Commercial Practitioner - Digital Category
Department for Work and Pensions
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 27th October 2024
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Procurement and Contracts Management
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About the job
Job summary
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) touches the lives of everyone in the UK in some shape or form, delivering services and support to help people find work, assist with a disability or provide support through their retirement. As a key part of DWP, the Commercial Directorate (CD) shapes how services are delivered across their 3rd party contractual arrangements.
Making the Difference
Digital Category procure the IT infrastructure, software, hardware, resource and outcome related services and anything further technology-related to support all of the DWP internal and external programmes and services. From buying laptops for DWP staff to supporting UK-wide work capability and health assessments, from data hosting to networks, we help source, procure and manage the Digital technology that underpins DWP’s vital services. We work closely with our Digital colleagues, providing the commercial support and guidance to aid Digital colleagues achieve their outcomes, and acting as a commercial business partner to link them through to other categories of CD when their requirements are not for IT.
What you can expect
If you like to be challenged, you’ll feel at home with us in CD as we’re one of the largest Government Commercial functions, with stretching challenges and opportunities created by using latest Digital innovations to build on our reputation for pushing the Governments agenda in making a difference to the lives of our customers.
Job description
This opportunity is within the CD Digital team that’s aligned to DWP Digital Technology Services Directorate and we’re looking for a commercial practitioner specifically to work within the Digital Workplace sub-category.
The role will require you to work closely with colleagues and stakeholders from respective business areas; Digital and wider DWP and also with Finance Business Partners to shape how we approach the market for the requirements our stakeholders have, to run effective commercial processes that deliver excellent outcomes, and to ensure the contracts placed are managed effectively to achieve those outcomes.
We require passionate and dynamic individuals who can deliver commercial solutions at pace. You will be required to provide commercial advice, guidance and a proportionate level of leadership within the commercial team and stakeholders across a portfolio of Services in Digital Group. working to challenging timescales, and delivering core services as well as supporting transformation activities.
You will be pro-active and demonstrate commercial knowledge and understanding of the procurement process and alignment with Cabinet Office Sourcing Playbook and work in accordance with the DWP commercial operating model and policies. You will be motivated to achieve value for money and wider social value through the commercial activities you are involved in.
CD believe in supporting staff development and offer relevant training; all staff are expected to use at least five working days per year on development activities, balancing on the job learning with more traditional training courses.
Person specification
The roles and responsibilities for this position include but are not restricted to:
- Leading commercial activity for specific Digital initiatives across the full commercial end to end lifecycle (pre-market engagement, sourcing, contract, performance and relationship management).
- Developing and maintaining commercial pipelines and plans to ensure sufficient time is given to commercial activity while supporting business stakeholders in achieving their objectives.
- Undertaking and ensuring robust governance and assurance is conducted to meet audit and compliance requirements across the Department, Cabinet Office, Government Digital Services, Minister and Her Majesties Treasury and ensuring adherence to Government Commercial Operating Standards.
- Identifying opportunities and challenging the market to deliver added value through contracts, such as the achievement of social value initiatives.
- Identifying, contributing to and delivering commercial cost savings playing your part in achieving overarching targets within your category and collectively within CD.
- Participating in, and driving improvement in, the in-life management of contracts and suppliers.
- Promoting commercial best practice and DWP/Government commercial policies to stakeholders to maximise compliance.
- Maintaining auditable records of commercial activity on our eProcurement solution.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
The application process will involve uploading a tailored CV and personal statement. To be successful, you must demonstrate your experience within your personal statement matching ALL of the essential skills listed below. Further information is available under ‘Application process’.
Business Acumen & Commercial Judgement
- Demonstrate how you shaped the description of your organisation’s requirements or the way your organisation was approaching the market to elicit the best response from the external market, articulating any trades-offs you may have made.
Technical Commercial Skills
- Provide evidence to show how you have added value to commercial activity, resulting in a better outcome for your organisation. This activity can be from any point in the commercial lifecycle, i.e. understanding needs & sourcing options, the procurement process itself, or in-life contract or supplier management.
Stakeholder Management / Engagement / Communication
- Demonstrate previous experience of how you’ve worked collaboratively across a range of stakeholders and secured buy-in using appropriate communication and influencing skills, preferably in a commercial context.
Leadership
- Demonstrate how you have previously taken ownership to drive an issue forward within your team, including giving direction and feedback to colleagues that has produced positive results; including how you demonstrated resilience in resolving issues internally and in working with others in the team to manage setbacks.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
- Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
- Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
- Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
- Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
This job role is suitable for hybrid working, where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please apply on the Civil Service Jobs website. You will be required to:
- Provide personal information.
- Enter your CV in the space provided, setting out your employment history.
- Complete a personal statement (maximum of 1250 words) which should demonstrate how you meet ALL the essential skills as set out in the job description.
Stage 1 assessment - Sift:
At sift, we will assess your application by using your CV and Personal Statement only. To be successful, you must demonstrate your experience matching ALL the essential skills listed in the job advert above.
Please note that you are not required to produce behaviour-based examples in the content of your CV or personal statement. Applications will be sifted and scored based on the information supplied in both your CV and Personal Statement and entered as one overall score within the results.
Stage 2 Assessment - Interview:
If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be invited to a video interview using MS Teams, where your experience against the role requirements will be assessed via questioning and we will also assess you on the two behaviours listed below.
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Prior to Interview
Once you have received notification of success at the sift stage, it is important that you download MS Teams to either a laptop, tablet or personal computer.
You will need to select a date and time for your video interview from an online list. Providing you have already supplied your personal email address, you will then receive an invitation for your selected date and time, along with a link to the MS Teams interview session.
Prior to your interview you will be required to provide copies of relevant documents to confirm your ID. These documents should either be scanned, or photographed using a smart phone, and emailed to the person issuing the invitation to interview, no later than 24hrs before your interview. Validation of these documents will be required at the interview.
Indicative Timeline:
Please note that the following dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. If you are unable to meet these time frames, please let us know in your application.
Sifting Panel: From 28th October 2024.
Final Panel Interviews: From 18th November 2024.
Places for Growth and Social Mobility
As part of the Places for Growth Programme, we are committed to delivering a more geographically diverse Civil and Public Service that will better serve the public and ministers.
As part of this initiative, we are continuously reviewing how we recruit into each location.
Postings
Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.
Successful candidates will be posted to a specific role and will have the opportunity to express a preference as part of the selection process, although final decisions may come down to business need, and the skills and development needs of candidates. Standard promotion rules will apply, and successful candidates will be placed on the pay scale and terms and conditions of DWP.
You will be asked for your preferences for up to three locations, these will tell us where you would prefer to work if you are successful. Please do not select a location unless you are prepared to accept a role in that location.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service 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.
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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s 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.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Indirect Wing Business Management Team
- Email : technology.bom@dwp.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
