About the job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. We are a team of about 300 people across a whole range of DDaT specialisms, working in agile, multi-disciplinary teams. 

We build and operate innovative tools and services such as great.gov.uk that provide world leading support to businesses in the UK and overseas. Our public-facing services are visited millions of times each year and the tools we develop for our staff, across the globe, are an essential part of their daily working lives. 

We believe in creativity, curiosity, diversity of thought, entrepreneurship, delivery focus and collaboration. We embody the DBT values to be Excellent, Connected, Confident, Collaborative These values help us become a high performing team that continuously delivers high quality outputs. 

Job description

This role is responsible for managing the Digital, Data and Technology directorate’s varied portfolio and pipeline of contracts, including direct ownership for a number of these contracts.  You will work closely with DBT’s Commercial function and other cross functional teams including Finance and the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), to ensure that the pipeline plan is implemented. You will also be responsible for working with DBT Commercial colleagues to implement an ongoing skills and capability programme for DDaT contract managers based on Government Commercial Function best practice. 

The role is within DDaT’s Business Operations Team.  This is a cross-cutting function that supports DDaT teams, enabling them to effectively deliver on crucial public facing projects. The Business Operations team is integral to project delivery and supports delivery teams in several ways including commercial, governance, finance, recruitment, capability and project delivery best practice. 

Measures of success:

• Commercial spend is aligned to business plan and budget
• DDaT managers have the information, knowledge, and capability to effectively manage commercial processes and relationships to deliver DDaT Services  
• Procurement processes are proactive and secure best value. 
• Commercial and contract management processes in DDaT comply with DBT commercial policies. 
• Cabinet Office reporting is accurate and comprehensive. 

Main responsibilities 

You will:

• Support the DDaT Commercial lead to manage DDaT’s commercial planning & management process, providing delivery teams with an effective commercial planning service with expert advice and guidance.
• Help manage the DDaT commercial pipeline effectively to ensure that all procurements are started with sufficient lead times, that they are prioritised in line with DDaT objectives and align to financial forecasts.
• Provide end-to-end contract advice and support to delivery teams and stakeholders e.g Statements of Work (SOWs) and contract changes
• Ensure implementation of the Contract Management Capability Programme (CMCP) for contract managers, supporting DDaT managers to develop capability.
• Lead on high value call off contracts for digital specialists and support the effective management of cross-cutting contracts to ensure the required outcomes are delivered
• Assist the DDaT Finance lead with financial reporting and identifying opportunities to reduce costs
• Participate in contract management communities in DBT and Government Commercial Function (GCF) to ensure that DDaT processes and capabilities are aligned to the professional standards and the GCF Best Practice Guide.
• Work with the DDaT spend control lead to ensure that all procurements are compliant with Digital, Data and Technology Spend controls
• Support wider commercial reporting processes e.g. supplier compliance with sustainability legislation

Person specification

It is essential that you have:   

• Substantial experience managing in a goods and services procurement/contract management environment, preferably involving digital, data or technology products or services  
• Significant experience in establishing and maintaining excellent working relationships with key customers and stakeholders
• Evidence of demonstrating self-motivation, with the ability to manage and prioritise personal workload
• Evidence of the ability to make effective decisions
• Evidence of developing your own and others’ capability

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two page CV and complete a 750 word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer. 

Sift will be from week commencing: Monday 22nd July 

Interviews will be from week commencing: Monday 5th August 

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change. 

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at your personal statement only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview. 

How we interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for. 

This role requires SC clearance. DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• security services record
• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. 

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website.

Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!  

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.