About the job

Job summary

If you want to be part of a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) commercial leadership team that is highly motivated to bring commercial excellence to the heart of decision making, then this role as Head of Commercial for the Matrix Programme could be the role for you.

The Matrix Programme has been set up to deliver a crucial part of the Government's Shared Services Strategy. The programme is led by DSIT, and the Matrix Portfolio includes DSIT and 8 other Government departments. The Programme is designing, developing, and procuring the new technologies and capabilities that are required to help modernise our 'back office' systems. It will deliver a high quality, and good value, system and support service to help streamline the transactions and activities that underpin the way departments are run.

You can find out more about the Government’s Shared Service Strategy here: 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/604755c0e90e0715427736b5/Shared-Services-Strategy-for-Government-March-2021.pdf .

Our Inclusive Environment

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.

Job description

The programme is split into three areas from a commercial perspective:

• ERP Technology – The programme is about to enter into final moderation as part of a Competitive Procedure with Negotiation (CPN) for a Systems Integrator and SaaS provider valued at £200m+ to be implemented across all departments with commercial oversight.
• Service Transformation – The programme is transforming support services and following a delivery model assessment, a decision has been taken to transform UKSBS to provide services across departments. It has been agreed that to deliver this procurement consultancy specialists are required.
• Client-side Services – In order to deliver alongside outsourced activity, the programme requires a number of commercial vehicles to enable delivery that cannot be achieved through internal teams. Commercial is responsible for end-to-end delivery of these contracts.

As Head of Commercial, you will lead the execution of the commercial strategy, using your expertise to navigate through varied, complex and interesting procurement challenges. As the technology procurement reaches conclusion, the programme is entering a pivotal stage as we enter the award and mobilisation phases.

As the programme continues to grow and execute a range of deliverables, we need you to lead the execution of the commercial, and particularly the Contract Management, strategy. You will use your commercial expertise to support our team to navigate our way through the complex commercial issues that have arisen in the Programme.

Locations
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.

Person specification

• Oversee the governance and contract finalisation for Systems Integrator and SaaS technology procurement ahead of mobilisation.
• Oversee the finalisation and mobilisation of the Transformation Partner procurement and transition to Contract Management.
• Continue to develop client-side delivery strategy and oversee procurement activity
• Oversee and manage a diverse commercial team including civil servants and managed services who are responsible for running end-to-end procurements.
• Continue to develop the commercial strategy for the Contract Management phase of the Technology and Transformation contracts.
• Oversee the transition to the Contract Management phase of delivery 
• Deliver monthly Commercial Director sessions to 5 department Commercial Directors to ensure alignment across cluster.
• Attend and provide commercial updates/steers at key programme meetings such as SLT, Programme Board & Steering Group

Skills and Experience:

Needed:

• In depth experience of commercial delivery in a public sector context.
• Ability to manage a diverse commercial team in an agile environment
• Understanding of the procurement of digital, IT/technical related goods and services.
• Knowledge and experience of contract management for large complex contracts
• Ability to evaluate costs by comparison with industry standards, benchmarking and understand cost modelling concepts.
• Ability to identify options and to achieve agreements with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with negotiating and managing complex contracts.
• Experience of transitioning and mobilising major supplier contracts
• Line management experience

Desirable:

• MCIPS qualification

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 24th July 2024 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 at 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.

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.