us know when completing your application. Although this role is advertised as full‑time, we believe that flexibility at work can promote work/life balance, increase motivation, reduce stress and improve performance and productivity. We support different ways of working and can offer a range of flexible working arrangements. If you’re interested and need to work flexibly, we encourage you to apply and talk to us about what might be possible.
Senior Commercial Manager employer: Sopra Steria Limited
At Sopra Steria, we pride ourselves on being a people-first organisation, recognised among the UK’s Best Workplaces. Our hybrid working model allows for flexibility, promoting a healthy work/life balance while fostering a collaborative culture that values diversity and innovation. With ample opportunities for professional growth and a commitment to employee development, you will play a pivotal role in shaping commercial strategies that drive success in a dynamic environment located in the vibrant South East.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Commercial Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and don’t be shy about letting people know you’re on the lookout for a Senior Commercial Manager role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on an opportunity!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching the company and its commercial strategies. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs, especially around risk management and client relationships. Show them you’re not just a fit, but the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors to refine your answers and boost your confidence. Focus on articulating your commercial judgement and how you’ve successfully navigated complex bids in the past.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search. Let’s get you that Senior Commercial Manager role!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Commercial Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in commercial management and risk assessment. We want to see how your skills align with the responsibilities of the Senior Commercial Manager role.
Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your duties; share specific examples of how you’ve successfully led bids or improved profitability in past roles. We love seeing quantifiable results that demonstrate your impact!
Be Authentic:Let your personality shine through in your application. We’re a people-first organisation, so we value authenticity and a genuine passion for what you do. Don’t be afraid to show us who you are!
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. This helps us keep track of your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sopra Steria Limited
✨Know Your Commercial Frameworks
Make sure you brush up on the commercial frameworks relevant to the role. Understand how they apply to complex bids and service delivery, as this will show your potential employer that you can navigate their processes with ease.
✨Prepare for Scenario Planning
Think through various scenarios you might face in the role, especially around risk management and margin protection. Be ready to discuss how you would approach these situations, demonstrating your sharp commercial judgement.
✨Showcase Your Client Relationship Skills
Be prepared to share examples of how you've built and maintained strong client relationships in the past. Highlight any experiences where you resolved disputes or identified opportunities to improve profitability, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Demonstrate Financial Literacy
Brush up on your financial modelling and forecasting skills. Be ready to discuss how you've used these skills in previous roles to support commercial decision-making, as this will be key to ensuring robust commercial health in the new position.
