Head Office Commercial Category Manager SEO – Consultancy & Professional Services

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Kentigern House, Glasgow – G2 8EX, MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol – BS34 8JH, MOD Main Building, London SW1A 2HB, Imjin Barracks, Innsworth (Gloucestershire), GL3 1HW

About the job

Job summary

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the UK Government’s fourth largest spending Department with a budget exceeding £36Bn pa, and net assets of over £100Bn. MOD is responsible for over 40% of the value of all Government contracts placed with the private sector each year.

Head Office Commercial provides commercial contracts and services to our customers with a contract landscape of circa £4Bn pa. We advise and support our customers by creating routes to market for a diverse range of products and services, managing all aspects of customer and supplier relationships whilst spending taxpayer’s money in an effective and compliant manner. 

The Head Office Category Management team is at the forefront of the implementation of category management within MOD, working as a key part of a broader Category Management Transformation Programme. Head Office Category Management is the pan MOD lead for consultancy, professional services, people services and corporate services through the full commercial lifecycle.

As a Commercial Category Manager, you will establish positive relationships with a diverse range of customers across MOD, creating market leading category strategies and delivering routes to market for current and future needs. Effective relationship development and stakeholder management skills are key to your success.

This role requires drive, enthusiasm and dynamism from the successful candidate. Key areas of focus will include market analysis, spending reviews, identifying cost drivers, reviews of supply chain and contract requirements. You will establish then align internal and external category expectations, and deliver change across MOD Commercial as part of transformation activities

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week

Job description

Their primary responsibility is to optimise the performance of External Assistance (Contingent Labour, Professional Services and Consultancy) spend category within the MOD .

• Identify and support the implementation of commercial routes to market to drive growth in benefits.
• Develop and lead Communications Campaigns across, Commercial and wider MOD Stakeholders and when necessary other Government Depts.
• Development of category strategies which maximise customer value for money and a continuous improvement structure.
• Act as the Commercial POC for External Assistance, delivering and facilitating associated working groups and forums.
• Develop and implement value creation strategies contributing towards MOD’s External Assistance savings targets, support Governance efforts to increase control and reduce External Assistance spend.
• Collaborate with the wider External Assistance team members to identify Contract Management opportunities to deliver benefits.
• Build effective supplier relationships and maintain communication. 

Person specification

Strong experience of relationship development and stakeholder management within Commercial environments

Experience of working in a strategic role

Proactive leadership of contract, supplier and performance management activities

Previous experience of procuring Consultancy & Professional Services in the Public Sector

Expertise in supporting the defining of requirements, development of sourcing strategies and identification of appropriate sourcing options

Good working knowledge of CP&F and DSP

Experience of working in a category management environment supporting the development and implementation of category strategies.

Relevant Contract Management experience, including awareness/exposure to a variety of resource delivery models and all related process and governance

Essential Criteria

• The successful candidate must provide evidence of CIPS level 4 (or equivalent) or be willing to work towards this by commencing study within one year of appointment.
• Additionally, the successful candidate will be expected to undertake the relevant training to obtain the MOD Practitioner Commercial Licence.
• Previous experience in a commercial/procurement environment 

Other attributes:

Credible, and confident in building relationships with stakeholders

Resilient, politically astute in supporting senior stakeholders with varied agendas

Organised, able to prioritise the use of limited resources (money, time and people)

Confident presenter (written and oral), able to influence peers and stakeholders

Demonstrates commercial acumen in advising customers and delivering results

Strong Microsoft application skills, particularly relating to Excel, PowerPoint and Power BI

Qualifications/experience

Candidates who have not obtained commercial professional qualifications must be willing to gain and retain the relevant Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply level (with MOD support) and obtain a Commercial licence

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Attributes for Government Commercial Professionals – Section B: Expertise 3. Strategy and Policy Development

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,590, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,917 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

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 office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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 : Zoeie Keogh-Bennett
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: [email protected].

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