About the job

Job summary

At the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), we encourage applications from everyone, particularly groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. We pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has and promote inclusivity and equality of opportunity for all. Our recruitment process is anonymised, which means that your name, date of birth and other personal details will not be seen by the sift panel.

Location: Swansea

Are you an experienced Commercial professional looking for your next challenge? 

Do you pride yourself on your excellent communication skills and the ability to work in collaboration with stakeholders to align business outcomes? 

If so, we would love to hear from you!

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a diverse role, within a high profile organisation where you’ll be at the centre of leading and managing critical contracts. 

Job description

We are looking for a Head of Commercial Services to join the DVLA, operating as part of the Commercial Directorate Senior Management Team and reporting to the Commercial Director. 

You will be responsible for developing, leading and managing a range of commercial activities, including contract management, strategic sourcing, marketing and commercial negotiations, and being accountable for the effective delivery and coordination of a range of support services. 

We will look for you to take the lead to ensure that all commercial decisions are made with the appropriate level of scrutiny while balancing value for money, strategic direction and risk. Your ability to monitor and review the performance of existing commercial activities and also assess the risks to the Agency of any new commercial opportunities will be critical. 

You will also lead, manage and support your team and wider Commercial team colleagues in delivering corporate and operational objectives. You will therefore need to be a strong, inspiring leader, with the confidence and ability to collaborate with stakeholders, peers, and suppliers. 

Responsibilities 

Your responsibilities will include but will not be limited to: 

• To be the key contact for senior DVLA stakeholders in relation to commercial categories managed by the post holder. To be the escalation point for issues and concerns raised by colleagues and suppliers.
• Management responsibility for a number of Commercial Categories including overseeing several DVLA Strategic (Gold) contracts throughout their commercial lifecycle.
• Providing assurance to the Commercial Director that commercial activity is being undertaken in a manner which demonstrates compliance with legal obligations, Agency and Government Policies and prevents Procurement Fraud.
• Supporting staff in commercial posts in DVLA to have access to the appropriate Learning Interventions to support their role. DVLA’s commercial capability is assessed and maintained in accordance with the Commercial Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework.  

For further information about the role please see the attached role profile. 

Additional information 

Applications will be accepted from full time/part time/job sharers. Full time roles at DVLA consist of 37 hours per week. Part time and/or flexible working may also be available subject to the needs of the business. If you have a flexible or part time working requirement, you should contact the vacancy holder in advance of making an application to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your desired working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role. To contact the vacancy holder, please use the job contact details listed under ‘Contact point for applicants’.  

This role will be based in Swansea, and we will be operating a hybrid working model that allows you to work between home and on-site giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work, subject to business needs and this also allows for ongoing support, development, and collaboration with colleagues.   

Therefore, the expectation is that you will spend a minimum of 60% of your working time based at your principal workplace (DVLA). We would encourage you to discuss the working arrangements for this role with us during the recruitment process.  

This role requires frequent travel, typically once each month.

Person specification

You will be a true commercial professional with broad experience of leading professional commercial teams and managing large and complex contracts. 

To be successful in this role is essential that you have a demonstrable experience in high value and complex commercial contract negotiation and relationship management with a broad range of suppliers. As well as a track record of showing resilience under pressure in a landscape of conflicting and changing priorities, you will have the ability to handle and lead your teams through periods of change. 

You will have a proven track record in a people development role, driving performance and professionalism across your teams with the skills to motivate others to perform and exceed expectations. 

You will have exceptional stakeholder engagement and relationship building skills which will enable you to influence and challenge credibly. You will be a team player, comfortable both at senior and junior staff levels. 

The successful candidate must be willing to work towards completing the MCIPS qualification, if not already qualified.

We strive to ensure that DVLA is a great place to work where everybody can be their true self, be treated with dignity and respect, and according to their individual needs. We have a number of staff network groups run by staff to support their colleagues. 

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. 

• Best in class learning and development tailored to your role.   
• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.  
• Generous employer contribution of 28.97%, depending on chosen pension scheme. 
• 25 days holiday, increasing by one day each year up to 30 days pro rata.  
• Access to the staff discount portal.  
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.  
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a minimum of 60% of their time in the office over a month, with flexibility dependent on balancing business and individual need.

There are many more opportunities and great benefits of working at DVLA, visit our Careers website for further information.   

 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply   

For this role you will need to submit a CV and personal statement of up to 1000 words.   

For your CV and personal statement, please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following essential criteria:   

• Experience of working in a commercial environment, embedding assurance and governance processes.
• Credibly influence activities, making impact through strong interpersonal and communication skills, including building and maintaining relationships with both internal and external stakeholders - suppliers.
• Ability to work at pace, delivering against multiple priorities and meeting deadlines. Providing advice and robust recommendations to a diverse range of colleagues. 

Click here for further guidance on writing a CV and personal statement. 

The sift is due to take place from Monday 5th August 2024.

Interviews will be held from Thursday 22nd August 2024.

This interview will be conducted on site at DVLA, Swansea. Further details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. 

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

If invited to interview, this may consist of a range of question types. These could include questions around behaviours and how you would respond in any situation as well as specific examples of things you have done. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include: 

•              An interview and presentation 

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.  

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website. 

Please take note that DVLA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. 

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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.