Category Lead, Corporate Services

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 Department for Business and Trade commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

We are recruiting 1 Category Lead role for our Corporate Services Category.

The primary responsibility for this role is a proactive commercial lead that can martial many senior (SCS) stakeholders with confidence.  In addition to the traditional roles within category management, contract management (set out below in key responsibilities) and executing the procurement of goods and services for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) that deliver value for money, are compliant with procurement law, and which demonstrate best commercial and procurement practice, the individual should demonstrate pragmatic commercial approach to achieve best value in the context of the current evolving UK economic position.  This requires someone who is diligent, and detail orientated as direct routes to market may require negotiation (suppliers are being opportunistic): they need to understand our buyer leverage and which x-HMG / senior levers to pull. Experience of consultancy category desirable (understanding different consultancies pricing structures, drivers, strengths, weaknesses, tactics) but we can lean heavily on CCS and Cabinet Office for this so not essential. 

Influencing business strategy to deliver the best commercial outcomes is an important part of this role which requires proactive engagement and influencing to assist the DBT business unit in achieving its objectives. Challenging key stakeholder direction and decisions where appropriate is a key attribute of this role but always, crucially, by working collaboratively. Pre-market engagement will be a further vital element, ensuring that suppliers and supply markets are utilised and prepared to deliver maximum value for money.

Leveraging their procurement and contract management expertise the post holder, in addition to being flexible in approach and willing to quickly re-deploy within the Commercial Function dependent upon business requirements/needs will be expected to develop an understanding of, and provide leadership across, the Corporate Services, Marketing and Events categories of spend.  

The post holder is responsible for owning category data, setting category strategies, and leading on all aspects of commercial activity relating to the categories.  

The post holder is responsible for contract management of several strategically important contracts on behalf of the department. Liaising with senior stakeholders across the business, the post holder will ensure the contracts remain aligned to business demand and that timely, accurate and relevant insights and MI are produced. This includes ensuring robust supplier management, standards setting, payments management, negotiation and issue management.  For contracts owned by the business then the post holder is responsible for supporting professional contract management in the business.

The post holder shall be expected to identify areas where economies, efficiency, or effectiveness of spend in the category may be improved. Driven by this insight they will be responsible for designing and leading strategic sourcing work to procure the required services.  

The post holder will be expected to deploy their skills and experience flexibly across both sourcing and contract management to deliver this agenda. By applying best practice, the role will deliver value for money and propriety across an increasing range of expenditure through project work and a professional and imaginative approach to procurement, contract, and category management, ensuring value for money and savings for its customers. 

Experience of Corporate Services Category Management is desirable; however previous category experience in this specific category is not essential. What is essential is previous commercial experience which has helped deliver great customer outcomes and great value solutions.

Category Leadership 

• Develop and deliver a category strategy for people related goods and services and other professional services as appropriate.

• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of relevant supply markets and use this knowledge to monitor markets to proactively identify commercial opportunities that deliver most value. Influence stakeholders at all levels to develop requirements that align best to suppliers and supply market’s ability to deliver value. Ensure wider Government solutions/approaches (such as Crown Commercial Services) are used to best effect.

• Develop a strong and integral interface between business area and commercial that encourages better understanding and interaction between Commercial and the business. Manage and agree priorities and ensure an up-to-date procurement pipeline is maintained for the assigned spend under management.

• Manage and develop supply markets to meet current and future DBT needs through long term procurement strategy, ensuring that individual strategies are created that access the right markets and provide suppliers with the necessary engagement for optimal outcomes.

• Be accountable for the selection and implementation of appropriate commercial models to achieve DBT strategy and goals and encourage supportive supplier behaviour.

• Ensure that commercial risks are identified and managed at all stages of the procurement and in contract management, and that ongoing risks are transferred seamlessly into contract management.

• Deliver cashable savings and other financial/non-financial benefits against targets.

Procurement Leadership 

• Produce procurement strategies collaboratively with areas of the business requiring goods and services. The post holder will need/or be able to quickly gain a deep understanding of the supply market, category, and business context for both ongoing business and each specific procurement. Provide options and opportunities from commercial perspective looking at aspects such as requirements, solution options, risks, benefits, and sustainability.

• Develop and lead on large procurements that conform to the DBT Procurement Policy & Procedures Manual, and which comply fully with EU procurement law, DBT and government policy, and assurance processes.

• Provide continuity through a planned transition from tendering/contract award to contract management, which protects commercial gains and knowledge, manages risk, and ensures necessary resources and budgets are in place to appropriately manage the contract and maintain the expected value for money over the full contract term.

• Responsible for competitions delivered by the team, ensuring accurate, comprehensive, and transparent analysis, with recommendations to senior decision makers based on whole life costs that maintain full business ownership of the commercial outcomes.

• Ensure that procurement strategies consider Purchase to Pay (P2P) policy and process to identify the most efficient and effective way to acquire the procured goods and services.

• Undertake procurement work in other category teams, or contract management work as required, to balance workload across the DBT commercial team.

Contract Management

• Management of contracts in DBT, ensuring robust and appropriate contract management practice is established and adhered to.

• Ensuring through yourself and your team that finances and payments are managed, performance of the supplier is managed, changes to the contract are controlled and that overall value for money is being achieved.

• Planning for and executing an appropriate replacement and exit strategy for the contract.

Team Management 

• Initial management of 2 commercial staff.

• Provide leadership direction, standards, and advice to guide and motivate staff across the function.

• Provide training, mentoring, and coaching to develop staff capability and skills.

• Lead by example and be a role model for the DBT commercial team values and behaviours.

• Working closely with the Head of Commercial as well as the wider team to monitor and improve procurement team efficiency by focusing on value adding work and staff utilisation.

• Actively contribute to the DBT commercial team by identifying and implementing improvements to DIT commercial processes, systems, and skills.

• Provide leadership direction, standards, and advice to guide and motivate staff across the function.

• Apply DBT performance management processes consistently throughout the year to encourage higher levels of performance and address shortcomings.

Specialisms: 

• Project Procurement: Lead procurement workstreams that comply to the Cabinet Office Lean Sourcing methodology and apply strong project management tools and techniques to procurement activity at all project stages.

• Contract Management: Manage strategic interim labour contracts on behalf of the department in line with Government Commercial Function best practice and methodology.

• Category management: Experience of setting up and running a commercial category. Understand the management and reporting requirements within a category and be able to execute these to demonstrate the value add including savings, compliance, and market understanding.

Management responsibilities: 

• Provide leadership direction, standards and advice to guide and motivate staff. 

• Provide training, mentoring and coaching to develop staff capability and skills. 

• Lead by example and be a role model for the DBT commercial team values and behaviours. 

• Apply DBT performance management processes consistently throughout the year to encourage higher levels of performance and address shortcomings 

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

• Commercial Focus: Experience across a broad range of commercial disciplines and apply their experience to the requirements of the Government Commercial Function.
• Resilient: The ability to challenge senior stakeholder decisions, work under pressure, and deliver multiple projects within agreed timescales .
• Builds Relationships: Influences stakeholders to engage in and champion compliance to commercial policy requirements and the commercial upskilling of their teams.
• Coaching Manager: Coaches and supports colleagues to take responsibility for their own development, promoting knowledge and resource sharing within the commercial function.
• Procurement Process: Advises on relevant regulations and compliance issues demonstrating a strong knowledge.

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 : Stephen Sharpe
• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk