Assistant Category Officer

We have an exciting opportunity for two Assistant Commercial/Category Officers (procurement/buying) in our Environmental Goods and Services category team which leads on the category of spend for a wide variety of environmental services and environmental research and development.

It is a very rewarding category to be involved in if you want to start a career in commercial/procurement or build upon your existing commercial expertise and qualifications. You will be directly protecting the environment through the contracts you support and lead on.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and we pride ourselves as being an employer of choice.

Defra Group Commercial (DGC) is part of Defra, the central Government Department responsible for growing the rural economy; improving the environment; and safeguarding animal and plant health. DGC is responsible for providing a commercial service to organisations within the Defra Network.

This post requires the post-holder to provide vital support to customers and commercial colleagues to deliver value effectively and innovatively so that the customer organisation outcomes and objectives can be met. This is a key role to ensure we work closely with our customers and with each other and allows the commercial teams to function in the most efficient manner. 

The post-holder will be required to:

• Award and monitor low value, low risk contracts in accordance with Defra’s commercial policies and procedures
• Assist with the management of one of our key research frameworks
• Manage change control processes for our existing contracts
• Manage customer queries and new procurement requirements on behalf of the commercial teams 
• Help prioritise customer procurement requirements to ensure contracts are delivered effectively and ensure value for money (Pipeline Management) 
• Monitoring information on commercial and contract management IT systems (Atamis) and applications to support decision making and conduct regular reviews to ensure it is stored accurately and is up to date
• Become a superuser for our commercial IT system. There will be comprehensive training included
• Act as a first point of contact for customers, answering commercial questions and recommending appropriate resources
• Act as Secretariat for our commercial assurance board
• Run financial reports on behalf of the commercial teams
• Advise customers on commercial policies and procedures

The post holder will be expected to engage with colleagues across the country, building the Commercial network both internally and through the wider Defra network and Government Bodies. 

The Assistant Commercial Officer role will report to a Senior Category / Commercial Officer (SEO/HEO). The information above is specific to these roles being advertised and the following  job description is generic and may apply to all Assistant Commercial Officer roles. Some of the following descriptions may be agreed as part of your development. 

You will

• Support and assist in delivery of projects, procurements and contract / supplier management roles at the appropriate level providing functional / specialist input to improve ways of working and business change & efficiency
• Be responsible for explaining Commercial guidance to operational teams at the appropriate level in order to influence compliance with Defra policy / legislation / best practice ways of working and facilitate contact with relevant members of the Commercial team to support them
• Keep up to date on changing legislation / best practice internally, to inform internal priorities and appropriate alignment
• Sustain effective relationships with operational teams and customers to understand issues and provide effective response and facilitate contact with relevant members of the Commercial team to support them
• Support team members to deliver results on time, to required quality standards and cost to fulfil the business plan and achieve / support environmental goals
• Manage own resources to meet business needs, including electronic sourcing and contract management applications, to maximise the efficient and effective use of finances and people in order to ensure that all activities are completed to time, cost and quality targets
• Support the development of Defra sub-category and category plans and develop own market category knowledge
• Provide a comprehensive administrative support service to the line manager / team, ensuring efficient systems are in place to maximise the effective use of line manager’s / team’s time
• Support the delivery of contracts such that sustainable impacts and opportunities are identified and managed throughout the commercial lifecycle

The post-holder will be accountable for:

• The provision of day to day advice on straightforward commercial issues and governance
• Assisting Commercial colleagues with the delivery of more complex procurements
  • Research, compile and analyse relevant information to support sourcing strategies, and contribute to business plans
  • Supporting and helping to deliver market engagement exercises
  • Preparing pre tender and tender documents in conjunction with team members
  • Assist Commercial colleagues in publishing all requests for information documentation, assist with supplier queries, assist with opening the information documentation and help prepare for evaluations
  • Assist with the preparation of contract management documentation in conjunction with stakeholders
• Supporting the commercial and contractual interaction with suppliers and assist Commercial colleagues with the management of more complex (Gold and Silver) Contracts
• Researching, compiling and analysing relevant information to support the management and development of key supplier relationships
• Maintaining a strong customer focus to ensure effective relationship building and partnership working to raise the profile of Commercial activity within the customer base
• Participating in meetings with internal stakeholders and support commercial colleagues as required
• Their own continuous professional development to improve commercial awareness and skills and using this knowledge to support development of the Category and Sub category plans

We are looking for candidates who are well organised and used to prioritising. Influencing and communication skills are especially important as well as seeking to improve processes and ways of working.

In previous roles we expect you will have:

• Formed positive working relationships with colleagues, customers and suppliers including influencing and challenging to gain the best outcome
• Worked within agreed policies and processes and promoted those standards in the way you work
• Arranged and managed meetings including setting agendas and recording actions and decisions
• Input to improve ways of working
• Track Record of successfully balancing multiple responsibilities, ideally in a commercial environment
• Invested in your own development which might have included keeping up to date on legislation, best practice or developing industry knowledge
• Hold or wish to study towards CIPS level 4 qualifications
• Used IT systems and applications and have a good level of IT literacy

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

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Blended Working

Defra operates a blended working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs.  There is flexibility to split the working week, spending minimum of 40-60% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or you are a contractual home worker.

Job contact :

• Name : Sara Bushnell, Commercial Manager and Robin McCarty, Commercial Manager
• Email : sara.bushnell@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk