About the job

Job summary

"This is a hugely exciting time to be joining the Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS) Commercial team. You will have the unique opportunity to help deliver the next generation of combat air systems to replace the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon aircraft. Among these capabilities is the procurement of the next-generation fighter jet that is being delivered by the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a trilateral collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy.  If you’re interested in becoming a world class leader, doing things differently, inspiring colleagues and driving a historical change in the combat air industry in the UK and internationally, then this is a rewarding role for you”.

Military Capability sits at the heart of the MOD’s major decisions. It is headed by the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff ((Military Capability) (DCDS(MilCap)), a 3-star military officer (equivalent to a Director General) with responsibility for taking a pan-Departmental view of MOD’s strategic balance of investment decisions and the Department’s financial planning rounds. 

The Future Combat Air System Team sits within DCDS(MilCap)’s domain and is critical to UK military capability. FCAS supports Defence Tasks and wider National Security Objectives and is a key element of both the UK’s industrial base and our international partnering. The Future Combat Air directorate defines policy in line with the 2018 Combat Air Strategy, and enables Government decisions on investment, programme and partnering choices. The Director of Future Combat Air provides leadership across the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Enterprise. He acts as the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for both the FCAS Acquisition Programme and Technology Initiative Programme. 

Combat Air plays a vital role in our military strategic capabilities for decades to come, enabling us to defend the United Kingdom and our allies, and make a decisive contribution to global security. As our adversaries seek to limit our freedom of movement and control of the air, we need a new generation of combat air systems to replace the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon aircraft, which will retire from service from the mid-2030s. 

The FCAS Commercial Team is a critical part of the FCAS programme.  We manage a high-profile, and complex portfolio drawing together government, military and international stakeholders. In the next few years, the FCAS programme will become the MOD’s largest non-nuclear capability acquisition programme and it sits in the very top tier of UK military capability programmes, in importance.  

Job description

The following is an outline of the key role duties and responsibilities; this may be amended as the function develops and expands. Post holders may be required to undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time. Key duties and responsibilities as follows:

• Act as Head of Contract Management & Assurance, providing leadership to the Contract Management and Assurance teams
• Manage undertaking of contract management and contract initiation activity. The contract landscape is diverse with a variety of single source Qualifying Defence Contract (QDC) and competitive contracting arrangements
• Set and manage Contracting Standards of Excellence for FCAS, working under the GCO framework and implementing a rigorous assurance template
• Ensure effective Contract Management is upheld throughout the programme’s lifecycle and assuring the standards of excellence
• Deliver best value from Contract Management of existing FCAS commercial arrangements totaling c. £4BN, including the Tempest (£1.7B) multi-party contract and the FCAS Assessment Phase Head Contract (£292M)
• Oversee contract variations, producing practical advice and strategic direction
• Ensure existing and future contracts achieve successful Value for Money
• Oversee the realisation of benefits achieved as a result of the performance management regime or change control, and challenge non-delivery of deliverables and/or benefits
• Drive innovation and improvement in FCAS contracts
• Manage Risk and Reward mechanisms where applicable and key performance indicators
• Monitor contracts’ progress against the business objectives and work with suppliers to keep aligned to the business
• Understand relevant sourcing options and analysis, and delivers positive outcomes through the procurement process: 

1. Leading planning and strategy for re-procurement of relevant contracts and able to undertake soft market testing.
2. Performing some sourcing activities related to relevant contracts or stakeholder

• Provide Commercial leadership alongside the Portfolio, Delivery and Strategy teams in managing UK industry efficiently in FCAS, driving transformation and managing transitional risks (from legacy platforms i.e. Typhoon) across the supply chain
• Establish commercial readiness to set up new the international Government Agency and to draft, agree and place the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) Design & Development Contract
• Attendance at FCAS Programme Board and wider programme governance as required e.g. Tri-Lateral Directors Meeting
• Manage the overall FCAS contracting process
• Lead the commercial team to develop, place and manage contracts for key enablers and secure communications
• Provide strategic Commercial Risk management across the FCAS portfolio
• Identify and maximise opportunities for income generation e.g. levies and exportability
• Identify and utilise commercial levers when negotiating deals across the FCAS enterprise
• Plan for and provide commercial input into assurance and approvals processes, ensuring commercial is sufficiently integrated into the programme. Lead on Cabinet Office engagement for contracts and assurance.

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

• You will have experience of leading strategic relationships, including with UK Defence industry and other Departments, to support programme delivery in a complex and political stakeholder environment
• You will need to be comfortable working at all levels within an organisation – from the strategic to the operational, and have the energy, motivation and drive to deliver outstanding results over the next few years as the transformation in performance you will drive begins to bear fruit
• You will have experience identifying commercial risks and taking action to mitigate them
• You will understand the importance of performance measures and reporting – taking pride in your achievements and not shying away from the challenge
• You will have several years of experience in a similar type of role and for you this role would represent an opportunity to operate with a degree of autonomy not often found in large corporate/government organisations. You will have the chance to bring your experience and skills to bear, as the pinnacle of your career to date
• You are looking for the chance to consolidate your experience of strategic relationships and managing performance through commercial constructs with your next big move. You would find a platform in this role to take your credentials, network and impact to the next level
• CIPS/MCIPS accreditation preferable

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 15th August 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. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.