Commercial Relationship Adviser for Systems and Digital

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Are you a proactive individual with experience of working in a commercial function where you have spent time improving digital systems?

Do you enjoy working with people at all levels and pride yourself on your high-quality service?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity available and would love to hear from you!

Our transport system touches the lives of everyone in this country: it reunites families; takes millions of people to work every day; enables holidays; and keeps fresh food on the shelves of our supermarkets. This is an exciting time to work for the Department and an opportunity to gain a strong working knowledge within a dynamic commercial environment, to support national infrastructure and transport for the public and industry as we move towards decarbonisation.

The Commercial Relationship Management (CRM) Team is an important interface between the DfT businesses (in Rail, Maritime, Aviation, Roads and its Corporate functions) and the services delivered by Group Commercial Directorate (and its delivery partners such as Crown Commercial Services) and the role holder will be based in the “Roads” CRM team.

As Commercial Relationship Adviser for Systems and Digital, the primary role is to lead on optimising the use of our procurement system across the Roads, MARS (Maritime, Aviation and Corporate) and Digital CRM teams. This will include acting as change champion, troubleshooting emerging issues and ensuring compliance with our reporting obligations. All procurement activity is undertaken using an e-Sourcing Portal, Jaggaer, and the role holder will be required to effectively manage, update and maintain this system and support all transparency mandates regarding the publication of redacted Contract Award Notices and associated redacted contractual documentation within strict timescales. 

This role provides an excellent opportunity to lead and contribute on a variety of interesting and innovative projects with a diverse customer base. Coaching and upskilling customers on the procurement process and regulations under which we operate is key and require the post holder to adapt their behaviours accordingly and manage expectations.

To work collaboratively within this team, the role holder will be responsible for managing a portfolio of project activity at different stages of the Commercial Lifecycle as part of an ongoing pipeline of activity. Though based in the Roads team they will work across the entire CRM team in a matrix fashion. There will also be a requirement to feed into more official published pipelines and liaising from time to time with the Cabinet Office.

Your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Optimise the use of the Jaggaer e-Sourcing Portal ensuring compliance with our reporting and other obligations.
• Acting as change champion and Jaggaer lead across the Roads, MARS and Digital CRM teams.
• Manage a portfolio of digital procurements with a delegated authority limit of £5m to sign off competed Contract Awards and £100K for Direct Awards in-line with DfT’s purchasing guidelines.
• Advise customers on the procurement process; assess and navigate the most appropriate route to market, taking into account risk and the political landscape.
• Support procurements from strategy development through to Contract Award (below and above Public Contract Regulation thresholds). This includes, development of tenders and procurement documentation, managing and responding to clarification questions, running the evaluation processes (including chairing consensus meetings), drafting contracts and compiling/reviewing feedback for the award letters to successful and unsuccessful bidders.
• Engage closely with colleagues in Group Commercial Directorate – in particular the Systems team, the Data & MI team, other Commercial Relationship Managers and Advisors, Policy, and Supplier Relationship Management colleagues, which may involve representing CRM on a working group and in nominated governance groups or boards.
• Manage and update the procurement pipeline by engaging with customers, capturing information and logging this onto the Jaggaer e-Sourcing Portal.
• Ensure the data held within the Jaggaer e-Sourcing Portal is accurately updated (i.e., any changes to an existing contract, or key personnel) in relation to own and team activity.
• Work with Contract Managers in the customer teams to ensure that contracts awarded are successfully managed in-life and that any supplier performance issues are escalated and addressed.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

You will have experience working in a commercial function, with time spent within an IT/ Digital landscape, working closely on procurements associated to this environment. You will have a keen eye for detail and aptitude for learning allowing you to confidently navigate a variety of systems required to effectively manage day to day tasks.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills, enabling you to develop and maintain positive working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues and customers. You will be an articulate, confident communicator with the ability to adapt your communication style and set expectation with your audience.

You will be a proactive individual, who is comfortable working both in a team environment and individually, where you are comfortable taking ownership of challenges and finding innovative solutions. You will be a fast learner who thrives within a dynamic environment and is keen to have a meaningful impact.

Additional Information

This role will require travel approximately twice a month to attend supplier events and meetings.

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. DfT workplace attendance expectations were updated in recruitment campaigns on 17 November 2023. Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.

Qualifications

Please note, as there are Contract Management requirements/responsibilities with this role, there is a mandatory requirement for candidates to be accredited in Contract Management or be willing to work towards this. The Contract Management Capability programme is a Civil Service Board requirement, and ALL contract managers must be fully accredited to their appropriate level. We will support you in obtaining accreditation once in post if not already held.

Contract Management Experience – the candidate will be expected to attain in post the Contract Management Commercial Capability (CMCP) Foundation level accreditation and the CIPS Ethical training

We require candidates to be CIPS qualified or have the willingness to undertake this as it is mandated that the postholder will undertake the CIPS qualification at an appropriate level.

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out more about what it’s like working at the Department for Transport.

Job contact :

• Name : Sean Connolly
• Email : sean.connolly@dft.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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