Ministry of Justice

Job Title & Grade: Grade 7 Senior Commissioning Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary range (depending on location):

National - £58,511- £65,329
London - £63,343 - £70,725 

Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.

Location: National - Any LAA office

Please note that whilst this role is open to all Civil Servants, you can only apply for London, Cambridge and Brighton offices if you are a current LAA staff member based in those offices. This is due to and in line with the LAA's Location Strategy and the Cabinet Office's Places for Growth Strategy.

Minimum Working Pattern:

The post is supported by the MOJ flexible working policy and includes colleagues who work flexibly, remotely (as part of hybrid working), part time or as part of a job share etc.

If you are applying for a part time role, please note that in order to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 32 hours and to cover 4 days of the week

To meet legal requirements, if you are between the ages 16-18 and you are a successful candidate, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship after your initial on the job training.

The Legal Aid Agency

We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.

Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.

Commissioning and Contract Management

The Directorate is responsible for the design, procurement, delivery and management of legal aid contracts on behalf of the Lord Chancellor. Within this, the Commissioning Team leads procurement activity, develops tender processes, implements new contracts, and monitors service availability and capacity across the provider market.

Commissioning

The Commissioning team work closely with operational and policy teams across the LAA and MoJ to inform future contracts and services. We develop and undertake procurement activity, including large, complex procurement processes; and ensure we are compliant with current public sector procurement legislation. Following implementation of the contracts, Commissioning monitor the availability and capacity of legal aid services and undertake further activity to increase or supplement supply as and when necessary.

The team works closely with operational and policy teams across the Agency and Ministry of Justice to develop future contracts and services. It is responsible for the effective procurement of legal advice services in line with public sector procurement legislation. Contracts let by the team have an annual value of £1.4bn. The team leads procurement activity including large, complex procurement processes which lead to the award of over 1,000 contracts as well as smaller commercial contracts for contact centres and other support services. Following implementation of the contracts, the team monitors the availability and capacity of legal aid services and undertakes further procurement exercises to increase supplement supply as and when necessary.

Team members are based in several locations including our head office in London. We offer flexible working options including from home or other suitable environments additional to the office. The postholder may be based in any Legal Aid Agency office though travel to other sites is required.

Job Summary

This is an outstanding opportunity to apply your organisational and commercial skills to shape and deliver commissioning activity that directly strengthens the legal aid market. You will lead high‑profile procurements for legal services that do not simply let contracts, but actively support market growth, resilience and long‑term sustainability.

You will join a highly experienced team of around 30 procurement professionals, working closely with policy, operational and finance experts across the Legal Aid Agency. The role offers rapid learning and genuine influence: you will lead a discreet but strategically important area of work, supported by a small team, with clear accountability for ensuring procurement legislation and guidance are applied proportionately and intelligently to deliver the right outcomes for the market.

The role provides a strong platform to develop your commercial and professional skills, supported by structured learning and development opportunities, including opportunities for progression through professional standards such as the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). You will be encouraged to continuously build your capability in public sector commissioning, commercial assurance and market engagement.

You will act as a visible and credible representative of the Agency, explaining commissioning and procurement approaches to key external stakeholders. Through early engagement, you will help identify market risks, shape practical solutions and support a more collaborative relationship with providers.

The work is highly rewarding. It is fundamental to sustaining a healthy, diverse legal aid market and ensuring continued access to justice for citizens, including the most vulnerable in society.

Key Responsibilities:

• Role model the Legal Aid Agency’s leadership behaviours, creating a culture of continuous learning and development, wellbeing and trust, with a strong focus on commercial excellence and quality outcomes.
• Build and sustain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders to maximise opportunities for collaboration, improve market capability, and deliver efficiencies that benefit both the Agency and providers.
• Lead the planning and delivery of a portfolio of complex and high‑value tenders, working with tender managers across the team to ensure milestones are met, risks are actively managed, and delivery supports market stability and growth.
• Lead the development and implementation of specific elements of the Agency’s commissioning, assurance, commercial and provider strategies, including activity that supports provider sustainability and long‑term market resilience.
• Deliver legally robust procurement activity – including large and complex exercises – that meets policy and organisational objectives, delivers value for money, and strengthens the supply of legal aid services.
• Oversee the future procurement pipeline, working with project managers to prioritise work effectively, manage dependencies and risks, and ensure there is no gap in the availability of legal aid provision.
• Deputise for the Deputy Director and G6 as required, confidently representing Commissioning with senior stakeholders and contributing to strategic decision‑making.
• Line manage a small number of staff.

Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills

• Demonstrable leadership capability, with a strong track record of developing, motivating and getting the best from teams. Confident in taking ownership of complex issues and driving practical, proportionate solutions through to delivery.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship‑management skills, with proven experience of working in close partnership across organisational boundaries to influence outcomes and deliver shared objectives.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure procurement and commissioning processes are completed fully, accurately and to time.
• Proven knowledge and practical experience of commissioning and/or procurement, including applying relevant guidance and legislation to deliver robust, value‑for‑money outcomes.
• Proven experience of project and risk management, with the ability to identify, assess and mitigate risks in complex and high‑profile delivery environments.
• Highly effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex issues, policies and proposed actions clearly and confidently to a wide range of audiences and ensure understanding.

Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills

• Demonstrable commercial and strategic expertise, with experience of commissioning public service tenders (or similar complex procurements) and the ability to understand and respond to the impacts of government policy, political priorities and stakeholder interests.
• Holds, or is working towards, MCIPS (or an equivalent professional qualification), with a commitment to continuous professional development in commercial and commissioning practice.
• Knowledge of legal aid and the wider legal services market, including an understanding of provider dynamics, market risks and sustainability challenges.
• An understanding of the regulatory and governance framework applicable to the commissioning and procurement of legal aid services.

Person Specification

The role would be particularly appeal to people who:

• Are motivated by making a tangible, positive difference to society, with a strong commitment to public service and a clear focus on customers and service users.
• Are comfortable moving between detail and strategy, with the ability to assure quality and compliance while also contributing to the bigger commissioning and market‑shaping picture.
• Enjoy building trusted, effective relationships and working collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals, both internally and with external stakeholders.
• Bring empathy and insight to their work, enabling them to understand different perspectives, manage change sensitively and support others through complex or challenging delivery.
• Are keen to build and deepen their expertise in public procurement and commissioning, including the full commissioning lifecycle, within a supportive environment that values professional learning and development.

Assessment approach

Application Process

To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria in no more than 1000 words.

Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all the essential criteria listed, using examples can help strengthen your application.

Please note that we only require a Statement of Suitability for your application. The wording on this advert may suggest that an Experience question is also required, however this is not necessary.

Interview / assessment Process

If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview / assessment centre in person or via Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against the following:

• Strengths relevant to the role
• The following Behaviours:
  
  
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
  
  
• Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.

For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important in a work environment. We would also expect examples of action they have taken to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding for self or others) or improve inclusion at a departmental level.  

Shortlisting is planned for week commencing Monday 1st June 2026

Interviews are planned for week commencing Monday 15th June 2026

If you would like more information on this opportunity or would like to discuss it then please contact – Lauren Mallon at Lauren.mallon@justice.gov.uk

Our LAA commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.

If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.

The LAA’s goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.

Reasonable Adjustments

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 to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.

Complaints procedure

If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing LAARecruitment@justice.gov.uk initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.