About the job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

  

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

Are you a procurement/commercial specialist?

Do you want a challenge and to develop your technical capabilities?
Have you got excellent relationship building and interpersonal skills?
If the answer to all 3 is yes then look no further, this could be the ideal role for you!
What we do?

We provide specialist support to business areas on the direction and process for engaging third party suppliers across the full range of external spend.

We work with customers to shape long term demand and co-create specific commercial requirements, providing a seamless service from identifying needs to contract signature.

You’re a passionate commercial professional looking to lead, nurture and deliver a portfolio of commercial activities aligned to category plans and HMRC objectives. You will be working collaboratively and provide professional leadership to our business customers and commercial colleagues.

These roles will offer an outstanding platform for you to demonstrate your relationship and interpersonal skills.

They provide an opportunity to enhance, stretch and develop your technical and strategic capabilities.

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Job description

We are looking for Senior Commercial Managers who are conscientious about making a difference, saving taxpayers money and making sound deals. Our ideal candidate will have a keen eye for detail and be tenacious in negotiating with critical suppliers whilst retaining a sense of perspective and reality.

If you would like more information, we are holding an hour long Teams Call on 9 July @12:15 where you can meet the vacancy holder and listen to someone doing the job. This is a great opportunity to learn more about working in HMRC and the role.

If you are interested email HMRC Commercial Directorate Recruitment with your name and email address 24/48 before and you will be sent joining instructions.

There are a minimum of 6 roles across Commercial Directorate and applicants will be able to indicate which of the teams they would prefer to work. Whilst we will take these preferences into consideration for successful applicants, they could be appointed to any of the following teams:

IT Pre-Award Commercial 

We support HMRC’s IT function to procure suitable IT Applications and Infrastructure by developing and delivering category strategies and acting as commercial advisors in helping to review IT requirements and determining the most appropriate route to market.

We lead the procurement activity to achieve the best possible outcome across the category.

 Corporate Services and Property Pre-Award

The Corporate Services & Property (CS&P) Pre-Award team lead Commercial delivery for a range of goods and services to ensure value for money across high-profile third-party spend areas such as Banking & Financial Services, Workplace & Facilities Management, Fleet, Learning & Development, and HR Support Services.

We leverage category expertise and commercial acumen in working closely with our internal customers across a range of functions to develop and execute category strategies and sourcing projects that align to HMRC’s strategic objectives, from management of a Commercial pipeline through to contract execution and handover.

This post may require occasional travel to other locations, with occasional overnight stays.

Person specification

Responsibilities – are you inspired to lead and drive:
• Maintaining effective stakeholder relationships to support delivery of a commercial pipeline and inform future commercial strategies.
• Engaging effectively with the market to inform current or future procurement strategies.
• Operating as a business partner with stakeholders and/or programmes to build requirements that suppliers can understand and respond to effectively.
• Implementing negotiation strategies and optimum routes to market to deliver the required commercial outcomes and improved value.
• Developing sourcing events so that HMRC can optimise the value in the competitive marketplace.
• Applying knowledge and expertise of relevant commercial approaches and routes to market, including government frameworks.
• Where appropriate, commercial challenge and assurance of major IT supplier proposals to maximise cost-effectiveness.

Essential Criteria

Are based on the People Standards for the Profession - The Government Commercial Function (GCF) People Standards for the Profession sets out the standards expected from commercial professionals within Government:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/984460/__Government_Commercial_Function__GCF__People_Standards_for_the_Profession_Version_3.0_.pdf

Successful candidates for this role must be able to demonstrate the following essential skills at Associate Commercial Lead level through the selection process:

Commercial skills

• The ability to talk to stakeholders about their requirements and then look at the best value routes to achieve them.
• Owning the procurement strategy and running the procurement.
Strategic Planning:
• Ability to align plans and activities to wider strategic priorities by gathering views and input from diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to see the “bigger picture” to achieve business outcomes and make plans that reflect strategic priorities.
Making Effective Decisions / Data Analysis:
• Be able to make evidence-based decisions using data, self-judgment and considering any risk.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, while resolving potential problems.
Leadership:
• Coach and develop team members.
• Demonstrate resilience in resolving issues and working with others to manage change.
Personal Development:
• Commitment to personal and professional development.
• Self-motivated and seeks and acts on feedback to Technical skills

Desirable Criteria

MCIPS or equivalent qualification

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,618, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £11,506 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

How to Apply

As part of the selection process, you will be asked to complete:

• A copy of your CV
• A 1000 word Personal Statement

CV

This will consist of 2 elements:

You will be presented with two text boxes. The first will ask for your employment history - here you should set it out like a traditional CV, making sure to following the following format:

• Name of employer.

• Dates worked (to and from).

• Job title.

• Brief description of your main role / responsibilities and achievements to date. - Please ensure you match this section against the job advert / essential criteria).

The next text box will ask you to include any relevant qualifications you may have.

Personal Statement

Your Personal Statement (Max 1000 words) this should outline:

How you meet the essential criteria, your suitability for the role and what experience you bring to the role.

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

Sift

Applications will be sifted on the CV and Personal statement

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

Desirable Criteria can only be used to determine the best applicant in a tie break scenario, but will not otherwise form part of the selection process.

Interview

If you are successful at application stage, you will be invited to an interview where you will be assessed on your Experience and against the Government Commercial Function People Standards (People standards for the commercial profession - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

When determining suitability and alignment to specific commercial teams, this will be based on the overall skills and experience demonstrated across the application and interview process.

Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 6 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for.

Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:  

• Contact the UBS Recruitment Excellence Team via ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations. 

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. 

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process. 

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

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.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

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

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.