Commercial Director

Send your CV and a covering note (no more than 500 words) to [email removed - click apply for more details] by 6pm on the 30 October. In your note, please tell us:

• why this role, and why Oxford Insights
• about a commercial result you’re proud of, and the part you played in it.

About us

Oxford Insights is a mission-driven consultancy that helps governments around the world use technology, data and AI for the public good, without the hype. We are best known for theGovernment AI Readiness Index, which is used by UNESCO and the G20. In the UK we work with public sector clients including the DHSC and UKHSA, and internationally with UN bodies, development banks and governments in Latin America, Central Asia and the Gulf. 

About the role

Our turnover has nearly doubled since 2024, and 14 new colleagues have joined us in the last six months. We want that growth to be sustainable and true to who we are. Our Managing Director’s recent blog post explains how we’re approaching this.

We’re now looking for a Commercial Director to join our Senior Leadership Team. You’ll report to the Managing Director and work alongside our Directors of Delivery, Operations, and International (pending). The role starts in January 2027, or as soon as possible after.

You’ll lead our commercial strategy, bring structure and discipline to our pipeline, and tell the Oxford Insights story to clients and partners in the UK and internationally. As our revenue grows, so will our capacity to do good.

In practice, you’ll be our lead account manager for UK public sector clients, building long-term partnerships rather than chasing one-off wins. You’ll also own pipeline management, forecasting and commercial risk reporting for the whole firm, including the information our international team feeds in.

About you

We don’t have a fixed view of who you are. You might be a Commercial Director or Head of Growth at a consultancy, a senior public sector commercial lead who understands government procurement from the inside, or a business development director in a tech or policy organisation driven by social impact. What matters is the energy, drive and vision you will bring to this role.

Your role on our Senior Leadership Team

You’ll be the commercial voice for our SLT. You’ll tell us whether our pipeline, pricing and risk position can support our growth plans. You own how we sell, across the firm. In the UK that means raising our win rate on competitive bids as much as growing accounts we already hold. You’ll work closely with our Director of Delivery, who owns project quality and delivery methods, so you can concentrate on winning and growing the right work at the right margin.

Key Responsibilities

UK public sector accounts and pipeline

• Lead our core UK accounts, building client trust and growing our work with them.
• Own the firm-wide pipeline and forecast across UK and international work, and run the monthly commercial review at SLT.
• Lead how we position ourselves on public sector frameworks such as G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes, and grow our network across central and local government and public bodies.

Commercial storytelling and bids

• Write and lead our most important proposals, bids and pitches, turning complex work in data, AI policy and digital transformation into a clear, credible story for public sector leaders.
• Help consultants and delivery leads write better bids through coaching, feedback and practical guidance, so that good proposal writing happens across the firm and doesn’t depend on one person.
• Make sure every bid is well structured, plain English and free of hype.

Pricing, standards and team

• Set the rate card and bid quality standards for the whole firm,.
• Line manage and develop our bid manager and deepen commercial skills within the wider delivery team

Turning our IP into products

• Work with our CEO, MD and delivery teams to turn our research, indices and tools into repeatable products and services, while protecting the independence of the Government AI Readiness Index.

What success looks like in year one

• A firm-wide pipeline that SLT and our board can trust and rely on, which hits our growth targets.
• A clear rise in our win rate on competitive bids, with lessons from every result, won or lost, feeding into the next one.
• A bid team whose quality standards and evaluator scores improve bid on bid, with lessons captured from every loss.
• At least one piece of our IP turned into a repeatable product or service that has been taken to market.

Essential experience and skills

• UK public sector commercial leadership: A track record of commercial leadership and key account management in or for the UK public sector. You’ll have a good working knowledge of government procurement under the Procurement Act 2023 and major frameworks such as G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes and Services (DOS). You’ll also have, or be able to build, a trusted network across the UK public sector.
• Pipeline ownership: Experience building and managing sales pipelines, and producing pipeline and forecasting reports for a leadership team.
• Commercial storytelling: The ability to turn technical concepts (for example data science, AI policy and organisational transformation) into compelling proposals and pitches.
• Coaching and mentoring: A supportive leadership style, with experience of mentoring, coaching and line managing junior commercial or bid staff.

Desirable

• IP productisation: The ability to package consulting research, tools or data assets into clear, repeatable service lines.
• Commercial finance: Confidence with commercial modelling, project budgeting, rate cards and managing contractual risk.

If you’re not sure if you tick every box

We have written this role ambitiously. If you are not sure you tick every box, apply anyway. We are interested in judgement, commercial creativity, and an ability to learn quickly. If the majority of the essential criteria are clearly there and you are excited by the rest, we would love to hear from you.

Salary & Benefits

• Salary: £100,000 per annum, plus annual performance bonus, EMI and pension package.
• Holiday: 25 days annual leave, plus an extra two-week Christmas shutdown
• Location and working pattern: Full time and remote-first, with quarterly all-staff meet ups, plus regular client visits and networking events across the UK
• Wellness: Vitality Health Insurance, budgets to support personalised learning. 

The Application Process

Applications close 6pm on Friday 30 October

How to apply

Send your CV and a covering note (no more than 500 words) to [email removed - click apply for more details] by 6pm on the 30 October. In your note, please tell us:

• why this role, and why Oxford Insights
• about a commercial result you’re proud of, and the part you played in it.

What happens next

• Shortlisting: We’ll review initial applications and reply to everyone by 4 November, indicating whether they have made it to the first panel interview. 
• Panel interview (w/c 9 November): Interview with members of our SLT 
• Final interview (w/c 16 November): A final interview with our CEO, MD and a member of our Board. Expect a 15 minute presentation, followed by questions. We’ll send you a presentation brief in advance.

We’re happy to make reasonable adjustments at any stage. Just let us know.