Commercial Category Manager

Job content

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

About The Job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has overall responsibility for developing, coordinating, and delivering a new trade and investment policy for the UK, including preparing for and then negotiating Free Trade Agreements and market access deals with non-EU countries, and promoting UK trade and investment across the world. 

We are a department for the whole of the UK, and we work with business partners across the country. In our engagement, we strive to understand businesses’ needs for the international trading environment and support their ambitions to export and invest across borders. We provide advice, intelligence on opportunities, and export finance and insurance.    

The DBT Commercial Team provide expert commercial advice and delivery on grants, procurement, contract management and government to government agreements. We embody the DBT Spirit: being expert, enterprising, engaged, and inclusive. In joining us you will be part of a high performing, supportive and continually improving commercial team and play a part in helping us realise our ambition of being the best commercial team in Government. 

This is an exciting opportunity to work within DBT’s Commercial function as we grow our team.

Working in one of our Category Team positions, you will be contributing to the procurement and managing of contracts and suppliers that provide the Department with the external services and expertise it requires. You will be playing your part in to fulfilling the mission of DBT: promoting UK exports and investment in the UK; overcoming barriers to free trade; establishing Free Trade Agreements; and ensuring no UK export fails for lack of finance.

You will have the opportunity to work directly with the business and with suppliers in the delivery of your work and be exposed to an exhilarating, challenging and diverse range of commercial challenges. You’ll also benefit from access to our corporate subscriptions to both IACCM and CIPS, providing a wide range of on the peer-to-peer learning opportunities and access to a global network of commercial professionals and expertise.

Job Description

• Supporting delivery of a category strategy for the relevant category team.
• Undertake end-to-end procurements, including those subject to Public Contracts Regulations.
• Support the Commercial Lead for the category in commercial leadership across the organisation, both in the UK and DBT’s overseas network through key initiatives ensuring best practice and delivery of savings.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of your customers business and culture, supporting them in your role as contract manager, helping to embed good contract management practices.
• Implement, manage, improve, and promote the use of systems, tools and data management to create useful management information to support the business in spend in your category.
• Ensure communication is audience focused, clear, concise, and consistent to assist understanding and support for policy / process change and ensure implementation is positive and consistent.
• Support and provide leadership to deliver effective results on time, to required quality standards and cost, to fulfil the business plan and achieve/ support environmental goals.
• Conduct regular supplier relationship analysis and benchmarking activities.
• Develop detailed knowledge of the obligations within DBT contracts, maintaining knowledge of the levers, performance standards, and KPIs etc. contained within.
• Advise and support the business and internal stakeholders responding accurately with reference to contractual issues in a timely manner, seeking support when required.
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Substantial experience managing in a goods and services procurement or contract management environment.
• A proven track record of setting high standards and delivering results in a complex and demanding procurement function.
• Able to analyse and apply essential procurement techniques and research skills to investigate supply markets, suppliers, and commodities.
• Experience of working as an expert or lead role in the application of procurement tools and undertaking strategic procurement exercises to improve value for money.
• Significant experience in establishing and maintaining excellent working relationships with internal and external customers and stakeholders, and the ability to influence stakeholders and procurement decisions.
  

Desirable Criteria

• A member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) or can evidence excellent commercial experience and skills.
• Experience of line management.
  

Personal Attributes & Skills

We are looking for a motivated individual, with a desire to learn about the business. They should be able to demonstrate that they’re an excellent team player and leader with a strong customer focus. They should have strong interpersonal skills and be adept at tailoring messages for different audiences. Candidates should be self-starters comfortable with managing multiple projects concurrently with the ability to manage and prioritise personal workload.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
  

Technical Skills

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

• Pre-market (Section 1) 2. initiating a pre-market and category management process and Sourcing (Section 2). Please follow the link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f2ef2ed915d74e33f4d8a/Commercial_Skills_Framework_v_October_2015__1_.pdf
  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,052, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,274 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
  

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) 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

Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.
  

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the CV only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ’Contact point for applicants’ section.

Candidate Support

You may want to join a virtual  Candidate Support Session . These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview. 

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases. 
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. 
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
  

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland/Access NI on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window) . See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality Requirements

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Paola Malvisi
• Email : paola.malvisi@businessandtrade.gov.uk
  

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints