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 HO commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

Home Office Commercial Directorate is rolling out Category Management over the next 2-3 years across all areas, with Digital, Data and Technology the primary focus initially, working across DDaT programmes.

 A Software Category pilot took place in 2022 and we are now looking for a strategic, committed leader who will take the category into full implementation over the coming months, coach and develop a team of five Software Commercial professionals.

You will move the category into a steady state with focus on aggregation of business demand, optimising value for money deals and aligning to business strategy and future licensing and support arrangements.

The Category Manager (CM) is responsible for the development and implementation of specific category strategy (or strategies) based upon customer demand, a deep understanding of customer requirements, external market research and analysis and the dynamics of the category.

The CM builds expert insight and knowledge of each category through consultation with all relevant stakeholders and acts as a focal point for the category, developing a compelling vision and strategy based on, or influencing the external supply market capability. Challenges convention, influences direction and acts as a catalyst for innovation.

Person specification

• To take end to end responsibility for implementation of the new Software Category, including recruitment, coaching, mentoring, and shaping the new team and moving into BAU
• Creation of a well-publicised team Vision, Mission, and business plan 
• With support from the wider team and external resource, lead the development and successful delivery of: 

1. A comprehensive pipeline of Software demand across HO Directorates
2. Resource plan, mapping demand to size of team over the next 2 years
3. Detailed Category Strategy agreed with business leads including the Software Asset Management Team
4. Documented process maps for purchasing software via single front door, with end-to-end responsibilities agreed across Commercial Directorate and Software Asset Management teams
5. Analysis of software data, to aggregate demand, reduce the number of commercial deals, secure optimum Value for Money commercial arrangements and capitalise on savings on an ongoing BAU basis
6. Strong leadership and team presence supported with robust communications to business teams publicising the front door approach, pipeline, new commercial deals, and overarching category operating model

• Lead on the analysis of low value, high volume transactional purchasing with a view to outsourcing demand via CCS and / or a Value-Added Reseller (VAR)
• Capitalise and share lessons learned from Software rollout, to help the formation and implementation of other Digital category implementation over the next 2 years
• Other tasks that may emerge from implementation activity, as agreed with the wider project and line manager

Level 5 CIPS is desired for this role.

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 25th April 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 on 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. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.                                                                                                                                                                                              
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. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.