About the job

Job summary

Are you passionate about delivering value for money to customers? Have you got experience of working in a project delivery environment?

If so, we'd like to hear from you!

Defra Group Commercial wish to appoint Senior Commercial Officers within the Infrastructure Category to support and lead Commercial delivery of medium to high value and risk projects (typically £100k to £5m), procurements and contract / supplier management within a market facing category team across the full commercial life cycle.

As a Senior Commercial Officer, you will report to a Category Manager (Grade 7). You will work with customers to deliver value effectively and innovatively so that the customer organisation outcomes and objectives can be met alongside the fulfilment of key corporate targets. You will award and monitor medium value, medium and high risk contracts in accordance with Defra’s commercial policies and procedures. You will deliver propriety and value for money.

The role will provide strategic support to the team and promote commercial policies and procedures whilst influencing the final outcomes. You will provide expert advice to the business on commercial issues, governance and operational support to the team. You will engage with colleagues across the country, building their commercial network both internally and through the wider Defra network and Government Bodies.

Job description

The role holder will:

• work collaboratively within an Infrastructure project Team
• prepare procurement strategies to call off from Frameworks, and contribute to  business plans including the responsibility for writing the commercial case
• support cost led procurement exercises using client led pricing
• plan and manage market engagement exercises
• highlight and mitigate commercial risks at project level
• prepare pre-tender and tender documents in collaboration with customers
• run tenders in accordance with Public Contracts Regulations and manage evaluations
• prepare recommendations for tender outcomes and direct awards (Contract Award Reports) for approval via Governance Boards Prepare contract management 
  documentation in collaboration with stakeholders
• build and sustain effective relationships with suppliers and internal customers to deliver exceptional performance in cost, service and quality
• provide day to day advice and recommendations at the appropriate level on commercial risks and issues and governance across the relevant category, taking full account of risk, exploiting commercial opportunities and maximising value for money and savings 

Some roles will include line management responsibilities for Commercial Officers which includes setting objectives, managing performance and supporting learning and development.

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 develop innovative solutions to challenges. You will excel in building networks and see good relationships as a key part of your expertise.

It is important for you to feel rewarded by having provided a high quality professional service with measurable outcomes. Finally, you will enjoy building a positive team spirit and supporting your team to deliver expert outcomes that are valued by your customers.

Essential Skills and Experience.

In previous roles we expect you will have:

• previous experience of working within a project team and influencing decisions
• experience of supporting the commercial assessment of client led pricing and bid submissions
• 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
• understood regulatory frameworks, 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 £10,648 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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a 750 word Personal Statement and a CV.

The Personal Statement and CV will be given a combined score.

For the Personal Statement, you should use this to describe how your skills and experience show that you are suitable for this role. Please refer to the Essential Skills and Experience listed in the Person Specification when doing this. You will need to be able to demonstrate that your experience covers the experience listed.

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

Sift

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed and Experience.

A presentation may be included as part of the interview.

Interviews to be held via MS Teams.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location.

Salary 

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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 offenses. 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.

NSV

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Higher Security Clearance

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to Marsham Street, London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer. 

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.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.