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 Government Property Agency commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

In this role you will be responsible for delivering an excellent commercial service to the Chief Operating Officer’s Directorate and Finance Directorate. 

You will be passionate about building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders and colleagues across Commercial and the wider Agency 

You will collaborate and engage with programmes and colleagues across all levels, providing sound advice and influencing commercial outcomes and strategies.

Person specification

The successful candidate will:

• Motivate and manage a professional commercial team to deliver corporate outcomes and to ensure continuous improvement. Mentor and coach team members on policies, procedures, practices, and techniques equipping them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner.

• Refines specification for complex requirements by engaging stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view of business requirements and target outcomes. Challenges the sourcing strategy, where appropriate, to improve outcomes.

 

• Manages and forecasts demand across their area of responsibility. Reviews and challenges business cases to make sure they are fit for purpose. Achieves the return on investment and improves costs and delivery certainty by managing resources and maximising the use of assets.

 

• Considers key service and delivery objectives with stakeholders and implements appropriate contract and performance management regime within the terms and conditions. Develops and instigates approaches with stakeholders to support collaborative commercial relationships using appropriate frameworks and standards.

 

• Provides advice on market behaviour, shape and drivers to secure value. Considers key financial, legal and commercial issues in the development of the contracting model and implements these within the terms and conditions. Advises on relevant regulations and compliance issues demonstrating a strong knowledge.

 

• Maintains relationships with strategic and non-strategic stakeholders and communicates progress with the category strategy and benefits realisation. Applies the standards to eliminate corruption, fraud and unethical behaviour in supply chains, taking appropriate actions in the event of any alleged breach of standards.

• Represent the Commercial team at senior meetings across GPA, across wider Government department meetings including Crown Commercial Service, and externally at industry events to remain current with industry Best Practice and Public Procurement Policy. 

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 30th January 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. 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.