Commercial Practitioner
Crown Commercial Service
About the job
Job summary
Reserve Lists
Where a competition identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a reserve list will be created for other similar roles in CCS. This will be used for up to 6 months to fill the same or similar role only without further testing of merit.
Do you want to progress your career in the UK’s largest public sector procurement organisation? If so, you will have the chance to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector.
Job Summary
Reporting to a Commercial Category Lead, the Commercial Practitioner is a key part of the Category team and has responsibility for ensuring the effective day to day management of Commercial Agreements (frameworks). This demands a significant level of customer and supplier relationship management, which are integral parts of the role.
Commercial Directorate Overview
Commercial is the largest directorate in CCS and is responsible for the design, development, implementation and management of our commercial agreements, which are used by our customers across the public sector. We have helped our customers:
spend more than £34 billion through the agreements we create
enjoy more than £3.5 billion in commercial benefits annually through our agreements
Category management sits at the heart of CCS. We use our deep knowledge and expertise of public sector suppliers, to create market and category strategies. These strategies are used within CCS to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector. Our skills are also used in carrying out commercial policy, development of new products and services and supplier relationship management.
Job description
Team Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join one of our fifteen teams across our three categories, all of which manages over £34bn of Public Sector spending. We are a supportive team of highly-experienced procurement and category management professionals.
Our Categories:
Corporate Solutions - Helping the Public Sector with everything from management consultancy and legal advice, to temporary and permanent recruitment, apprenticeship training, learning and development, interpreting and translation services, contact centre solutions and more
Estates - Our wide range of commercial agreements can help the public sector to buy everything they need to build a better, greener and more sustainable future. Our industry experts manage all estates related needs cost effectively, efficiently and compliantly, while meeting government policies and targets: from social value to carbon net zero.
Technology - We help public sector customers buy and make the best use of technology in their organisations. We work closely with customers and suppliers to make sure we keep up with market developments, customer needs and enable digital transformation.
We support government projects and programmes of national UK significance - helping the public sector to build back better.
Our Commercial Team is transforming to become even more flexible. Candidates should be aware that there will be opportunities to flex into other category areas as required, either to meet business needs and/or for staff development.
Key Responsibilities:
Direct on the end to end Category management of our Commercial Agreements
Lead on supplier relationship management, including the collection of supplier and customer management information, financial reporting, updating and assessing multiple data sources to identify trends and spending behaviours.
Work in collaboration with suppliers to identify and drive on customer focused initiatives, networks and forums that will drive better buying behaviours and value across the public sector
Proactively counsel on customer relationship management activities that build strong relationships with key customers, including the management of customer partnerships where applicable, to comprehend their business needs and intent to define how and where the CCS portfolio may support their business
Act as a source of apt knowledge and advice for our customers in the relevant category, influencing their buying behaviours and aiding their call-off activities and commercial strategies where required
Assisting the Category Lead in updating and developing the category strategy and heading on the presentation of this to key stakeholders as necessary.
Counsel and/or assist the Implementation of initiatives, engagement and communication plans to retain and attract customers across one of the fifteen commercial categories in collaboration with other parts of the organisation.
Helping with the development of other team members, ensuring resilience in the team either directly or through a matrix managed style approach.
Identifying and providing recommendations for improvement of processes and implementing solutions to the benefit of CCS and the customer.
Maintaining and evaluating data from a variety of digital systems, for which full training will be provided, to identify opportunities and initiatives that could deliver value.
Communicating effectively to personnel of differing levels of seniority, using a variety of styles and methods that match the audience.
Work across the category in a collaborative manner and on occasions direct and/or represent the commercial team on agreed corporate initiatives.
Aiding, and at times heading, on the development of the commercial strategy and procurement of future commercial agreements
Some travel will be required to customer and supplier premises and other CCS offices across the United Kingdom.
Person specification
Job Title: Commercial Practitioner
Band: 4
Salary: £43,575 - £48,438
Location: Liverpool, Birmingham, Norwich or Newport
Term: Permanent
Number of Positions: 8
Hours: Full time/Compressed Hours/Part Time
Closing Date: 03/06/24
Reserve Lists
Where a competition identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a reserve list will be created for other similar roles in CCS. This will be used for up to 6 months to fill the same or similar role only without further testing of merit.
Do you want to progress your career in the UK’s largest public sector procurement organisation? If so, you will have the chance to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector.
Job Summary
Reporting to a Commercial Category Lead, the Commercial Practitioner is a key part of the Category team and has responsibility for ensuring the effective day to day management of Commercial Agreements (frameworks). This demands a significant level of customer and supplier relationship management, which are integral parts of the role.
Commercial Directorate Overview
Commercial is the largest directorate in CCS and is responsible for the design, development, implementation and management of our commercial agreements, which are used by our customers across the public sector. We have helped our customers:
spend more than £34 billion through the agreements we create
enjoy more than £3.5 billion in commercial benefits annually through our agreements
Category management sits at the heart of CCS. We use our deep knowledge and expertise of public sector suppliers, to create market and category strategies. These strategies are used within CCS to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector. Our skills are also used in carrying out commercial policy, development of new products and services and supplier relationship management.
Team Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join one of our fifteen teams across our three categories, all of which manages over £34bn of Public Sector spending. We are a supportive team of highly-experienced procurement and category management professionals.
Our Categories:
Corporate Solutions - Helping the Public Sector with everything from management consultancy and legal advice, to temporary and permanent recruitment, apprenticeship training, learning and development, interpreting and translation services, contact centre solutions and more
Estates - Our wide range of commercial agreements can help the public sector to buy everything they need to build a better, greener and more sustainable future. Our industry experts manage all estates related needs cost effectively, efficiently and compliantly, while meeting government policies and targets: from social value to carbon net zero.
Technology - We help public sector customers buy and make the best use of technology in their organisations. We work closely with customers and suppliers to make sure we keep up with market developments, customer needs and enable digital transformation.
We support government projects and programmes of national UK significance - helping the public sector to build back better.
Our Commercial Team is transforming to become even more flexible. Candidates should be aware that there will be opportunities to flex into other category areas as required, either to meet business needs and/or for staff development.
Key Responsibilities:
Direct on the end to end Category management of our Commercial Agreements
Lead on supplier relationship management, including the collection of supplier and customer management information, financial reporting, updating and assessing multiple data sources to identify trends and spending behaviours.
Work in collaboration with suppliers to identify and drive on customer focused initiatives, networks and forums that will drive better buying behaviours and value across the public sector
Proactively counsel on customer relationship management activities that build strong relationships with key customers, including the management of customer partnerships where applicable, to comprehend their business needs and intent to define how and where the CCS portfolio may support their business
Act as a source of apt knowledge and advice for our customers in the relevant category, influencing their buying behaviours and aiding their call-off activities and commercial strategies where required
Assisting the Category Lead in updating and developing the category strategy and heading on the presentation of this to key stakeholders as necessary.
Counsel and/or assist the Implementation of initiatives, engagement and communication plans to retain and attract customers across one of the fifteen commercial categories in collaboration with other parts of the organisation.
Helping with the development of other team members, ensuring resilience in the team either directly or through a matrix managed style approach.
Identifying and providing recommendations for improvement of processes and implementing solutions to the benefit of CCS and the customer.
Maintaining and evaluating data from a variety of digital systems, for which full training will be provided, to identify opportunities and initiatives that could deliver value.
Communicating effectively to personnel of differing levels of seniority, using a variety of styles and methods that match the audience.
Work across the category in a collaborative manner and on occasions direct and/or represent the commercial team on agreed corporate initiatives.
Aiding, and at times heading, on the development of the commercial strategy and procurement of future commercial agreements
Some travel will be required to customer and supplier premises and other CCS offices across the United Kingdom.
Essential Criteria (To be assessed at application stage):
Demonstrate strong commercial acumen with the ability to assess data and make informed commercial decisions in an often complex commercial environment
Possess the knowledge to problem solve and look for opportunities to find new ways of overcoming difficulties, leading on efficiencies that ensures the category/organisation operates with maximum effectiveness
Experience of category/commercial agreement management, with a track record of directing performance, developing and maintaining robust category strategies/plans and delivering excellent customer satisfaction / value for money.
Proven experience heading on supplier and customer activities across the category, working proactively and collaboratively to motivate, influence and persuade internal and external stakeholders of varying seniority, offering advice, encouragement and driving value for money whilst developing customer commercial capabilities.
Aptitude to work under pressure and at pace in a complex, political and commercial environment, handling multiple contending priorities and delivering quality outputs to testing targets
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £43,575, Crown Commercial Service contributes £11,808 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.Selection Process
Candidates who are successful at sift will be contacted as soon as possible following the closing date and advised of the interview process in more detail. The sift will commence WC 3rd June and interviews will be held WC 17th June either at one of our offices or via video with interview times and dates to be confirmed. (Subject to change)
To find out more about our recruitment process please click here
Please note: Applicants can make use of artificial intelligence but the information presented at application must be factual.
A reserve list may be held for up to 6 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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
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.