Commercial Lead

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is an amazing place to work. DWP works on some of the most important and exciting policies in government. We are proud of our work and want to offer applicants the opportunity to get involved in our ambitious agenda to improve outcomes for millions of citizens in the UK; throughout their lives, in the workplace, and in retirement.

DWP is responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy. Consequently, DWP impacts everyone in the UK, delivering services to help jobseekers find work, assist with a disability, or provide support for retirement.

If you like to be challenged, you’ll feel at home with us in DWP Commercial Directorate as we’re one of the largest Government Commercial functions, with stretching challenges and a real opportunity to make a difference to the lives of our customers.

Within DWP, the Commercial Directorate (CD) is an award-winning commercial function, with a unified team of culture focused on commercial excellence and continuous improvement. CD shapes how services are delivered across hundreds of third-party contractual arrangements, with some of the largest industry suppliers.

DWP’s CD is divided into several categories, which includes the Employment Category. This Commercial Category is based across our Leeds, Sheffield & London Hubs. (To note these roles are based in either Sheffield and/or Leeds)

This Category provides critical services to DWP and its customers, enabling them to effectively

deliver its objectives on behalf of the Secretary of State, through effective management of the end-to-end procurement lifecycle and directing the Department’s strategies for commercial delivery.

This is an exciting time to join CD, as we are seeking experienced commercial professionals to lead in the delivery of the business strategy and be responsible for delivery of key procurement and contract management outcomes within the team. These roles offer attractive long-term career opportunities within supportive and engaging working environments, alongside a range of excellent employee benefits. We require driven and dynamic individuals able to achieve results in a challenging but rewarding commercial environment. You will contribute to the development of Category expertise within the team, and increase the level of commerciality, operational execution, and stakeholder/supplier engagement. Your role will be to support the above Category and will require you to be passionate about creating change, taking a leadership role in the development of an enhanced Category management capability. You will have the skills to challenge, inspire, and lead others in a complex landscape of departmental transformation.

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 be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on Monday 2nd November 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.