Lead Market Health Analyst

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 Cabinet Office commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

You will produce assessments and provide advice on the generation of these assessments in defining the areas and scope of markets for investigation, focusing on key sectors and their supporting strategies and work closely with other Government Departments and the Government Commercial Function to develop the capability in this area further.

We frequently work with departments, suppliers and services of significant complexity and national profile, and you will have the opportunity to make a substantial impact as an important part of the team’s daily work. 

Accordingly, you will have an experienced background in commercial, ideally with experience of industry and understand competition issues.  You will have effective communication skills and be able to engage convincingly with a range of senior stakeholders to explain complex issues.  

In this role, you will be expected to work with colleagues across Whitehall to develop the capability in the assessment of key strategic and complex markets and contingency planning.  You will be able to handle multiple cases, coach and help manage team members.

Individuals appointed to Cabinet Office will be subject to National Security Vetting. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for at least the past 5 years. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to consider on a case by case basis using all information that can be obtained following a successful application.

Strategy and leadership

• To be the lead for the assessment of market health within the Markets, Sourcing and Suppliers team.

• To be one of the key individuals across Government associated with Market Management, acting as a lead contact for this activity for the whole of Government.

• To manage the priority, scope and work programme for the delivery of market health process and outcomes, resulting in assured procurement decisions.

• Participating in meetings with senior industry leaders from strategic suppliers and senior civil servants to help deliver the objectives of Markets, Sourcing and Suppliers team.

• In the event of contingency planning required for a market in distress to play a central expert role in working with departments to mitigate the situation. 

Managing people and teams

• Day to day management of staff in the Market Health team within Markets, Sourcing and Suppliers.

• Identifying capability and resource requirements for the embedding of good practice for the assessment and management of markets into HMG.

• Working to develop these capabilities and resources within Markets and Suppliers and across the commercial community within HMG.

Performance and commercial outcomes

• Engaging with the Government Commercial Function and contract managers across Government to deliver robust, insightful and accurate assessments of market health in key markets.

• Establishing and maintaining a network of key contacts across Government to ensure a successful roll ongoing use of the assessment process.

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

• Assertive: Effective communication skills, engage with a range of senior stakeholders on complex issues. Challenge senior stakeholder decisions, work under pressure, and deliver multiple projects within agreed timescales.
• Manages Complexity: Ability to develop a defined process for a complex task, and to roll this out across a user and customer base.
• Market Insight: Understanding of key strategic, complex or fragile markets to provide meaningful analysis and insight to senior stakeholders.
• Commercial Focus: You will have an experienced background in commercial, ideally with experience of industry and understand competition issues.
• Procurement Process: Experience in the development of strategies for high value/risk, critical/complex procurements and playing a leading role in the implementation and end to end delivery of these.

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.

Job contact :

• Name : Hayley Parfitt
• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk