Commercial Assurance Lead x2

The Department for Transport (DfT) works with our Agencies, Arm’s Length Bodies and partners

to support the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move.

This Commercial Assurance Lead role presents a fantastic opportunity for a commercial professional to engage and influence, through commercial assurance, commercial arrangements for the nation’s major transport infrastructure projects.

The role will help the successful candidate build their commercial career and enhance their CV through involvement in complex, high value transport infrastructure projects.

The role sits within the Group Commercial Directorate, specifically in the Commercial Lifecycle Assurance, Supply Chain and Category Management (ASCCM) team, and is a fantastic opportunity to become involved with our major projects and supply chains and to help ensure delivery of effective commercial strategies in support of UK growth.

The culture within DfT is friendly, welcoming and supportive. One of our strategic priorities is to “Be an Excellent Department”, which entails:

• Striving to be the best we can be.
• Delivering the best outcomes for the travelling public.
• Being a department that continuously improves its delivery, and where people feel well supported, are able to reach their potential and enjoy working.

Important information for applicants

We have two posts available. One is a permanent post and the second is a fixed term appointment until April 2027 for maternity cover.

The Commercial Assurance Lead will provide scrutiny and expert, robust challenge, covering all commercial affairs, ensuring that senior management and governance bodies are advised of procurement and commercial risks in the delivery of the Department’s aims and objectives.

The position will involve cross functional working within the DfT Group Commercial Operating Model, undertaking commercial assurance reviews for a portfolio of projects from across the Department, and reporting to Investment Boards and the Commercial Assurance Board.

The post holder will be able to influence the commercial arrangements for some of the UK’s most significant and critical transport projects through close and ongoing progressive assurance engagement, and will expose the successful candidates to a number of different commercial categories, approaches and models. The post will suit applicants with a wide range of procurement and contract management experience.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Your application will be reviewed by a panel and should you be successful at sift we will invite you to attend a Virtual commercial Assessment and Development Centre (VADC). The panel will review results of the VADC and determine which candidates will go through to a subsequent final panel interview. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Wednesday 16th September 2026 and will require a full day's attendance.

If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team on commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.

For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the attached candidate pack.

Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the Technical Skills (essential criteria) and your Job History (CV) that you will be asked to provide during the application process. Further help and advice on our application and selection process can be found at this web address https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/gcf-how-to-apply/

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within 2 working days please contact: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.