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 DLUHC commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to work within a dynamic, customer-focused team leading commercial engagement across a: 

• Wide range of stakeholders, including programme and portfolio team members, Ministers, policy officials, suppliers, and internal teams. 
• Variety of projects including high-profile, complex, strategic data initiatives. 
• Range of commercial MI and cost benchmarking processes and datasets.

We have a Head of Commercial MI and Cost Benchmarking role on offer, working to support the Safer and Greener Buildings (SGB) Portfolio and associated delivery programmes. We are seeking an experienced commercial professional (ideally with a QS background) to make a significant contribution to the Commercial Function’s role in advising and supporting the work the Department is doing within SGB. This work has three main aspects:

• Remediation: Identify high rise residential buildings that have unsafe constructional aspects and monitor and support their remediation.
• Building Regulatory Review: Implement the changes identified in Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations that are needed to make the building safety system fit for purpose.
• Net Zero: Implement building standards and corresponding measures supporting delivery of the Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.

A flavour of the type, scale and stretch of the work that our SGB Commercial Team supports is included here;  

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1066636/April_2022_BSF_Registrations__prospectus.pdf

You’ll play an important role in embedding, implementing and continuously improving the quality of management information and cost benchmarking data available across the Remediation portfolio and associated programmes (Building Safety Fund, Cladding Safety Scheme, Developer Responsible Actors Scheme and Social Sector). You would work to produce commercial insights, construction cost benchmarks and tools to support senior leader decision-making and drive value for money across the portfolio. This will help to develop ways of working and shape the future of the Commercial function in DLUHC by applying the cost management and “should cost” methodologies in the Construction Playbook. 

Within your area you’ll have a broad commercial MI and construction cost benchmarking remit, as well as the freedom to engage with and influence a community of likeminded commercial analysts and cost managers in the delivery of strategically important commercial activities across this innovative Department. Through your team you would therefore support the SGB portfolio and programme teams in making critical data informed decisions. 

Important information: If you are the successful candidate and you choose London as your office location you will need to undergo and obtain CTC level of clearance.

Person specification

• Lead your own team providing oversight of all Portfolio commercial MI and associated analytics, performance metrics and construction cost benchmarks which feed into the wider portfolio data ecosystem
• Lead a commercial MI and cost benchmarking function to:

• Manage a small team of commercial MI and cost benchmarking analysts leading to high performance
• Collaborate with the Analysis and Data Directorate to challenge and improve the accuracy of our forecast modelling using unit cost data and inflation assumptions
• Lead specialist / subject matter expert groups, drawing in external expertise to agree and promulgate principles, standards and outputs delivering effective commercial and cost intelligence for the remediation market

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 20th February 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.