Commercial Manager Grants

Job content

Location

Wolverhampton Centre, with some travel to various locations.

Summary

About the job

Building a strong Commercial Function in Government, and with it the right commercial capability, is at the heart of a far-reaching programme of Civil Service reform.

We are building a cadre of commercial talent in all Government departments; people who can manage our commercial portfolios, who can lead our most complex and novel programmes and projects, people who have the gravitas and depth of experience to work alongside our policy and operational leaders to develop innovative commercial arrangements, whether through joint ventures, outsourcing or best-in-class contracts.

The Government Commercial Organisation is an employer which is truly committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and are able to perform to their potential. We understand the importance of diversity and inclusion and strive for a workplace that reflects the communities which we serve. We especially welcome applications from underrepresented groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, candidates with a disability and candidates with gender-diverse identities. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

We have already made significant progress through the establishment of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), our single employer of senior commercial talent across government. This role will sit within the GCO, but based in our MHCLG commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity to be a senior Commercial leader in a new Assessment Hub that will help us deliver those funds efficiently and effectively to where they are most needed. You will be involved with senior leadership to develop a new Commercial team undertaking assessment and moderation of bid applications, and the monitoring and management of resulting grants for these current Funds.

You will have the opportunity to develop and lead a diverse and interesting portfolio of work and shape a new team to achieve strategic departmental aims. You will be part of an inclusive, collaborative directorate that strives to embed commercial best practice and efficiencies throughout the department.

Responsibilities

This role will give you an excellent opportunity to shape the look and feel of your team from day 1. It is a new role, so from the outset, you won’t be taking over from a previous incumbent, but will have lots of freedom to develop the team.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Be To

• Establish and lead the commercial team within the Assessment Hub to effectively undertake assessment of revenue and capital project proposals to determine deliverability;
• Rigorously scrutinise the assessment of financial, commercial, management, and monitoring and evaluation cases to ensure consistency both within the commercial team, and with that of other functional areas/departments;
• Lead moderation of Commercial assessments to underpin recommendations for how funding should be allocated between projects against the programme objectives in order to deliver the greatest possible impact and achieve the intended outcomes as well as delivering value for money;
• Develop and embed robust performance monitoring, management and evaluation processes for resulting grant agreements;
• Act as the champion for the Commercial function, taking ultimate authority and personal accountability for effective delivery and continuous improvement across a portfolio of programmes;
• Provide clear leadership and strategic direction to the team and senior managers, being a visible, engaged, active leader who creates an open and honest culture and actively promotes personal development of their team;
• Provide an effective senior point of escalation for any emerging issues to mitigate any negative impact on programmes;
• Provide effective relationship management and an ability to communicate appropriately and influence stakeholders at a senior level;
• Lead the design of robust commercial approaches, assessment and monitoring for future investment funds aligning with the Government’s Functional Standards on Grants;
• Act as the senior Commercial representative for governance and decision-making boards;
• Develop initiatives in the Department to improve commercial capability, integrating the work of the Assessment Hub into the department’s wider Commercial remit.
  

Technical skills

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

• Assertive - The ability to think of, research and apply new ideas and ways of doing things by encouraging and supporting innovations from others, experimenting and following ideas through to implementation;
• Risk Mindset - Can apply commercial acumen by strategically reviewing and analysing financial and commercial information to provide challenge and inform effective decision-making, options appraisal, costs, benefits and risks;
• Market Insight - Experience of grant assessment and/or monitoring and management is desirable. The ability to design and implement appropriate strategies and commercial models that deliver value for money solutions;
• Builds Relationships - Initiate, foster and manage constructive strategic relationships, internally and externally, challenging without alienating, and developing approaches that deliver value for money and minimise commercial risk;
• Coaching Manager - Develop and embed a new team with a clear vision and purpose from day one. Motivate, coach, direct and lead others to prioritise workloads, maximising potential and enabling continuous professional development.
  

Benefits

As a valued employee of the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO), you will have access to all the benefits the centre has to offer; including flexible working, generous benefits, Career Coaches, Mentors, L&D, a Commercial College, active talent management and, most importantly, access to commercial projects that will far exceed the scale and complexity on offer elsewhere in the UK.

For existing Civil Servants: For full details of the impact on any move across the civil service on your existing terms and conditions, please read the candidate pack. Please note that any move across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to continue to claim childcare vouchers.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

For full details of our process, and a likely timeline, please read the explanation provided in 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 essential criteria for the role which are detailed in the attached Candidate Pack.

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

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.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .

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.

Apply and further information

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 : Khalil AyubEmail : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.ukRecruitment team :Email : commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Helen Mallison (helen.mallison@cabinetoffice.gov.uk) in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission via the following web page: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/

Reference number

137049

Salary

70,176 - 96,909

GCO Pension, GCO Terms. Up to 15% performance-related-pay available on accreditation.

Grade

Grade 6

Associate Commercial Specialist

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

GCF - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Type of role

Commercial

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed Hours

Number of posts

1