About the job

Job summary

Defra group Commercial are looking to appoint Senior Category Officers (SEO) in the Flood and Coastal Risk Management  Infrastructure Team to:

•  Lead and manage complex procurement projects for frameworks and contracts to support Flood and Coastal Risk Management activities. These will include requirements such as professional services, consultancy and works relating to civil engineering, construction and ongoing maintenance
• Build and sustain effective relationships with suppliers and customers
• Provide day to day advice on commercial issues and governance across the framework portfolio, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value of money and savings
• Plan the procurement strategy and process, prepare all tender documentation and evaluation criteria, and lead from market engagement through to tender publication, evaluation, negotiations and award
• Provide ongoing framework and contract management, including leading call-offs and providing expert advice to internal and external clients

Job description

Defra group Commercial are looking to appoint Senior Category Officers (SEO) in the Flood and Coastal Risk Management  Infrastructure Team to:

• Lead and manage complex procurement projects for frameworks and contracts to support Flood and Coastal Risk Management activities. These will include requirements such as professional services, consultancy and works relating to civil engineering, construction and ongoing maintenance
• Build and sustain effective relationships with suppliers and customers
• Provide day to day advice on commercial issues and governance across the framework portfolio, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value of money and savings
• Plan the procurement strategy and process, prepare all tender documentation and evaluation criteria, and lead from market engagement through to tender publication, evaluation, negotiations and award
• Provide ongoing framework and contract management, including leading call-offs and providing expert advice to internal and external clients

Person specification

We are looking for candidates who are building their commercial experience. We want you to be able to challenge and influence across complex and varied customers as well as enjoy developing innovative solutions. You will excel in building networks and see good relationships as a key part of your expertise. Finally, you will enjoy building a positive team spirit and supporting your team to deliver expert outcomes. In previous roles we expect you will have:

• Lead and supported delivery of projects including procurements and/or managing contracts or suppliers to a successful outcome
• Formed positive working relationships with colleagues, customers and suppliers including influencing and challenging to gain the best outcome. You may have some line management experience
• Understand regulatory frameworks, ideally some exposure to Public Contracts Regulations, working within agreed policies and processes and promoted those standards in the way you work
• Delivered improved ways of working, business change or efficiency
• Proactively identified risks and issues and managed plans to mitigate
• Attended and potentially chaired meetings to gain decisions including setting agendas, leading on items and recording actions and decisions
• Presented conclusions and made recommendations evidenced by analysed information including financial information
• Supported colleagues, training them as appropriate to help support them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner
• Used IT systems and applications
• Invested in your own development which might have included keeping up to date on legislation, best practice or developing industry knowledge. Hold or be prepared to study towards CIPS level 6 qualifications

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,069 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.

Application Process

Please submit your tailored 2-page CV and personal statement, demonstrating how you meet the Experience detailed above.

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

Sift

The sift is based on an assessment of your CV. Candidates who pass the sift will progress to interview.

Interview

If you are successful at application stage and pass the sift, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against the Experience and Civil Service Behaviours for this role. The interview may involve a scenario based question.

Interviews are expected to take place from w/c 25th March 2024

Interviews will take place using video conferencing (Microsoft Teams) and will typically last for 45-60 minutes.

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.