Commercial Lead

Background: The UK Space Agency: 

The UK Space Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision. 

Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons. 

We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £16.5 billion and employs 47,000 people across the country. 

Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development.  We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes. 

We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency. 

More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency 

To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU

Our Inclusive Environment

We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

The Commercial Lead will support the development of commercial strategies and produce commercial model options analysis for the UK Space Agency’s strategic programmes, which includes both commercial contracts and grant agreements. A priority for the post holder will be to lead on providing commercial advice and recommendations, attending programme oversight board meetings and providing oversight and assurance on commercial activity.

The UK Space Agency is responsible for UK civil space strategy and provides a clear, single voice for UK space ambitions. It ensures that the UK retains and grows its world leading strategic capabilities in space-based systems, technologies, science, services and applications. It does this through well-designed policy initiatives, extensive international collaboration, targeted funding programmes, and an enabling regulatory regime that supports growth whilst safeguarding the UK’s security interests.

Space is an extraordinary and exciting sector that impacts virtually all aspects of our lives. It is a high growth, high productivity sector where targeted government investment stimulates innovation, generates further industrial investment, and creates highly skilled jobs. The UK Space Agency must be flexible, dynamic and able to respond rapidly to ensure Government policy and regulation keep abreast of these changes.

The person suitable for this role will be able to:

• To lead on the development of the commercial strategies which will form part of the business case for our major projects and programmes, including the assessment of commercial models to determine the best mechanism to achieve our objectives (including catalysing investment).
• Development and implementation of new and innovative forms of intervention, including public private partnerships, equity shares and loans, to broaden the commercial offering to the market.
• To lead on Policy revision as a result of public procurement reform.
• Support the Assistant Director Commercial to develop and maintain Agency policy and process standards for contracting and grant competitions reflecting government commercial principles while ensuring value-for-money solutions and effectively managing risks.
• To support the Assistant Director of Commercial in undertaking oversight and assurance activity in accordance with Agency governance principles and the Commercial Functional Standards.
• To engage proactively and provide commercial advice and support to major project and programme teams. This activity will include reviewing supplier and grant recipient proposals, change requests and deliverables, providing recommendations, identifying risks and issues, and negotiating excellent commercial outcomes.
• Preparing briefs and guidance as required for a variety of internal and external audiences, including UK Space Agency teams, non-commercial specialists and potential suppliers.
• To engage proactively within the Agency supporting the development of the commercial life cycle approach which supports their needs both in-year and across the medium-term while maintaining consistency with Agency standards.
• To support the delivery of training and awareness for Agency staff in procurement matters appropriate to their needs.
• To form positive working relationships with colleagues in the wider commercial function within DSIT and UK SBS as well as developing wider relations across government.

UK Space Agency Generic Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with statutory and legal provisions as set out in the UK Space Agency’s policies and procedures. In particular in relation to: Financial Regulations, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, Health and Safety, Civil Service Code, Data Protection & the Official Secrets Act.
• Comply with the behaviours and standard requisites as relevant to your post as detailed in your job description, person specification and take responsibility for continuing self-development, participating in training and development activities as required or requested by your line manager.
• Attend meetings as required some of which may be outside normal working hours

The above mentioned tasks and responsibilities are neither inclusive nor exhaustive. The post holder may be called upon to carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required by the Chief Executive and/or senior officer(s) within the grading level of the post and the competence of the post holder.

Essential:

• Experience of using commercial acumen to develop effective and value-for-money outcomes to meet business needs
• Strong negotiation skills to drive excellent commercial outcomes
• Ability to analyse a complex delivery environment to make effective commercial recommendations (including the development of commercial and procurement strategies) and present compelling business cases
• Proven track record of negotiating contract terms
• Ability to consider and influence the needs of others while observing compliance with government commercial service standards.
• Ability to identify and mitigate commercial and procurement risk in delivering commercial outcomes
• Experience of working on complex projects or programmes
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong relationships.
• Ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and persuasively in writing, in meetings and in presentations.

Desirable

• Experience of working of Grants and an awareness of the principles of the functional standards for Grants and the commercial operating standards for Grants
• MCIPS or working towards (Level 3 or above) or equivalent
• Programme or project management qualification (such as from the Association of Project Managers, PRINCE2, Managing Successful Programmes or similar)

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Grants

UKSA offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
  

• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.

• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
  

• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
  

• Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.

• A generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package.

• This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home, or elsewhere, as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this).  If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

• The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Job contact :

• Name : Susie Lewinska
• Email : susie.lewinska@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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