About the job

Job summary

Commercial is an agile and dynamic team with a positive culture. We embrace change and drive continuous improvement. 

The Department has grown significantly in recent years, leading to greater demand and need for procurement and commercial support. The Commercial and Projects Directorate has embarked on a transformation journey and continue to improve our systems, processes and capabilities to meet the needs of the Department. 

The Commercial and Projects Directorate is made up of key pillars to provide cross-functional support to government programmes and policies: Assurance, Governance, Procurement, Policy, Supply Chains and Commercial Delivery support. This allows the team to successfully manage the commercial risk profile of the Department; deliver goods and services that demonstrate value for money; and implement government policy and initiatives to achieve social value. We collaborate and engage with our Arm Lengths Bodies to support our key sectors.

DCMS is looking to strengthen its commercial capability and has an opportunity for a Commercial Delivery Lead with demonstrable experience in procurement (in the Public Sector) and contract management to support and lead relevant activities.

This is an opportunity to be involved in several exciting initiatives to improve commercial capability together with our ALB’s and business areas.  The role is based within the Commercial Delivery Unit.

The successful candidate will lead on procurements for the DCMS business areas assigned. Examples of this may be on Events Frameworks and Ceremonial work.

Furthermore, the successful candidate may be asked to support on Contract Management, Memorandums of Understanding, licenses to occupy, input to business cases and to provide expert advice to seniors.

This post will work in a matrix organisation, with interaction across the Commercial Directorate, ALB’s and other DCMS business areas at all levels.

Job description

Responsibilities of the role will include:

• Lead on procurements on varying complexity, sometimes against tight timelines in line with Public Procurement Regulations. Interacting with the relevant business areas (or ALB’s) on progress and requirements.
• Be able to support on other procurement operations concurrently when required.
• Provide clear and concise commercial advice to seniors and external stakeholders, when required.
• Advise and undertake Contract Management activities.
• Lead on implementing and drafting Memorandums of Understanding, licenses and other agreements as required.
• Input to and follow the governance/assurance protocols for procurements.
• Support the Commercial Directorate as a key adviser in providing commercial assurance across the DCMS and its ALB and to the Commercial Director and represent DCMS Commercial internally and externally when called on.
• As a member of the Commercial Function, be involved in Commercial Team activities, including improvement activities.
• Plan and oversee the professional development and training of any staff that you have responsibility for in the core Commercial team.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:

Essential Requirements:

• Demonstrable public procurement experience (applying public procurement legislation) leading on multiple procurement strands that has helped deliver great value for money outcomes and great customer outcomes.
• Ability to engage and manage suppliers at all stages of a project lifecycle, forge relationships and understand market limitations.
• Substantial experience acting as a commercial specialist for non-specialists in project environments
• The ability to interact with multiple stakeholders (at differing levels), understand their requirements and policy/delivery landscape.
• Be able to operate with autonomy, working flexibly and innovatively with colleagues from across different work areas.

Desirable Skills:

• Demonstrable Contract Management experience.
• Have or working toward MCIPS/MRICS professional qualification or equivalent.
• Ability to challenge and hold stakeholders to account, create an environment that acts as a catalyst for continuous improvement.

 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,839, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £13,456 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, Strengths and Experience.

To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 9:00 AM Monday 8th January 2024 via the CS Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
• A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with: dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

The interview process will assess behaviours and strengths and potentially include a presentation.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. 

As part of your interview, you may be asked to deliver a short oral presentation. Full details of this, including the topic, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview. 

Your interview will take place remotely via GoogleMeets.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DCMS 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

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. 

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

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment, please:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on 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 a verbal test rather than a written one. 

Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only., Prior agreement to be released on loan must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

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 counter-terrorist 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.