About the job

Job summary

Complex Transactions (CTT) is a diverse team of commercial experts who - prior to joining us - have gained experience across a range of sectors, industries and procurement categories. Working in a pan-Government consulting role our objective is to support and enable Departments to deliver their most challenging and demanding objectives. All of our work is high profile, high value or integral to Government policy. In many cases it is all three. This recruitment campaign aims to increase the commercial specialist capacity in the team.

Our assignments take us to the heart of Government and we are at the forefront in addressing the commercial challenges that make this country operate. From renegotiating contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions to supporting  transformational technology projects for HMRC- our work ensures the delivery of services that impact the everyday lives of citizens across the UK. CTT is in the unique position of consistently shaping and influencing some of the biggest deals that  exist in either the public or private sector.  

Our role as internal consultants across Government enables us to influence the full spectrum of the commercial agenda. From levelling-up, procurement reform, Net Zero, social value, and digital transformation we have an opportunity to influence and apply these initiatives across central, local government and the private sector supply chains.  We also assess challenges from multiple perspectives, including fiscal, financial, economic, risk, deliverability and many others besides. 

The team structure is not typical of the civil service and is a reverse pyramid of senior commercial specialist expertise. The team has c.45 members. You don’t need to have a background in public sector procurement to join us - we’re more interested in your commercial acumen, leadership, flexibility and desire to make a difference.

Job description

• Being a trusted advisor to commercial, policy, operational and programme leaders to help in the delivery of complex commercial programmes. Providing expert advice and support to some of the most high profile and complex commercial programmes and initiatives in Government
• Supporting departments to structure sourcing and commercial strategies to deliver  value for money on departmental programmes and projects
• Shaping and leading commercial negotiations with both new and incumbent suppliers through to great outcomes; providing strategic advice and support to complex contracts during the  procurement phase, contract exit and contract reviews
• Resolving high-value commercial disputes between government departments and strategic suppliers
• Identifying how Government can address best practice commercial approaches to ensure transparency, pricing and exit  arrangements, in more complex contracts
• Playing an active role in contributing to the expertise within the CTT.  Collaborating with peers to develop and share best practice

Person specification

• Be amongst the most senior members of the Government Commercial Function and play a role in the broader commercial reform programme led by the Government Chief Commercial Officer
• Play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong commercial function for the Cabinet Office and across Government

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 21st June and will require a full day's attendance.

If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team on commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.

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. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace.

Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance.

This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities.

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.