About the job

Job summary

Do you want to take your public sector procurement and contract management skills to the next level?

Do you want more scope in your role, more ownership, accountability and visibility?

 Do you enjoy being at the heart of a Commercial function?

If the answer is yes, we want to hear from you!

About the agency

As an executive agency of the Department for Business and Trade, the Insolvency Service helps to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors. We maintain the standards that help make Britain one of the best places in the world to do business. More information can be found here.

About the Directorate 

The Finance, Commercial, Sustainability & Property Directorate is responsible for managing both the Insolvency Service’s finances and for all commercial related activities.  We are a close-knit directorate, committed to supporting the agency’s operational business and objectives as well as its estates, sustainability and health & safety remit.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group. 

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.  

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career. 

Job description

The Commercial Team provide procurement, contract and supply chain management for the Agency. We are a small team of dedicated and highly competent commercial professionals, performing at an exceptionally high level and dispersed nationally across the Insolvency estate. The team works on a flexible working basis, with a mix of remote and office-based working. The Commercial Team is embedded within the Government Commercial Function applying the Government Commercial Operating Standards, working in accordance with the People Standards for the Commercial profession and undertaking the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework. The Senior Commercial Leadership are members of the Government Commercial Organisation.

The Commercial team at INSS is currently expanding to meet the exciting challenges across the Sourcing Pipeline, Contract Management landscape, Transforming Public Procurement and to drive best practice against the Commercial Function Standards. As a result, we’re currently recruiting against a number of C2 Commercial roles. Any candidate who passes the interview but is unsuccessful in being offered this role, may be considered via the Reserve List for one of the other Commercial roles currently being recruited into.

We operate a Category Management approach within our Commercial Team, consisting of 4 Category Teams; Digital & Data category, Technology & Change category, Corporate Services & Operations category and Commercial Governance & Policy category. As such we are responsible for a whole lifecycle approach to commercial activities. This may include leading a requirement from inception, through the Commercial sourcing cycle, mobilisation and contract management, through to Exit and Transition.

Within the Commercial Team at the Insolvency Service, we believe there are huge benefits to working within a small team. We are able to give our Procurement and Contracts Managers (Commercial Business Partners) access to complex and strategic work which enables them to demonstrate their abilities and take on extra responsibility more than other roles.  This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that our leavers nearly always leave on promotion!

If you’re interested in applying for this role, we’ll be running a meet and greet session so you can get to know more about the role, the Team, the Insolvency Service and to ask any questions you have. We’re keen to meet you and share as much as possible about this fantastic opportunity. We’re planning on hosting this session on Thursday 4th April 2024 via Microsoft Teams at 11am. If you’d like to attend this session, please let us know by emailing Commercial@insolvency.gov.uk and we’ll invite you along. We look forward to meeting you.

Roles and Responsibilities

This role sits within our Commercial Governance & Policy category, the team which is responsible for fostering a high performing best in class Commercial Function for the Insolvency Service through the implementation of Commercial Policies & Processes, continuous improvement and learning & development.

Reporting to the D2 (Grade 7) Head of Category, you will be responsible for leading on a portfolio of commercial activity within Commercial Governance & Policy category in the Insolvency Service’s commercial team.  You will specifically be responsible for the Commercial management and delivery of the Commercial commissioning process (our ‘Front Door’) & Commercial Governance Policy/Process. You will also be the key support to the D2 Head of Category for the development and implementation of a new robust but proportional Commercial Governance Policy and Procedure.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work across the organisation and support the underpinning Commercial Strategy, Policy and Processes utilised to deliver best practice and value for money for the Agency. You will influence how the Agency delivers its Commercial activity at a fundamental level, engaging directly with senior leaders across the Agency for existing and future commercial activity (pipeline). You will play a vital role in driving and delivering the exciting changes required to successfully implement Transforming Public Procurement.

In this role, you’ll be responsible for the following key areas;

• Management of the Commercial Front Door, including triaging requests for commercial support, relevant stakeholder engagement, upskilling and management for all new and existing requests.
• Delivery of relevant reporting related to the Commercial Front Door including Monthly Pipeline Reporting, regular engagement with Commercial Category Teams to ensure Front Door data is accurate and creation of FD Pipeline items for existing Contracts.
• Supporting Commercial Capacity planning utilising Front Door data to support Commercial leadership in managing demand placed on the Commercial Function
• Production of Gold Contract/project reporting on a bi-monthly basis for submission to ExCom highlighting risks/issues with these strategic contracts/procurements to the Agency
• Support D2 with Annual Demand Planning by leading planning and forecasting sessions with Directors and producing required Pipelines for reporting into ExCom and across Commercial.
• Development and implementation of the new Commercial Governance Policy, including a new Governance Board within INSS Commercial for contracts/extensions/variations over £2m or novel &/contentious activity.
• Ownership and management of the new Commercial Governance Board.
• Linked to this management of the Commercial Assurance process for ensuring steps and processes are being followed across all of the Commercial Function aligned to CCIAF activities.
• Ownership of Social Value Policy, including support and training across the Agency and regular engagement with Sustainability team in the wider FCSP directorate
• Support ownership of Commercial Hub and Commercial Intranet and Internet pages.
• Support Category Lead with the implementation of Transforming Public Procurement.
• Support the delivery of the Commercial Strategy and Annual Plan, including delivery of all GIAA Audit actions, including implementation of CCIAF Development Plan actions.
• Risk and Opportunity Management – Lead, develop and maintain commercial risk / opportunities log across the Commercial Function, establishing and delivering appropriate risk mitigation.
• Communicating new / changed requirements to the wider Category team and share best practice.
• Line management and performance management of a direct report, a B2 Commercial Apprentice, ensuring their continued development, objective setting and performance reviews.
• Support D2 Category Lead with planning and delivery of skills audits across Commercial and developing a Capability Programme.
• Act as In-Tend (e-sourcing) Super User for the Commercial Function, supporting development and L&D around alongside Policy & Systems CBP within Category.
• Developing and sustaining relationships with internal agency and external stakeholders including DBT, Cabinet Office, GDS, GCO and CCS as well as suppliers.
• Applying robust governance and assurance to meet compliance requirements across the Agency, DBT, Cabinet Office, GDS and HMT and ensuring adherence to Government Commercial Functional Standards (“CCIAF”).
• Although not part of the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, where required to support wider Commercial Function, you will Act as the Procurement and Contracts Manager (Commercial Business Partner) for impacting and actioning contractual / service changes that affect the Insolvency Service in your area of responsibility.
• Support the Head of Category in handling supplier issues, formal challenges / disputes, providing options and making recommendations.

Person specification

To be successful in this role, you should be:

• A confident and experienced commercial professional with proven end-to-end category management experience. Ideally, you would have experience of Commercial Governance, Functional Standards and CCIAF including how a Commercial Governance Board operates.
• You should have experience of and be familiar with sourcing within a Public Sector environment, i.e. use of Cross-Government Frameworks, Above Threshold Tenders etc.
• Well-developed relationship/stakeholder management skills - a strong communicator, able to challenge stakeholders and influence decisions up to Director level.
• A conscientious Procurement professional, astute and aware of the wider context of their work, particularly around risks and opportunities.
• Someone who is willing to share experiences and knowledge with colleagues, to the benefit of the wider commercial team and the agency as a whole.
• Happy working collaboratively within a team, able to re-prioritise work and support colleagues when required to, sometimes at the expense of your own planned work.
• Flexible – able to successfully deal with uncertainty and change and adapt accordingly.
• A self-starter, able to take ownership of matters.
• Proficient with absorbing and manipulating data from a variety of sources (Excel, e-Sourcing, Pipelines, Risk Logs etc.) to deliver meaningful reports, analysis and recommendations to senior leaders. Confident working with standard Microsoft tools (word/excel/power-bi) is vital.

Essential criteria

You should:

• Be a self-starter who drives innovation with the ability to deliver at pace whilst considering multiple solutions to achieve the desired outcome in collaboration with stakeholders. Being able to influence and educate stakeholders and peers around Commercial Best Practice.
• Demonstrate hands-on experience of leading Commercial activity in a Business Partner role where you have managed relationships with stakeholders. Experience of utilising a variety of sources of data to deliver meaningful analysis and recommendations.
• Be able to demonstrate your skills in identifying, influencing and applying best route to market and contracting options, including Frameworks (CCS, ESPO, YPO, G-Cloud, DOS etc), FTS, Dynamic Purchasing Systems etc. You must also be able to exercise good judgement in selecting appropriate sourcing strategies, and consideration of cost optimisation.
• Be CIPS qualified, working towards accreditation or willing to do so. IACCM or specialist degree may be considered as an alternative.
• Have achieved the Government Commercial College Contract Management Capability Programme (CMCP) Practitioner accreditation, be working towards this or willing to do so.  At a later date, the Insolvency Service may elect to accredit all Procurement and Contracts Managers (Commercial Business Partners) to “Expert” level so a willingness to work towards this would be desirable.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,880, Insolvency Service contributes £11,307 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a 1000-word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

Your personal statement should be no more than 1000 words and should explain how your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.  

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview. 

We will test your experience as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours and technical skills. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

Expected Timeline (subject to change) 

Sift – W/C 15 April 2024

Interview – W/C 29 April 2024 

Location – MS Teams 

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. 

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.