Head of Contract Management and Commercial Strategy
Government Commercial Function
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 GLD commercial team delivering departmental objectives.
Job description
The Head of Contract Management and Commercial Strategy will lead the central Contract Management Team and will report directly to the Assistant Director for Financial Management, Accounting and Procurement. The position has two direct reports and will involve significant liaison with budget holders and contract managers across GLD to support the management of a wide range of contracts. The main categories are: Legal Services and a wide range of Corporate Function Services.
The post holder will provide leadership to the Contract Management Team in the sharing of contract management guidance to contract managers within the business, managing the Department’s contractual records, and supporting contract managers of more complex contracts at key points in contract lifecycle.
The post holder will also be responsible for developing the Department’s Commercial strategy and medium to long term pipeline, working with senior stakeholders to identify needs in advance and commercial strategies to meet these.
The post holder will work with other members of the Procurement Senior Management Team to ensure that commercial activity is in line with statutory requirements and best practice and evolves to meet business need and developments in the Department’s wider commercial strategy.
Person specification
- Lead and manage the Contract Management and Commercial Strategy Team in providing a high-quality service including ensuring that the team is appropriately resourced, structured and developed;
- Lead the development and implementation of GLD’s Contract Management approach including embedding contract management processes across the department, ensuring that contract management plans are in place and promoting best practice in line with Government functional standards;
- Supporting contract managers within the wider business with the management of the lifecycle of more complex contracts and the commercial management of key suppliers;
- Provide expert advice on commercial risk management and deliver mitigation plans / strategies to manage identified risks at corporate level;
- Managing the department’s medium to long term commercial pipeline by engaging with key stakeholders within the business;
- Ensuring that departmental commercial activity is compliant with commercial standards and rules, and that contract records and transparency reporting are complete and timely;
- Supporting senior management with the development of the department’s commercial strategy.
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 13th March 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. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.
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
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.