About the job

Job summary

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a new shared corporate service, launched in July 2023. It will provide corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).  

Our team of just over 300 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field. 

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. 

Find Out More 

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero?  

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers

Job description

The Commercial Shared Services team sits in the ICS. We provide commercial delivery support to the corporate functions across both DESNZ and DSIT, and we provide central enabling support for the commercial delivery teams in both departments.

Our team is split into 5 areas, each led by a Head of Commercial:

- The Digital & Corporate Services team provide the commercial delivery support to corporate functions in DESNZ, DSIT, and the ICS.

- The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) team lead the development and implementation of commercial sustainability policy, the due diligence of our suppliers and supply chains, lead on managing functional risk, and implementing commercial's counter-fraud plan.

- The Assurance team act as a line of defence on behalf of the departments, assuring our highest value, highest complexity commercial cases and advising departmental investment committees.

- The Excellence team drive the performance of the commercial functions, providing policy advice, coordinating our Procurement Reform Readiness activity, and developing and implementing contract management, supplier engagement, capability development, and continuous improvement strategies.

- The Systems & MI team provide, maintain, and continuously evolve the system landscape that commercial teams rely upon. This includes an ecosystem of different platforms, provision of management information to decision makers, and leading on all queries relating to commercial data (e.g. commercial FOI requests).

This role will lead the Systems & MI team and will act as a senior commercial adviser, driving the efficacy and efficiency of the commercial functions in DESNZ, DSIT, and the ICS.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership to the Commercial Systems & Management Information team with 1 Grade 7 direct report and 3 Senior Executive Officers. Through that team you will:

- Develop and implement an end-to-end Data Quality Strategy for the Commercial function, covering all aspects from capture, ownership, how different datasets / systems need to communicate, and how data quality (completion and accuracy) needs to improve over time.

- Work with stakeholders to develop and maintain management information dashboards and packs that provide clear commercial insight that enables effective decision-making (e.g. opportunities to reduce effort, deliver increased savings, remove duplication, etc.)

- Develop and implement a commercial system strategy / roadmap, articulating the current commercial ecosystem and how it needs to develop over the next 3-5 years to ensure it:

o Delivers on and enables our legal and regulatory obligations (particularly in reference to the Procurement Act 2023, and Freedom of Information request transparency obligations),

o Improves the efficiency and efficacy of the commercial process,

o Aligns and enhances wider commercial and departmental objectives (such as communication and potential integration with finance systems, and supplier due diligence platforms).

- Implement systemic contract management capabilities, working with the Contract Management Lead to rollout the system to the contract manager communities across DESNZ, DSIT, and the ICS.

- Develop, maintain, and implement a short-term prioritised list of initiatives to improve the efficiency of the current systems.

- Work with stakeholders to consider the near-term requirements to support Grant activities across the departments, potentially including writing proposals for investment to onboard new systems, or to adopt ownership of existing systems locally.

- Ensure the departments meet their obligations for periodic data transparency publications.

- Coordinate responses to any Commercial-related Freedom of Information requests, ensuring responses are provided within the mandatory timeframes and in the spirit of the FOI requirements.

Skills and Experience

We are looking for candidates that:

- Have experience owning, developing, and implementing complex systems. Ideally this would include experience with commercial systems such as Jaggaer or Atamis, but we welcome candidates who could bring transferable skills from other functional specialities. 

- Can demonstrate how they have driven system design / continuous improvement initiatives that balance regulatory requirements with a focus on the user experience.

- Can demonstrate how they have used data to create actionable insight and has resulted in positive change / outcomes.

- Can show how they have delivered positive impact through leading a team (either directly leading or perhaps indirectly through cross-functional project teams).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £64,350, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £17,374 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 1000 words) to articulate how your experience would add value based on the requirements of this role.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Applications will be sifted on personal statement.  

The interview will consist of behaviour-based questions 

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 17/06/2024

Interview dates: w/c 01/07/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview. 

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero  from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

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

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.