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 DfT commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

The Commercial Relationship Management (CRM) team is a pivotal player in the procurement and contract management activities. It handles sourcing processes across all transport modes and corporate functions for the Department. It operates within the Group Commercial Directorate, it extends its services to various entities, including High Speed 2, Network Rail, National Highways, Maritime and Coastguard, and DVLA, in alignment with Government Commercial Function (GCF) standards.

The Head of Digital CRM, a newly established role, will lead a team of six sourcing professionals, with two positions currently in the recruitment process. This role, born from the growing recognition of the strategic importance of the digital agenda, is critical and demanding. Directly serving the Department’s Digital Services team, it tackles core issues like infrastructure and systems through commercial solutions. The role also supports policy teams with commercial solutions for projects such as the Blue Badge scheme and Aviation Security. This fast-paced position requires effective, high-speed work, blending a customer focus with the authority to ensure legal commercial obligations are met. The team, under this role's leadership, is also responsible for supporting the IT strategies form commercial side, including on Artificial Intelligence (AI) use, and working with top-level consultants in AI solutions. 

Operating in a matrix environment within the Commercial Operations and Data, Digital and Technology (DDaT) Division, the Digital CRM team will collaborate with colleagues in commercial systems, data analytics, and the CRM Division. This collaboration aims to ensure an efficient, effective, and consistent working approach.

The Head of Digital CRM will apply leadership skills to enhance the capabilities of the expanded team. Responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of 160+ sourcing and procurement projects of varying value and complexity, the Head will ensure timely and compliant execution, whilst delivering high value-for-money. The role holder will ensure the team members adhere to the Government Commercial Function (GCF) standards, controls, and public procurement regulations. Comprehensive training on new procurement regulations will be provided to all commercial staff. The role holder will promote a top-class use of the commercial systems.

Close collaboration with stakeholders and business owners across the entire Department is essential. The Head of Digital CRM will lead the formulation of the Digital and Technology category strategy. This strategic initiative will align seamlessly with the Department's long-term direction, accounting for the entire internal and external stakeholders’ community. The category strategy will serve as the cornerstone for defining and managing the project pipeline, contributing to an enhanced delivery of value for money. In addition, the Head will actively foster collaboration with Commercial teams within the Department’s Agencies and ALBs, facilitating cross-organizational synergy in digital and technology commercial services.

Person specification

• Leadership and Team Development: Lead and develop a team of six sourcing professionals with different experience levels, providing guidance and support for their professional growth. Foster a culture of excellence, teamwork, and adherence to the Department's values. Manage the team in day-to-day operations, serving as a leadership figure within the DfT and embodying its values.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage with the Digital and Technology team, DfT business stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure the successful delivery of digital and technology solutions. Establish and maintain effective stakeholder relationships, ensuring satisfaction, and measuring performance against set metrics. Engage with digital and technology commercial professionals from DfT Agencies and ALBs.
• Sourcing and Procurement Management and Compliance: Oversee the execution of 160+ sourcing and procurements events a year of different sizes and complexity levels, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and regulations. Leverage existing partners' frameworks like those from Crown Commercial Service (CCS). Manage risks associated with procurement, stay abreast of new regulations, and support larger procurements for high value-for-money outcomes. Maintain a high pace and efficiency in procurement processes whilst upholding excellence in execution. Support DfT businesses in their contract management activities to maintain the expected value-for-money delivered by the contracts.
• Category Strategy: Lead the formulation of the DfT Digital and Technology category strategy aligning it with the Department's long-term needs and direction, including for AI technologies. Establish an operating model where digital and technology commercial professionals in DfT Agencies and ALBs can collaborate and work in synergy.
• Technology Adoption: Explore and keep pace with emerging technologies, especially AI. Support and advise on the adoption of new technologies in DfT business solutions and within the commercial team.
• Data Culture: Facilitate the creation of a technology and data culture across the commercial directorate and the whole organization. Promote the use of procurement systems, including for pipeline management, fostering compliance and efficiency across the whole organisation.
• Training/Qualifications: CIPS qualified or equivalent - where a candidate does not have this, it is mandated that the candidate will undertake the CIPS qualification at an appropriate level.  The candidate will be expected to attain, in post, the Contract Management Commercial Capability (CMCP) Foundation level accreditation and the CIPS Ethical training certificate

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 7th May 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. 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.