About the job

Job summary

Our Mission

We are known as IfATE, we are a group of passionate people who work with employers to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships and technical qualifications.

We are transforming and improving the skills system by putting employers at the heart and making it easier to navigate for all.

You will be part of an organisation that works to help people of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to maximise their potential, contribute to improving social mobility and the UK’s productivity.

Find out more about the work of IfATE in the ‘What we do’ page on our website.

We are building an inclusive culture to make IfATE a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, and actively welcome applications from everyone including those from underrepresented groups.

Job description

As a Senior Contract Manager, you will be part of IfATE’s Commercial Delivery Division with line management responsibility for contract managers in the Division’s contract management function.  You will be responsible for overseeing the contract management of the Awarding Organisations who will deliver T Level qualifications.

Working flexibly is important to the success of the Delivery Division, and while you will have specific responsibilities related to T Levels, you will also ensure, working with the Deputy Director and Heads of Service, that the team operates in a ‘one team’ approach and can cover a range of commercial activities as appropriate.

There are currently 18 T Levels to choose between for careers in everything from healthcare, science, accounting and legal services, to construction, agriculture, digital services, engineering and finance. As a senior contract manager you will play a key role in supporting the development and delivery of these brand-new qualifications.

IfATE has a well-supported, collaborative and flexible working environment. The Commercial Delivery Division supports all team members in developing their commercial expertise through ongoing continuous professional development.

If you are an ambitious Senior Contract Manager, looking to be at the forefront of transforming the technical education landscape, we would love to hear from you.

As a Senior Contract Manager your main duties and responsibilities will include:

• Developing and maintaining collaborative working relationships with T Level Awarding Organisations.
  
  
• Leading on day-to-day contract management of T Level Awarding Organisations, ensuring that delivery and performance requirements are monitored and met.
  
  
• Providing expert commercial advice and support to teams throughout IfATE to assist in the effective management of a range of contracts.
  
  
• Line management for contract managers in the IfATE’s contract management function.
  
  
• Developing the contract management capability of the team, as well as across the wider Institute.
  
  
• Working closely with colleagues across IfATE to continually develop and improve ways of working.
  
  
• Building strong relationships with wider stakeholders including the Department for Education and Ofqual, plus other bodies and external contractors.
  
  
• Present key information and progress to IfATE’s Senior Leadership Team and Boards and attend wider meetings with stakeholders.

There will be essential travel required occasionally to regional offices and external supplier sites.

Person specification

We are looking for a motivated and proactive individual, with proven commercial expertise in challenging commercial scenarios. You will be effective in delivering initiatives, processes, new ways of working, improvements, efficiencies and have a track record of delivering good commercial outcomes.

 
Essential Criteria

• Experience of working in a public or private sector commercial environment, with the ability to influence and engage suppliers and stakeholders to drive progress on strategic and business objectives through others.
  
  
• A strong focus on the delivery of successful outcomes, identifying pragmatic solutions, including the ability to manage conflicting priorities and using sound decision making, taking into account the commercial and financial environment.
  
  
• A good level of understanding of commercial and legal issues in contracts, knowing when to seek legal advice.
  
  
• Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate complex commercial and policy changes to a wide-ranging audience.
  
  
• Organised and proactive, with high attention to detail and an ability to grasp information quickly from a range of sources. 
  
  
• A thorough understanding of project management, risk management and performance management.
  
  
• Experience of taking a leading role in a customer focussed commercial service to deliver a quality service on time, often under challenging circumstances.

 
Desirable Criteria  

• An appropriate commercial qualification is desirable e.g. working towards MCIPS, or an equivalent contract management or commercial certification.
  
  
• Experience of working within the Education sector
  
  
• Experience of developing commercial policies and training materials.
  
  

Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates.

Working flexibly is important to the success of the IfATE, and while you will have specific responsibilities as set out above, you will be part of a ‘one team’ approach and may be asked to be involved in a range of other activities.  As new areas of work progress, you may be asked to move between teams to deliver the IfATE’s key priorities.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,775, Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education contributes £14,519 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 Experience and Technical skills.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Experience and Technical.

Application

You will be asked to submit a Personal statement (word count: 1250) in which you will need to evidence how you meet the essential criteria listed above.

Please can you also submit a CV which details your employment history and qualifications. This will not be scored and will be used as a supporting document.

The personal statement will be assessed at sift.  If we receive high volumes of applications, we will sift only on the first essential criteria, so please ensure that the first 150-200 words of your statement are aligned to this criterion.

Candidates eligible for the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) will be invited to interview if they meet the minimum criteria at application stage.  Please refer to the Candidate Information Pack for more details.

Interview

The interview will involve a discussion around your experience based on the adverts’ criteria, your CV, and your statement.

Candidates who are invited to interview will be asked to prepare a presentation, details will be shared in the interview invite.

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Government Commercial Function People Standards for the Profession

The competency level for this role is: Commercial Lead

You will be assessed against Contract & Supplier Management, Section 5

Sift is expected to take place w/c  8 January 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place w/c 15 January and w/c 22 January 2024.

Please note, the above dates are subject to change.

Interviews will be expected to take place remotely via MS Teams. Please refer to Candidate Information Pack for further information on the process.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

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

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 IFArecruitment.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. 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be 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 circumstances 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. 

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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

Further Information

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education does not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

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.