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 commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

Defence Digital is made up of five categories, IT Hardware & Services, Military Technology, Software and Hosting, Networks and Professional Services, each individual category team varies in size but in total we are a 200-person strong team. 

Within these five categories sits Networks and it is here where the opportunity sits for Commercial Leads to come into the team into two distinct areas:

1. Fixed Networks (x2 roles) – which is the heart of the team with the core network and is where the delivery of Next Generation Communication Network is driven from which is itself at the heart of MOD’s digital backbone. This team focuses on the procurement of Network Services – ranging from WAN through to LAN/Wifi encryption and gateways.
2. Strategic Services (x1 role) – this team enables the delivery of beyond line of site strategic communication systems across the radio spectrum often at higher security classifications. It will be a requirement to secure DV for most new roles in this team.

A bit about the Networks Category

The team is responsible for managing c£7.6bn total contract value (c£580m spend pa).

Key contracts at Official include:

Global Connectivity and DFTS - core fixed networks contracts with WAN, LAN/WiFi and Gateways

Integrated User Services – telecoms contract with services from voice/video and mobile services

Key strategic suppliers include:

BT and Fujitsu 

Key programmes include:

Next Generation Communications Networks (NGCN) – which is intended to consolidate, modernise and then disaggregate the current contract arrangements MOD current has in place with the aim to save c£100m a year in run costs. The programme aims include the need to increase MOD’s network resilience.

Future Integrated User Services (F-IUS) – which is intended re-procurement telecoms into a number of market facing bundles ranging from Mobile Devices and Airtime, Mobile Device Management and Fixed Voice Services as well as services required at higher classification.

Strategic Services – where you will be involved in the cutting edge of delivering resilient network capability.

The role will involve all aspects of the procurement cycle and is ideally suited for a creative commercial thinker ideally.  Ideally candidates will come with experience in a commercial digital environment, but it is not essential.   

CIPS 

All successful candidates must be or willing to work towards CIPS Level 6 accredited/hold MCIPS within three months of taking up your post. 

Clearance

All roles require SC before commencement of posts and may be required to be DV cleared once in post.

Person specification

• Stakeholder engagement and management - Building influential internal relationships to ensure that commercial objectives are fully understood, articulated and embedded
• Commercial management - overseeing a sub-set of the Networks portfolio by leading the commercial approach, ensuring commercial processes are understood by stakeholders, executing commercial deliverables, taking responsibility for the success of the commercial aspects of the overall project. Commercial delegation of up to £20M
• Supplier relationships - To build effective relationships with current and future suppliers.  Enabling the market to better understand our requirements and ensuring that we build healthy, mutually beneficial relationships that deliver the right solutions at competitive prices
• Contract Management - The effective management of potentially large size, long term contracts ensuring that value is delivered over the term of the contract and that exit/recompete/extension actions are strategically planned and executed
• Collaboration - Close working with other category, finance and project leads, within MOD and Government Commercial Function teams, to develop a strategic approach to Defence technology spend
• Cost-saving initiatives - overseeing such initiatives across your portfolio to identify opportunities to increase the overall value delivered to Defence
• Risk analysis - proactively anticipating potential commercial risks, mitigating actions and providing expert commercial advice
• Leadership - taking the lead during contract negotiations including price and contract terms, understanding the appropriate levers available and able to develop a structured negotiation plan. Cognisant of contract law and able to apply in contractual discussions
• Line management – overseeing teams, acting as a positive and proactive role model, providing coaching and support for individuals and the team

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 22/01/2024 & 07/02/2024 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. 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.