Head of Commercial

Lead the development and delivery of commercial activity across Arriva London, supporting the Commercial Director in securing, retaining and maximising route contracts with Transport for London.

The role is responsible for the end-to-end management of the commercial pipeline, including tender development, bid management, commercial analysis and contract retention strategy. The position ensures the organisation is well positioned to win new work and maximise value from existing contracts.

The role operates as a key member of the Commercial leadership team and works closely with operational, engineering and finance functions across the business.

Success Criteria and Indicators

Arriva has a leadership model that defines the capabilities we need in our leaders to help us deliver our strategy. The following capabilities are therefore key to the role:

• Inspire Connection: Engage & Collaborate
• Develop Potential: Support & Empower
• Deliver Results: Innovate & Transform

Key Accountabilities

Commercial Strategy Delivery

• Translate the commercial strategy set by the Commercial Director into clear delivery plans across the business.
• Lead the development of the commercial pipeline, identifying upcoming opportunities, risks and renewal timelines.
• Ensure Arriva London is positioned competitively for new route tenders and contract renewals.
• Develop commercial propositions aligned with the operational capability of the business.

Tender and Bid Leadership

• Lead the preparation and submission of tenders to Transport for London.
• Manage the full bid lifecycle including opportunity assessment, bid development, pricing inputs and submission governance.
• Coordinate cross-functional input from Operations, Engineering, Finance and HR into the bid process.
• Ensure tender submissions are commercially robust and aligned to business strategy.

Commercial Analysis and Insight

• Lead the development of commercial modelling, analysis and insight to inform bid decisions and contract strategy.
• Use operational and financial data to support business cases and commercial recommendations.
• Monitor market developments and competitor activity within the London bus network.

Contract Retention and Optimisation

• Support the Commercial Director in developing strategies to retain existing contracts with Transport for London.
• Identify opportunities to enhance commercial value across the lifecycle of existing contracts.
• Work closely with operational teams to ensure commercial considerations are reflected in planning and decision making.

Stakeholder Management

• Maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders across Operations, Engineering, Finance and HR.
• Support the Commercial Director in engagement with Transport for London on commercial matters.
• Ensure commercial priorities and opportunities are clearly communicated across the business.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the Commercial team to deliver high quality tender submissions and commercial insight.
• Build capability across the team in bid management, commercial modelling and market analysis.
• Promote strong collaboration between commercial and operational teams.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Strong commercial experience within a regulated or contract-based environment.
• Proven experience managing tenders, bids or major commercial submissions.
• Strong commercial analysis and financial awareness.
• Experience working with complex stakeholder groups across operational and support functions.
• Strong communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple commercial opportunities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong organisational and project management capability.

Key Stakeholders

• Commercial Director
• Arriva London Senior Leadership Team
• Operations Leadership
• Engineering and Finance teams
• Transport for London
• External partners involved in bid development