About the job

Job summary

Building a strong Commercial Function in Government, and with it the right commercial capability, is at the heart of a far-reaching programme of Civil Service reform.

We are building a cadre of commercial talent in all Government departments; people who can manage our commercial portfolios, who can lead our most complex and novel programmes and projects, people who have the gravitas and depth of experience to work alongside our policy and operational leaders to develop innovative commercial arrangements, whether through joint ventures, outsourcing or best-in-class contracts.

The Government Commercial Organisation is an employer which is truly committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and are able to perform to their potential. We understand the importance of diversity and inclusion and strive for a workplace that reflects the communities which we serve. We especially welcome applications from underrepresented groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with a disability and candidates with gender-diverse identities. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

We have already made significant progress through the establishment of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), our single employer of senior commercial talent across government. This role will sit within the GCO, but based in our MOD DIO commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

At the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) we manage the military estate. We are a Top-Level Budget Holder in Defence with a high-profile across the Department and wider Government. The DIO is on an exciting journey to transform the way we do business. Our role is diverse and the people who work for us carry out a range of exciting jobs spanning a number of professions; we offer a wealth of career opportunities for talented individuals looking to work as part of a team to deliver great results.    

You will support the strategic relationship with suppliers and senior internal stakeholders whilst building collaboration within, and across organisational boundaries. You will develop and manage key sourcing activities to meet project goals while minimising risk and ensuring Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is considered. You will be the trusted advisor in sourcing and commercial initiatives to both stakeholders and your team members, ensuring compliance to the appropriate processes and operating procedures.  

Your primary function will be the creation and delivery of commercial strategies for projects within the existing Programmes pillar for Major Projects and Defence Estate Optimisation pipelines.  You will provide a resilient and efficient infrastructure support across the MOD’s estate.     

You will have the opportunity to provide commercial advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders, some of whom may be senior members to the MOD. You will be accountable to the Deputy Head for any commercial and management activity you undertake. 

Stakeholder engagement across DIO, Industry and wider Government will be an important aspect of your role, so you will require excellent communication skills.   

Brief overview of both teams 

Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio (DEOP)

Our team are responsible for providing commercial support to the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio, valued at £4.3Bn. It is a 25-year investment programme with the ambition to secure £2bn from disposals of current assets, to invest in new facilities to build a better structured, more economical estate that more effectively supports military capability. At the heart of DEOP’s vision is a significant construction and refurbishment programme for various accommodation asset types and a range of residential, operational, educational and technical facilities across the MOD UK footprint. This team will be supporting DIO project teams to deliver complex and high value construction and technical support contracts to front line customers and will entail working in a dynamic, fast paced, and sophisticated commercial environment.  DEOP Team consists of c.25 staff. Successful candidate will be responsible for approximately 7 staff. 

The Major Programmes and Projects (MPP)

The Major Programmes and Projects (MPP) Commercial team provides the specialist Commercial support directly to customer delivery teams and leads the sourcing, procurement and contract management activities across the full Commercial Life Cycle. This is across an exciting and diverse portfolio of multi-million-pound construction programmes and projects across the UK and NI Defence Estate. The team delivers over 80 infrastructure projects between industry and MoD, across UK and NI. This involves improving performance through our strategic supplier relationships that are supporting critical operations across our Armed Forces. This is to ensure a professionally handled portfolio of programmes and projects circa £3bn, helping to ensure UK prosperity. MPP Team consist of c.40 staff. Successful candidate will be responsible for approximately 6 staff. 

The successful candidates will be accountable for: 

• Providing wide ranging commercial support to stakeholders, customers and central teams e.g., Providing advice/guidance on routes to market, strategies and support to teams through the approval/governance processes and Contract Management activities.
• Managing complex Infrastructure delivery activities with key suppliers in the Contracts, CCS frameworks, or DEOP Strategic Alliance and Service Alliance contracts, underpinned by a Collaboration Hub.
• Managing a team to deliver the MPP / DEOP portfolios through sourcing activity via various routes to market. Ensuring your team innovate where possible, while adhering to DIO TLB processes and operating procedures, particularly those which are detailed in the individual’s commercial delegation, and ensuring that once awarded, the contracts are being managed effectively.

Person specification

Leadership and Management  

• Demonstrate a personal commitment to the DIO Commercial Charter.
• Promote strong working relationships both within the Programmes Commercial team, wider in the MPP/DEO teams and with other parts of the functions across DIO and MOD.
• Manage resources effectively to secure best value for money and best use of resource. 
• Support in the development of Business Cases and navigation of MOD and Cabinet Office approvals. 
• Optimise scarce commercial resource and seek to balance loading and minimise the impact of shortages in innovative ways. 

 

Delivery of a wide and varied portfolio of contracts: 

• Manage commercial activity within your Letter of Delegation.  
• Creative input to Procurement Strategies, develop commercial strategy and associated contracting strategy.
• Implement the preferred commercial option.  
• Compile and issue tenders. 
• Negotiate and place contracts.  
• Amend and manage contracts and contract changes.  
• Provide commercial advice and guidance as required. 
• Ensure all commercial activity represents best value for money.  
• Ensure compliance with regulations and policy, as well as best practice.  
• Exploit existing enabling arrangements where available.  
• Maximise use of procurement enablers and associated MIS to improve procurement. 
• Identify, report and manage on all associated risks and issues across the business. 

 

Stakeholder Engagement  

• Work closely with project and other acquisition team members to deliver Customer requirements.  
• Manage a range of stakeholder engagements within the MOD, Other Government Departments (OGDs) and Industry. 
• Engage stakeholders on planning, tendering, contracting and contract administration. 
• Work with MOD Commercial Progressive Assurance Team (PAT) to secure DIO Investment Approval Committee, DIO Investment Approval Board and Financial Military Capability (FinMil Cap) Board approvals for Major Projects approvals where appropriate. 

Relevant skills  

• Leadership of a small team of Commercial Managers and Commercial Officers.
• Must be able to deliver at pace within a complex stakeholder environment.  
• Ability to identify areas for improvement and drive change.  
• Good communications skills, the ability to influence stakeholders.  
• Knowledge of NEC forms of contract would be beneficial.  
• Must have MCIPS level 6 or be willing to work towards obtaining it within 1 year of taking up the position.

You will be considered for both roles upon an application unless you specifically state on your application if you have a preference to one role.

Benefits

As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK.

For existing Civil Servants:  For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack.  Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers. 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 26th April and will require a full day's attendance. 

If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team at commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates. 

Details of schemes available are attached in the advert.

For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the explanation provided in the attached candidate pack.

Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the essential criteria for the role which are detailed in the attached Candidate Pack.

Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview.

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.