What motivated you to want to join the Met Police?
Working for public sector has always been a passion of mine since graduating. Being in a role that actually makes a difference to officers and Londoners more broadly is the biggest motivator for me. Since joining in 2014, each role I’ve undertaken has given me a number of opportunities to develop laterally and via promotion too.
What makes a career with MPS Commercial different?
It’s so varied; it covers end to end category and contract management across exciting service areas. The department is supported by Legal, Finance and HR functions therefore each role offers a great balance of corporate and operational policing exposure.
What does a typical day at MPS Commercial look like?
As a Commercial Lead for contracts, I balance maintaining service delivery against the changing demands of the organisation, all the while ensuring value for money. This means, managing internal stakeholder demands which are sometimes conflicting, as well as negotiating with suppliers. I also ensure I manage a high performing team through effective leadership. The day-to-day usually consists contract governance boards as well as regular face to face and virtual catch-ups with colleagues and reports.
What would be your advice to anyone thinking about joining MPS Commercial?
Talk to us. Reach out to the hiring manager and ask questions about the role, the team and application process. Once you know it’s the right role, there are many talented and inspiring commercial colleagues who will support you throughout your career.
How long have you been with the MPS Commercial?
16 months
What motivated you to want to join the Met Police?
I wanted to have a role that could make a tangible difference to people’s lives, play a role making London the best city in the world and have a career that was varied, exciting, stretched me to learn lots of new skills and I could see a real world impact from the commercial work that I do.
What makes a career with MPS Commercial different?
The variety of requirements that are needed by the business and the real world applications that they are going to be used for. The MPS is often at the very cutting edge of what technology its interested in procuring which means being exposed to a huge range of different solutions and suppliers. From a personal perspective there’s really strong opportunities for progression within the department whether through promotion or moving to other teams within the department to broaden skills and experience.
What does a typical day at MPS Commercial look like?
As much as there is a typical day it may involve market scanning to support an upcoming tender requirement, having weekly or monthly contract review meetings with one of our strategic suppliers, providing commercial advice and support to colleagues in the Digital, Data and Technology team or to the wider MPS, completing a contract review ahead of signature or doing a review of the upcoming requirements in our pipeline. Some days will mean travelling to New Scotland Yard or other MPS locations for meetings. Others might involve visiting colleagues on the frontline and seeing the use of the technology that we’ve procured for them.
What would be your advice to anyone thinking about joining MPS Commercial?
Feel free to ask for an informal chat with someone in the department to get a real feel for what it’s like, and read the Commissioner’s New Met for London to see what an exciting time it is to be joining the MPS.
