About the job

Job summary

About the role:

We are looking for someone who cares about making a difference, is driven, enthusiastic and conscientious. In return you will have a unique opportunity to work with the most senior leaders across Government and influence strategic decision-making at the heart of the Commercial Function. 

You will be adept at forging partnerships where you will use your skills to build a network of senior leaders from across the public sector, working together to identify, prioritise and deliver highly strategic projects in service of our vision: ‘To be the best commercial function in the UK’. 

Job description

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the G6 Strategy and Governance Manager, you will play a vital role in supporting the design and delivery of the Functional priorities and strategy, tracking progress against the annual plan and providing advice to senior officials on implementation and any remedial interventions. 

This role works very closely with the Chief Commercial Officer’s private office, Functional directors, Departments senior leadership teams and with SRO’s, bringing them together to support enterprise and departmental leadership activities.

The post holder will be responsible for;

Leading the maintenance and delivery of the GCF Strategy for 2021-2025:

Working with the Government Grants Function to create a single view of both functions priorities.

• Support colleagues around the Function to deliver all commitments in the Strategy through Annual Plans.
• Day to day monitoring of progress against each commitment, flagging risks and supporting programme teams to resolve issues.
• Act as a critical friend for well-established programmes, offering advice and support to deliver their objectives.
• Where appropriate, lead the delivery of annual plan projects.

Maintain ownership of the Strategy and improved Governance at the most senior level of the Function:

• Improving data quality and trust through embedded improved governance and automation of data capture.
• Build support and accountability for the Strategy amongst our SCS 1 and SCS 2 community.
• Overseeing the coordination of the Commercial Functional Leadership Group ensuring they are aware and supportive of work to deliver the Strategy, and that all ongoing work aligns with their priorities.
• Coordinate and support the next revision of the Functional Strategy.

Day to day management of Data and Reporting

• Working closely with the CGC data and insights team - analyse, interpret, and present data both visually and verbally in a compelling way for senior audience - using your own analytical skills to challenge and shape reporting data provided.
• Ensure functional performance data is made available as required and used appropriately to provide insights on performance, promote continuous improvement, and hold leaders to account, working closely with the Chief of Staff and Private Office. 
• Ensure key reports and products (e.g. organisational scorecards) reflect the GCF’s Strategy and priorities.
• Report on the data to relevant parties as required.

Support the Head of Strategy and Governance and the GCCO’s Private Office to encourage collaboration at the heart of the Function, reducing duplication and improving user experience across our suite of products and services. 

Person specification

• Experience of implementing strategies or change programmes in a multi-organisation environment or matrix organisation.
• A track record of managing governance and reporting within a complex environment.
• Strong all-round project management skills, including planning, risk management, governance and reporting. 
• Personal credibility to operate at a senior level with deep experience engaging large groups of senior stakeholders to build support and accountability for the delivery of the strategy and specific projects. Able to build consensus around strategic priorities, balancing both internal and external factors when choosing initiatives to focus on. 
• Proven track record of managing delivery plans over short, medium and long term horizons; and able to ensure short term delivery directly supports the achievement of long-term goals. 
• Demonstrable ability to build rapport with stakeholders at all levels, fostering positive and productive working relationships - shifting the focus from transactional exchanges to interactions which add genuine value to the people you are working with and the organisation overall. 
• The ability to work at pace in a complex multi stakeholder environment, problem solving and experience of data preparation, visualisation and data dashboards to identify key insights, themes and trends and briefing senior stakeholders on actions they should take as a result of those insights. 
• Able to continuously improve and iterate implementation approaches based on stakeholder feedback and outcomes achieved. 
• Understanding of how a strong commercial function supports good outcomes for public sector organisations, and enthusiasm to realise our potential for functional impact. 
• Awareness of the Government Commercial Function’s vision, strategy and priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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 and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 250 word personal statement and 250 word behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 250 words) to describe how you are suitable for the role

Candidates will be sifted on behavioural statement, CV, and personal statement. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

The format of the interview will be on the behaviours listed on the advert. There may be a presentation as part of the interview process.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – W/c 29th January 2024.
Expected interview date/s – W/c 5th or 12th February 2024
Interview location - Interview will be via Google Meet video conferencing.

Reasonable adjustments:

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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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. 

Further information:

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

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

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. 

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

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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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.

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

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.

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.