Deputy Director, Government Commercial and Grants Digital Services

The Government Commercial and Grants Services (GCG Services) team works across two key Government Functions, the Commercial Function and the Grants Management Function. We deliver best in class digital, data and analytical solutions to drive meaningful services with cutting edge technology and data driven insights, enabling greater efficiencies and more integrated ways of working across c.£172bn of government grant funding and c.£50bn of procurement spend. GCG Services is a fast paced and exciting place to work. The team is leading the way through use of digital tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness of grants and contract administration, while simultaneously improving data completeness and accuracy. Through our collective efforts we have delivered true value to the public and we are excited to be taking the next steps in our journey.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and implement services that will make a huge difference to communities across the UK. We can’t wait to hear from you! 

The role holder will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of joined up digital strategies that drive forward the Government’s agenda to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of grant and commercial activity across government and wider public sector. They will be responsible for driving forward multi-million pound benefits and savings. As a Digital Leader, the role holder will advise the C-suite equivalent Officials and Ministers on innovation and technology that drives improved outcomes to the Commercial and Grants digital ecosystem. This strategic and operational role also provides expertise and oversight to delivery excellence across the GCG digital portfolio, driving innovation and continuous improvement through Agile methodologies and the application of the Digital Service Standard. They will be responsible for the ongoing service management of established systems such as Find A Tender, CASIE, GGIS, Spotlight with thousands of diverse customer needs from citizens to government and wider public sector. The role demands the ability to think strategically coupled with a track record of embedding a diverse and inclusive culture, developing digital skills and capabilities, which drives high performance and productivity.

The main post holder responsibilities include:

● Leadership of a core team of circa 24 staff of mixed grades and specialisms alongside multiple digital supplier, contractors and consultants.
● Improve departmental capability and overall system resilience to changing economic, political and technological developments via the development of digital tools and increased automation of manual tasks.
● Managing a core budget of circa £10m plus additional funding secured via in-year, ensuring the budget and contract management delivers value for money for the taxpayer.
● Deliver digital services to reduce risk and maximise outcomes of over £300bn of Government spend across grants and contracts, increasing public trust.
● Delivering and evolving strategy for provision of Grants and Commercial systems and services to reflect government priorities and changes in technology and security threats.
● Drive adoption of digital service, developing an operating model that includes a commercial and sales strategy to achieve revenue and growth that enables the strategic priorities of GCG Services.

It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, that you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post.

Essential Criteria:

• A track record of leading success in the design, development and delivery of large complex digital services.
• Strategic thinking skills, with some understand of data-driven and / or technical work, and the ability to make complex issues accessible to policy professionals and senior leaders.
• Ability to develop a visionary roadmap for the efficient delivery of high-performing digital services to users.
• Proven success in building and developing high-performing teams of senior digital, data and technology professionals.
• Experience in promoting your work area and organisation, demonstrating benefits to stakeholders and potential users or supporters, and growing interest in, and use of, your product/service.
• Proven experience in development and delivery of commercial and sales strategies that enable sustainable operating models.
• Experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary digital teams, including product development, service management and business engagement.
• Evidence led influencer.
• Effective stakeholder engagement.
• Financial management of budgets and complex commercial contracts.

Desirable Criteria:

• Agile practitioner.
• Development of secure systems.
• Experience in Platforms: Salesforce, Azure, AWS.

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

• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career within the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

This includes:
• 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays.
• This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday;
• A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire;
• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers;
• Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax- Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare.
Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here;
• Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle;
• The opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable); and occupational sick pay.

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 : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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