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 CO commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

The Strategic Partnering Programme is split into three sectors; Built Environment, Complex Outsourcing & Professional Services & Digital.  

We are currently seeking a Strategic Partnering Manager to join the Built Environment team.

The Built Environment Sector: Built Environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighbourhoods and cities that include their supporting infrastructure, such as transportation networks, water supply and energy networks.  Our expenditure across the 12 Strategic Suppliers within the sector is circa £14.5bn/annum.

Broadly the Built Environment can be subdivided into three areas Design, Build, Operate and Maintain (in MSS nomenclature this is Engineering, Construction & Facilities Management).

The delivery of infrastructure programmes and projects within the Built Environment is a key facet of government.  

The role of the Strategic Partnering Manager (SPM) is to work with our strategic suppliers to improve value, operational effectiveness and reduce risk. This results in better outcomes, and aligns the government's commercial strategy with supplier and market capability. The SPM will work across government, both central departments and the wider public sector, working with government’s Crown Representatives and strategic suppliers to strengthen relationships at all levels to c-suite, building a mutual value proposition in key service areas.  The SPM will also ensure that the strategic suppliers are held to account for delivery against government policies and priorities.

You will build an in-depth understanding and knowledge of your suppliers’ business models and public sector portfolios, using this to drive collaborative continuous improvements to the contracts and services the suppliers deliver to Government and the wider public sector.

The SPM is accountable for delivering the government’s strategy and plan with the strategic suppliers; the mutual value proposition in each key service area; the relationship map, from executive to operational levels; the performance standard setting and delivery monitoring; and key contract negotiations. 

This accountability will be exercised in conjunction with the government departments and wider public sector bodies, plus support from the wider central commercial teams.

Person specification

Key measures of success will lie in developing a truly strategic approach to the strategic suppliers to transform the government’s risk and value creation profile from these suppliers, as follows:

• Strategic risk management: continuity of mission critical and/or sensitive services; compliance and ethics; financial robustness; capability
  
  
• Strategic opportunity: quality of service; efficiency and cost savings, optimising tax payer value for money; end-to-end integrated supply chain between government & supplier; innovation and best practice transfer

Relationships are key to this role.  The SPM will develop and coordinate extensive external and internal relationships:

• External with the supplier – these range from the c-suite through to executives involved with the partnership with government and delivery of goods, services and performance
  
  
• Internal leadership - Cabinet Office including central functions, across to Commercial Directors within other government departments. The SPM will also work closely with Crown Representatives who act as strategic advisors to the Cabinet Office
   
• Internal organisation - leaders and key operators involved in the relationship; key service area experts. As such, the SPM provides support and guidance to officials across government departments, arms-length bodies and extends out to the wider public sector
  
  
• Internal team – work as part of the relevant sector team within MSS and collaborating with other areas such as the Market Health Team and Financial Analysis Team

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 7th May 2024 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.