Chief Commercial Officer, Department of Health and Social Care

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 DHSC commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

• Delivery of a whole life cycle operating model, delivering of a wide range of Procurement, Contract Management and Supplier and Market Management activities.
• Delivery of DHSC efficiency and savings targets.
• Effective stakeholder and supplier relationship management, both internal with ministers and Director Generals, and external with key suppliers and Health System leads.
• Promotion and support for uptake of Strategic Supplier Relationship Management (SSRM) to leverage greater efficiencies. Delivering a Health Family programme for furthering SSRM outcomes, including developing Health Family specific Strategic Category Management approaches.
• Management directly or indirectly of total commercial spend, including Grants, for the DHSC and Health and Social Care System to deliver best value for money with continued improvement in contracted KPI’s.
• Brokerage of a joint system leadership model, developed in agreement with senior Health Family peers.
• Discharge of accountability within a plural environment, utilising a range of delivery partners.
• Close working with the NHS CCO, providing oversight of the largest issues that may impact DHSC or the wider Health Family.
• Continuous improvement in the Health Family commercial teams adoption of the commercial operating standards.
• Assurance and challenge to the New Hospitals Programme portfolio.
• Assurance to the Department’s Accounting Officer, including provision of clear and accurate assurance for high value, complex and high-risk business cases. 
• Support and engagement for ministers and ministerial offices to deliver swift but appropriate commercial advice for ALBs and the Department. 
• Representation of the Commercial Function at DHSC senior boards such as Performance and Risk Committee, Finance and Discipline Controls Board, People Board and GCF leadership boards.

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

• Ability to inspire and engage the team and wider DHSC colleagues – an engaging leader with a clear strategic vision, passion to build capability and enthusiasm to coach and mentor whilst role modelling DHSC’s leadership behaviours
• Significant experience of leading a sizeable, geographically dispersed commercial team at a senior and strategic level in large-scale, complex organisations, developing commercial strategies, enabling transformational change
• Demonstrable experience of building highly effective and trusted relationships at board/executive level with key senior stakeholders and with suppliers from SME to multinational
• Evidence of excellent business judgement and highly effective negotiation skills, able to intelligently weigh risks and exercise rapid decision making in complex and frequently ambiguous situations
• Ability to effectively manage short, medium and long-term systemic commercial risks across a comparably complex organisation, experience of ensuring robust systems of control, and processes for reporting and understanding performance

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. 

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Job contact :

• Name : Rachel Whyte
• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk