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 DLUHC commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job description

We have two Supply Chain Manager roles on offer working to support the Safer and Greener Buildings (SGB) Portfolio and associated delivery programmes. A Supply Chain Manager Capability and Guidance and a Supply Chain Manager Capacity and Performance.  

This is an exciting opportunity to work within a dynamic, customer-focused team leading commercial engagement across a: 

• Wide range of stakeholders, including service users, Ministers, policy officials, suppliers and arms length bodies. 
• Variety of projects including high-profile, complex, strategic procurement and contracts. 
• Range of Contract Management processes and categories of contract spend e.g. Consultancy, Professional Services, Legal, Financial Services, Construction and Research / Analytical.

We are seeking experienced commercial professionals to make a significant contribution to the Commercial Function’s role in advising and supporting the work the Department is doing within SGB, which has three main aspects:

• Remediation: Identify high rise residential buildings that have unsafe constructional aspects and monitor and support their remediation.
• Building Regulatory Review: Implement the changes identified in Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations that are needed to make the building safety system fit for purpose.
• Net Zero: Implement building standards and corresponding measures supporting delivery of the Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.

You’ll play an important role in embedding, implementing and continuously improving how we monitor capacity and performance of remediation suppliers, working closely with Delivery partners and external bodies to help shape the future of the Commercial function in DLUHC, which in turn will support us to deliver our market engagement objectives.

Important Information: If you are the successful candidate and select London as your office location you will need to undergo and obtain CTC level of clearance before you can take up the post.

Person specification

Supply Chain Manager Capacity and Performance

Lead supply chain engagement activity at scheme level to drive mitigation activities:

• Instigate and support sector capacity building initiatives, responding to major socio-economic events and market engagement insights
• Reduce the impact of supply chain shocks and horizon scan for supply chain bottleneck to ensure corrective action can be implemented
• Act on data provided by commercial MI and Cost Benchmarking roles 
• Create, Develop and work with the wider team to maintain appropriate capacity and performance dashboards and communicate these into programmes 
• Encourage and hold sector bodies to account in their efforts to increase capacity and improve delivery performance (cost, time, quality, and management of reputational risk)
• Develop and maintain project documentation to support the successful implementation and roll out of the supply chain activity including where appropriate delivering training
• Set up and lead workshops on supply chain initiatives and communicate outputs e.g. work to minimise the impact of inflation

*We are operating in a grants setting e.g. we are not directly managing suppliers

Supply Chain Manager Capability and Guidance

Lead on collaboration between portfolio wide supply chain and internal stakeholders.

• Roll out / disseminate consistent practices including run workshops, events, training, networking and communications between all parties (e.g. newsletters, updates etc.)
• Actively promote and encourage adherence to commercial governance by securing buy in from stakeholders to agreed portfolio Ways of working
• Create bespoke guidance tailored to different parties (Department, Freeholders and the Supply Chain)
• Work together with stakeholders from across Gov. Departments to ensure we meet our manifesto commitments and not duplicate work and identify new avenues of interest (Significant activity will be involved with stakeholder/ working groups across policy, freeholders, suppliers, and delivery partners).
• Work closely with in house consultants to ensure this stream of work directly plugs into our Supply Chain Management & Strategy document.
• Communicate with stakeholders to ensure they feel informed and are clear on, actions, next steps, and deadlines, providing guidance and support to deliver positive outcomes
• Specialist capabilities: Communications, writing, knowledge management and information dissemination

*We are operating in a grants setting e.g. we are not directly managing suppliers

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 15th February and will require a full day's attendance. Please contact commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in advance if you are unable to attend this date.

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.

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. 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.