About the job

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has one of the largest and most complex spend profiles in central government. 

The MoJ spends £3.5bn a year and manages over 1000 active contracts, all of which are sourced and managed by CCMD. 

We are running some of the most ground-breaking programmes such as Prison Reform and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service Reform. 

The scope of our contracts ranges from building, maintenance and the operation of Prisons, Courts and Young Offender establishments through to food for prison dogs. 

The directorate also buys and manages contracts for feeding up to 80,000 prisoners, the secure escorting of prisoners from numerous establishments based around the country and translation services.

These roles will suit strong commercial leaders who can combine their expertise and provide operational delivery experience with excellent stakeholder and communication skills. 

We look forward to seeing your application. 

Job description

These posts being advertised are within the Directorate’s Custodial Services team. 

The team are responsible for leading and providing commercial support across the MOJ’s high profile outsourced operational services namely; Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS); Privately Managed Prisons (PMP); and Victim Services (Grants). Working alongside three existing Associate Commercial Specialists (G6s) within the portfolio, one postholders primary responsibility will be to lead on Privately Managed Prisons (PMP) Operator Competitions, the other postholders primary responsibility will be to lead on Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) and Victim Services (Grants).   

These roles will be leading and supporting the teams contract management and sourcing pipeline, which cuts across the whole procurement lifecycle including exit.  

Delivery of strategic value to drive our category forward is critical to our success in a dynamic and challenging operational environment.  

We are seeking individuals who have a desire to take ownership, bring new ideas and act passionately as part of an experienced team, to drive value for money decisions. Your professional expertise and judgement will be relied upon to make and support crucial decisions.

Candidates will be considered for both roles unless a preference is stated on your application.

Person specification

• Commercial Leadership - The post holder will be responsible for managing complex commercial projects and/or contracts, supporting the department in identifying and implementing strategies that deliver the most suitable outcomes

• Working with senior stakeholders - the post holder will be responsible for managing multiple senior stakeholders, providing appropriate advice and guidance at all levels and demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills

• Leading negotiations – the post holder will lead on complex negotiations with our outsourced providers

• Leading a Team – the post holder will be responsible for leading a team through our projects and will need to focus on staff development 

• Showing Creativity – post holder will need to be innovative and creative in developing solutions that support the category area

• Displaying Technical skills – as the Associate Commercial Specialist the post holder will need to be able to demonstrate the appropriate technical skills, be able to communicate commercial considerations to non-technical colleagues simply and clearly 

• Business Case/Board Paper drafting - the post holder will be responsible for ensuring any Business Cases/Board papers are drafted professionally ensuring that all commercial aspects have been considered and support the overall recommendations. There is a need for the Associate Commercial Specialist to balance simplicity and clarity in decision making papers – while ensuring all relevant areas are fully covered 

• Being an expert in public sector procurement - the post holder will be providing expert advice on all aspects of the commercial lifecycle and should be able to draw on previous experience of procuring and exiting major contracts 

In addition: 

• as an Associate Commercial Specialist the post holder’s will need to be able to demonstrate the appropriate technical skills, be able to communicate commercial considerations to non-technical colleagues simply and clearly.  

• Business Case/Board Paper drafting - the post holder’s will be responsible for ensuring any Business Cases/Board papers are drafted professionally ensuring that all commercial aspects have been considered and support the overall recommendations. There is a need for the Associate Commercial Specialists to balance simplicity and clarity in decision making papers – while ensuring all relevant areas are fully covered.  

You will operate as part of the wider Custodial Services senior leadership team, additionally representing the team at appropriate senior forums and deputising for your Deputy Director where required.

These jobs will suit a strong commercial leader who can combine their expertise and provide operational delivery experience with excellent stakeholder and communication skills. 

It is a requirement to have MCIPS or be willing to study towards gaining this qualification.

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 5th June 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. 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.