Deborah Walker

Experienced Commercial and Finance professional with over 20 years' experience within a public sector environment, with extensive expertise across commercial management, procurement, purchasing, supplier relationship management, financial administration and contract support. Strong understanding of public sector procurement principles, governance, compliance and value for money. Commercially focused professional with experience across the end-to-end commercial and procurement lifecycle, including contract and supplier management, competitive procurement, spend analysis, procurement frameworks, supplier performance, commercial risk and process improvement.

Confident advising stakeholders and balancing operational requirements with commercial, financial and regulatory considerations. Highly analytical and organised, with strong experience using Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP and large-scale supplier spend analysis, alongside OBIEE, D365, Basware, Procserve and other ERP/e-procurement systems. Proven ability to identify risks, improve processes, support organisational change and build effective relationships with suppliers, Finance, IT, Legal, senior management and operational teams.

Resilient, proactive and committed to achieving efficient, compliant and commercially effective outcomes.

Commercial Officer - Lincolnshire Police

(2024-10)

• Manage and support end-to-end commercial and procurement activity for a range of goods, services and contracts, ensuring requirements are delivered compliantly and provide value for money.
• Provide commercial advice and guidance to internal stakeholders on procurement routes, purchasing processes, contractual requirements, procurement thresholds and compliance.
• Manage and maintain commercial and contract registers, ensuring accurate information, key dates, spend and contractual commitments are recorded and monitored.
• Support the development, review and management of contracts, contract variations, extensions and deeds of variation, ensuring appropriate approvals and documentation are in place.
• Monitor contract expiry dates, extension periods, spend and contractual commitments, taking action within required timescales to reduce commercial and operational risk.
• Undertake supplier and contract reviews, identifying opportunities to improve supplier performance, value, efficiency and commercial outcomes.
• Manage supplier relationships and act as a key point of contact, resolving issues and escalating matters where appropriate.
• Monitor supplier performance against service delivery, quality, communication, lead times and contractual requirements, supporting supplier performance reviews and contract meetings.
• Analyse supplier spend and purchasing data to identify savings, efficiencies, procurement opportunities and potential off-contract or non-compliant spend.
• Produce commercial reports, spend analysis and savings reports for management and stakeholders, using Excel to analyse large datasets through pivot tables and VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP.
• Undertake market research and supplier analysis to understand available suppliers, products, services and commercial opportunities.
• Support competitive procurement exercises, including specifications, evaluation documentation, tender documentation, procurement timelines and stakeholder coordination.
• Support Competitive Flexible Procedures and other compliant procurement routes, including coordination of commercial and technical evaluations.
• Support the use of procurement frameworks and DPS arrangements, identifying appropriate routes to market.
• Manage supplier onboarding, activation, deactivation, rationalisation and reactivation processes, ensuring appropriate commercial controls and approvals are maintained.
• Work closely with Finance/Exchequer, IT, operational teams, Legal and suppliers to resolve ordering, invoicing, supplier and system-related issues.
• Support supplier migration and commercial information transfer between ERP and procurement systems, maintaining data accuracy and continuity of service.
• Work with D365, Basware and Procserve and support supplier punchout/marketplace solutions to improve purchasing processes.
• Support digital procurement and process improvements, including e-procurement, marketplace solutions, automation and e-invoicing readiness.
• Maintain accurate commercial records, audit trails and supporting documentation and prepare professional reports, briefings and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Identify commercial risks and provide practical recommendations, contributing to continuous improvement, procurement transformation, supplier rationalisation and ERP migration projects.

Exchequer Officer (Grade G) - Lincolnshire Police – Finance Department

(2012-08 - 2024-10)

Managed purchasing, supplier, invoice and financial administration activities within a busy public-sector Finance environment.

• Reviewed requisitions and purchase requests to ensure correct documentation, approvals and information were in place and applied procurement thresholds and internal purchasing requirements.
• Investigated supplier requests and identified opportunities to use existing suppliers and obtain competitive quotations, supporting savings and value for money.
• Managed supplier accounts, invoice queries and discrepancies, liaising with internal departments and suppliers to support accurate and timely payment.
• Produced and analysed reports on unpaid invoices, investigated outstanding items and improved processes to reduce the risk of late payment.
• Used Excel and OBIEE to analyse financial and purchasing information, identify trends and produce management information.
• Improved the receipting-hold process by gathering colleague feedback, changing the reporting approach and updating process guidance, reducing administrative effort.
• Identified recurring late-payment issues with intermediary suppliers, investigated potential contractual implications with Commercial colleagues and proposed an alternative process to reduce late-payment charges and protect access to essential services.
• Supported implementation of the Agiito travel system and transition from E-Fin to T Police, providing training and ongoing support to colleagues and departments.
• Provided system training to budget holders and requestors, helping departments use T Police more effectively and supporting efficient supplier payment.
• Selected to interview prospective employees and contribute to recruitment decisions, demonstrating trusted operational knowledge and professional judgement.
• Maintained critical financial processes, including payment runs, month-end reconciliations and invoice management, during periods of reduced staffing and competing priorities.

Crime Allocation Officer (Grade F) - Lincolnshire Police – Crime Management Department

(2009-01 - 2012-08)

Managed crime allocation and administrative processes within a busy operational environment, prioritising work accurately and to required deadlines.

• Acted as a super user for the CSI system (now NICHE), supporting implementation, promoting change and assisting colleagues with new processes and functionality.
• Worked collaboratively with staff to embed new systems and improve understanding and consistency of operational processes.
• Developed strong organisation, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills while managing competing priorities.

Administration Clerk (Grade D) - Lincolnshire Police – Facilities

(2008-05 - 2009-01)

Provided administrative support within the Facilities function, maintaining accurate records and supporting day-to-day departmental activities.

Waitress - Browns Pie Shop - Lincoln

(2006-09 - 2008-05)

Delivered customer-focused service in a busy environment, developing strong communication, teamwork and organisational skills.

Administrator / PA - CoolTemp Ltd - Scunthorpe

(2004-07 - 2005-07)

Provided administrative and PA support, coordinating information, correspondence and day-to-day office activities.

Business Administration Level II - Business Administration - INTEC Business College

GCSE - Multiple Subjects