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 DESNZ commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

This role will involve the development and delivery of commercial compliance activities and it will provide a level of assurance on how well our contracts are being procured and managed against best practice standards. There will be a keen focus on the continual improvement of our commercial processes, alongside ensuring the relevant guidance is produced. There will also be a focus on ensuring all involved in commercial processes are recording information and data accurately, as well as sharing their best practice knowledge across the department. 

The Commercial Compliance Lead will lead the development, as well as the embedding and delivery of the department’s Commercial compliance service offering. This will include the delivery of Contract Management Health checks and associated compliance activity on all contracts above and below £10m, embedding and further development of the departments Commercial Risk and Financial Risk Management Framework. Lead development of our commercial and grants due diligence framework and supply chains, working across internal and external stakeholders, to ensure reputational and financial risks are mitigated.

The successful candidate will have primary responsibility for the development and delivery of compliance and assurance services for the department across the Commercial life cycle and they will work with senior leaders across the department. Proactive engagement with stakeholders will be required when developing and embedding a blended approach to ensure that sourcing activities are compliant (Public Contract Regulations, playbook and procurement policies, standards, and delegated authorities), and that contracts are adequately managed in line with commercial, financial, and reputational risk appetite.

Person specification

• Lead the development and delivery of the DESNZ, DSIT and ICS Commercial compliance service offering, including the delivery of Contract Management Health checks and associated compliance activity on all contracts above and below £10m.

• Lead the development of commercial and grants due diligence, working across teams including internal and external relationship, and embedding the due diligence framework.

• Lead the embedding and further development of commercial counter fraud, including the Fraud Risk Assessment (FRA) and associated action plans.

• Lead the development of supply chain mapping and assurance framework, working across teams including internal and external stakeholder relationships.

• Lead the Compliance Team in engagement with commercial leads in embedding best practice Compliance and Assurance processes across the Group and liaise with Government Commercial Organisation (GCO) and Cabinet Office (CO) to leverage and implement best practice and initiatives.

• Leading the development and delivery of DESNZ, DSIT and ICS commercial compliance, risk and financial risk framework, ensuring robust and value add review processes are in place.

• Support delivery of project-based activities to ensure continuous improvement and interface with the Commercial Excellence Team and Data & MI Teams to ensure capability, policy and governance requirements are addressed. 

• Play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong commercial function for DESNZ, DSIT and ICS and across government.

• Line Management of one SEO Governance 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 13th March and will require a full day's attendance. Please contact commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in advance if you are unable to attend this date.

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.