Assistant Commercial Manager
Home Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Saturday 11th January 2025
Details
Reference number
Salary
London pay location: Croydon £48,720 min, £52,130 max
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
Corporate and Delivery Directorate works closely with the Home Office’s policy and operational commands to enable us together to deliver the department’s priorities. The directorate is comprised of different teams and professional functions, including Commercial, Finance, People, Portfolio and Project Delivery, Security, Estates and Information and Digital, Data and Technology.
We are seeking enthusiastic individuals to work at SEO level to provide critical activities to support the delivery of Commercial’s objectives. These roles could be of interest to contract managers who are looking to broaden their commercial skills in a central commercial function or to existing commercial staff who would enjoy taking on a new role.
Job description
The Home Office Commercial team is part way through a programme of change which has seen us recruiting across all grades. Now we are seeking diligent individuals to work at SEO level to provide critical activities to support the delivery of Commercial’s objectives. These roles could be of interest to commercial professionals with procurement experience and expertise or contract managers who are looking to broaden their commercial skills in a central commercial function or to existing commercial staff who would enjoy taking on a new role. Successful candidates will receive a programme of development with the opportunity to study towards professional commercial qualifications.
So, whatever your background, either public or private, if you are enthusiastic about delivering first class outcomes then come and join our journey.
Working pattern
These role are available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.
Travel
Some travel to hub locations to participate in team activities may be required.
Responsibilities
- Working with Commercial Leads (G7) to develop strategic category or business focussed plans to address key commercial challenges, such as building commercial capability of contract managers or looking for alignments across the commercial portfolio that will deliver greater benefits or efficiencies
- Work with business colleagues and external suppliers to closely supervise contracts or deliver procurements, and all milestones delivered as the need arises, with funds released as appropriate.
- Provide commercial guidance to peers or senior colleagues that draws on relevant procurement legislation, policy, information, supply market knowledge and commercial experience. Maintain awareness of developments in procurement policy and commercial case law.
- Identify commercial risks, ensuring understanding, recording, and managing through all stages of the procurement, and ongoing risks transfer seamlessly into contract management.
- Identify savings, ensuring understanding, recording, and managing through all stages of the procurement and contract management. Gather lessons learned from all procurements, detailing to advise future projects and influence improvements in commercial processes, systems, and skills
- Assist in the mentoring and development of peers and junior colleagues to develop a robust cadre of talent across the HO and GCO. Some line management may e required in some of these roles.
Person specification
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in a procurement team and a good understanding of procurement best practice and/ or experience working in a contract management role and a good understanding of commercial contract management practices.
- Experience of working with third party suppliers, charities, or Voluntary Sector organisations to deliver goods or services.
- Outstanding understanding of the full Commercial Lifecycle.
- Excellent people skills to manage challenging priorities and deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- A level of innovation and drive to continuously improve and increase value from Home Office commercial agreements.
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of the terms and conditions of contracts and work with the market/supplier to ensure these will be/are achieved.
Desirable criteria
- CIPS
- Awareness / experience of using CCS Frameworks.
- Public Procurement experience
- For roles in DDaT, experience of technology would be advantageous
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
- Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
- Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
- See more of our benefits on our careers website.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.
1. Application - by 11th January 2025.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
- CV detailing qualifications, job history and skills
- Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
Your CV should consist of your career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be used to provide further context on your personal statement and scored against the essential criteria.
The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.
For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.
2. Sift - from 22nd January 2025
The sift will be held on the CV, Personal Statement.
Should a high volume of applications be received, the sift will be conducted only on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of the Behaviours
The Personal Statement will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will progress to a further sift where the Behaviours Communicating & Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service will be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will not have their Behaviour(s) scored and will only receive a sift score for the Personal Statement.
3. Interview - from 5th February 2025
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be:
- Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.
The interview will take place on Microsoft Teams.
For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.
Further information
Problems during the application process
If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.
Location preferences
You can select up to two/three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.
Reserve lists will be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.
Standards
All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
Additional Security checks
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
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.
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up. For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance Required” 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
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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 : Home Office resourcing centre
- Email : HORCCampaignTeamCorporateEnablers@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
