Senior Procurement Manager – Digital & Technology

Job content

Location

Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Norwich, York

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 DHSC T&T commercial team delivering departmental objectives.

Job Description

This role sits within the Digital & Technology Category within Test and Trace Commercial.

This category provides services including application and software requirements, platforms & tooling, data & analytics, quality assurance, testing, engineering, digital solutions and technical architecture. This team will ensure the services are aligned to business needs and the Test & Trace digital and technology strategy.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate may deliver on some or all the following activities:

Pre-Sourcing & Sourcing:

• Responsible for establishing and maintaining a category management structure within the NHS Test and Trace Commercial Function. This covers the totality of the procurement life-cycle, and will result in best-in-class procurement and contract management processes based upon the candidate’s deep commercial and category expertise;
• Provide specialist category expertise to enable delivery of creative and innovative market leading commercial solutions;
• Own development and delivery of the commercial category strategy including planning, governance and performance management. Perform procurement reporting and analysis of management information to identify improvement opportunities;
• Support and input into a progressive commercial strategy for the specification, procurement and management of all contracted and outsourced activity;
• Ensure agreed category cost savings, efficiencies and value add targets are delivered;
• Responsible for cascading guidance and direction on commercial principles and good practice and ensuring the correct application of commercial rules and principles apply when delivering NHS Test and Trace business;
• Ensure business continuity and that robust contingencies are in place for critical delivery;
• Lead and support the development of key documentation including business cases and tender documentation;
• Negotiate Commercial Agreements with third parties, coordinating interfaces and integrating across contracts and suppliers;
• Lead the development and creation of contracts;
• Take overall responsibility for the performance of suppliers and manage underperformance to resolution. This includes leading mediation and dispute resolution;
• Lead transition management, exit strategy and contract renegotiations including driving value from the use of performance metrics and success criteria.
  

Contract Management:

• Lead or support or create opportunities to improve performance and value across all classified contracts;
• Managing aspects of the delivery of the T&T Commercial contract management including contract performance management, contract variation and amendments, and ensuring contracts deliver against scope;
• Manage Contract negotiations and renewals;
• Manage Contract disputes and issues and liaise with Legal Team;
• Develop and manage deep knowledge of Commercial contracts, ensuring they are up to date and compliant;
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of respective supplier markets and understand how their categories are evolving in the market to provide expert advice on relevant regulation and compliance issues;
• Deliver and embed robust Supplier Relationship Management processes and procedures, in line with GCO Standards;
• Chairing monthly supplier reviews including key stakeholders for the Test and Trace Programme;
• Establishing clear, concise and objective management reporting and KPIs on progress, status, issues and risks.
  

Process, Policy and Risk Management:

• Manage Commercial contribution to all Change Requests and Project Requests;
• Maintain comprehensive audit trails and justifications for price control;
• Be responsible for implementing and maintaining adherence to the department’s risk management framework;
• Oversee risk register to ensure risk owners across all levels of the department manage risks and put relevant controls in;
• Engage with staff at all levels as appropriate to ensure that risk management remains visible, accessible, proportionate and relevant to all those involved in decision-making;
• Lead on continuous improvement activity, supporting the design and implementation of new policies and procedures in line with Commercial best practice;
• Ensure that effective financial management arrangements are in place for all contracts. This includes financial monitoring, budgetary controls, approving invoices and generally establishing financial control arrangements which provide absolute assurance that the financial terms of the contract are met including responsibility for any adjustments or deductions as applicable.
  

Leadership:

• Develop strong strategic relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders to maximise opportunities to collaborate, achieve efficiencies, improve capability and promote the procurement profession;
• Lead or support the development or create opportunities to improve commercial leverage and drive best practice across all categories;
• Provide consistent and clear commercial advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders and be a key point of contact to the department;
• Ensure the Department is compliant with all relevant Government, EU and Departmental policies, regulations and legislation;
• Comply with Civil Service policies and procedures; this includes ensuring that responses to Freedom of Information Requests and Parliamentary Questions are handled robustly and accurately;
• Develop a commercially focused culture within the team and work to develop relationships with key stakeholders to improve commercial understanding across the business;
• Proactively support the professional development of all team members, taking responsibility for the ongoing performance and development of staff and performance of the team as a whole;
• Create an environment that enables empowerment and support of the team;
• Work collaboratively to deliver the team’s vision and objectives;
• Provide leadership direction, standards and advice to the wider Commercial department, contributing to the culture of meeting the highest commercial standards and continuous learning and improvement.
  

Technical skills

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

• Digital & Technology: Extensive commercial experience in Digital and/or Technology, with a strong understanding of Architecture, Mobile applications, Data, Information security and Software/Licence agreements.
• Procurement Process: Evidence of managing contracts successfully in a fast-paced, changing environment, keeping ahead of market factors to ensure successful outcomes are delivered.
• Manages Complexity: Experience of managing large contracts with complex commercial structures to ensure value for money is achieved. Demonstrating strategic thinking, flexibility, risk management and resilience.
• Builds Relationships: Experience of identifying, developing and building strong, productive relationships at all levels and with a variety of stakeholders with different backgrounds, perspectives and drivers.
• Commercial Focus: Experience of delivery across the full commercial lifecycle including knowledge and understanding of commercial policies, their practical application and the ability to implement the latest commercial methodologies.
• Coaching Manager: Evidence of leading teams in large-scale complex organisations with a track record of successfully building commercial capability.
  

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 : Dominique KingEmail : 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

137339

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 - Department of Health and Social Care - Test and Trace

Type of role

Commercial

Working pattern

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

Number of posts

1