Deputy director, Met business services, operational contract management

About the Team

The Operational Contract Management Team sits within Met Business Services and plays a vital role in ensuring the Metropolitan Police Service maximises value from some of its most critical outsourced services. The team is responsible for overseeing a portfolio of complex, high-value and business-critical contracts that support policing operations and corporate functions across the organisation

Working at the heart of one of the UK's largest and most complex public sector organisations, the team ensures suppliers deliver against contractual commitments, benefits are realised, risks are managed, and services remain aligned to organisational priorities.

The Operational Contract Management function works closely with senior leaders across the Met, suppliers, commercial specialists, legal advisors and finance professionals to deliver effective, sustainable and value-for-money services that support the organisation's mission to keep London safe.

Why Join Us?

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a strategically important function within the Metropolitan Police Service.

As Deputy Director of Operational Contract Management, you will have responsibility for ensuring the Met's outsourced services deliver value, performance and resilience at scale. You will oversee complex supplier relationships, drive commercial performance and provide strategic leadership across a significant portfolio of contracts and programmes.

The role offers exposure to executive-level decision-making, responsibility for major investment decisions, and the opportunity to shape how the Met manages some of its most significant commercial partnerships into the future.

The Role

As Deputy Director of Operational Contract Management, you will provide strategic leadership for the Operational Contract Management function and act as a Senior Responsible Owner for key outsourced services and programmes.

You will lead work to:

• Ensure outsourced services remain aligned with organisational priorities and deliver intended business benefits.
• Provide leadership for a portfolio of complex, high-value and business-critical contracts.
• Lead major contract re-procurement programmes and contract change initiatives from business case through to delivery and benefits realisation.
• Establish and maintain effective governance throughout the entire contract lifecycle, from mobilisation through to contract exit.
• Drive commercial performance, supplier accountability and continuous improvement across outsourced services.
• Oversee investment decisions, contractual expenditure and budget management within your area of responsibility.
• Build strong strategic partnerships with internal stakeholders, Executive Committee colleagues, suppliers and specialist advisory functions.
• Strengthen organisational capability in contract management, governance and supplier relationship management.

What We're Looking For

We're interested in candidates who can:

• Provide visible and inspiring leadership in a complex operating environment.
• Translate organisational priorities into effective commercial and contractual outcomes.
• Influence and challenge at senior levels whilst building collaborative partnerships.
• Navigate complexity, risk and competing priorities with confidence.
• Drive performance and accountability from large-scale outsourced service providers.
• Make sound strategic decisions informed by evidence, insight and commercial judgement.
• Build high-performing teams and create environments where people can thrive and perform at their best.

Experience and Skills

The successful candidate is likely to demonstrate experience in several of the following areas:

Commercial and Contract Leadership

• Leading operational contract management functions within large, complex organisations.
• Managing portfolios of high-value, high-risk or business-critical contracts.
• Driving value for money, service improvement and benefits realisation through effective supplier management.

Programme and Strategic Delivery

• Acting as a Senior Responsible Owner for major programmes, contract re-procurements or large-scale service transformations.
• Developing robust business cases and successfully navigating complex governance processes.
• Delivering organisational outcomes through effective programme, commercial and stakeholder leadership.

Leadership

• Leading multidisciplinary teams through periods of change, growth or transformation.
• Building organisational capability and embedding effective operating models and governance arrangements.
• Developing talent and creating a culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement and high performance.

Supplier and Stakeholder Management

• Building productive relationships with senior stakeholders, suppliers and partner organisations.
• Holding suppliers to account for contractual performance, including resolving complex issues, disputes and service recovery activity.
• Influencing and negotiating at senior levels to achieve positive organisational outcomes.

We Welcome Diverse Experience

We welcome applications from candidates who have developed their experience across the public, private or regulated sectors.

Your background may include commercial management, supplier relationship management, contract management, programme delivery, shared services, business process outsourcing, infrastructure, technology, defence, transport, healthcare, financial services or other complex operational environments.

Most importantly, you will bring strong leadership capability, commercial expertise and a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes through effective partnerships and supplier management.

Inclusion Matters

The Metropolitan Police Service is committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of London's communities.

We particularly welcome applications from women, Black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates, disabled candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and individuals whose experience has been gained both within and outside policing.

We recognise that exceptional leaders come from a variety of professional backgrounds. If this opportunity excites you and you believe you can bring valuable skills, experience and perspectives to the role, we encourage you to apply.

What You'll Gain

In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Influence strategic decisions at the highest levels of the Metropolitan Police Service.
• Lead a function responsible for delivering value and performance across critical outsourced services.
• Shape the future of operational contract management within one of the UK's largest public sector organisations.
• Build relationships with senior leaders, government stakeholders and supplier executives.
• Further develop your executive leadership capability while delivering work with significant organisational impact.

Dimensions

• Strategic leadership of the Operational Contract Management function
• Accountability as Senior Responsible Owner for significant outsourced service portfolios and associated programmes.
• Responsibility for major contractual expenditure, investment decisions and benefits realisation.
• Extensive engagement with Executive Committee members, senior suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders.
• This role reports to the Director of Met Business Services and offers a unique opportunity to shape the future delivery of commercially critical services that support policing across London.