Category Manager – Professional Services

London, York, Bristol, Birmingham, Exeter, Reading, Leeds, Newcastle, Warrington. Possible travel required to meet customers, suppliers and team meetings., Defra Group Commercial (DGC) is part of Defra, the central Government Department responsible for growing the rural economy, improving the environment; and safeguarding animal and plant health.
DGC is responsible for providing a procurement service to organisations within the Defra Network.
The role is to manage spend effectively and innovatively in order to meet the Defra network outcomes, whilst also fulfilling its Spending Review targets.
The post-holder will undertake a strategic management and influencing role. They will provide expert advice to the business on commercial issues and governance. They will be expected to deliver value for money whilst applying the Commercial DNA principles.
The role holder will hold strategic management roles within the DGC team, providing strategic and operational support to the Senior Commercial Manager/Head of Category and other senior leaders. They will promote commercial principles within the Defra network and wider Government, influencing policy where appropriate. They will manage, motivate and direct a professional commercial team to develop and implement corporate initiatives to control and secure compliance with business outcomes and to ensure continuous improvement in the field of procurement.
This role will involve managing a small team of 5., The Category Manager role will report to the Senior Category Manager/Head of Category.
The job description is generic and will apply to all Category Manager roles.
+ Contribute to project scrutiny and approval boards as required.
+ Lead on commercial engagement on major projects and prescribed expenditure sub-categories or specialism, undertaking and leading on the end-to-end commercial DNA process on behalf of customers.
+ Deliver & own Defra sub-category and category plans and develop market category expertise within portfolio.
+ Deliver strategic, high risk, high value contracts and frameworks as part of a multi functional team.
+ Act as strategic lead on supplier relationship management within a given portfolio.
+ Represent the Commercial team at senior management meetings and in Crown Commercial Service category meetings. Deliver customer outcomes whilst recognising the importance of supply positioning and supplier preferencing.
+ Effectively influence customers across the network to deliver value for money, achieving savings targets and sustainable outcomes in the procurement of works, goods and services.
+ Lead by example in our approach to sustainability and communicating its importance, influencing others to improve their approach
+ Ensure sustainability is considered throughout our work and is the responsibility of all.
+ Provide expert advice on commercial risk management and deliver mitigation plans / strategies to manage identified risks at corporate level.
+ Work with customer directorates to develop their commercial capability.
+ Drive innovation in the network. Motivate and manage a professional commercial team to deliver corporate outcomes and to ensure continuous improvement.
+ Lead on the development of team members ensuring that agreed targets are met.
+ Mentor and coach team members on policies, procedures, practices and techniques equipping them with the knowledge and skills to deliver their work in an effective and efficient manner
Locations
The successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. When selecting your location listed in this job advert please be aware that this will be your contractual base location with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in this organisational workplace. Your time spent on official duties at workplace locations other than your contractual office such as supplier, customer or partner locations required to perform your role is included in the 60% attendance. This requirement will however take into consideration any reasonable adjustments agreed upon appointment for people with a disability, flexibilities agreed for those with specific caring responsibilities, or other similar temporary flexibilities.

Person specification
The successful candidate will be:
+ Accountable for the management of significant levels of expenditure and frameworks / contracts and for driving commercial benefits and delivery of our efficiency target (8:1 Return on Investment).
+ Accountable for the allocation of commercial resource to support the delivery of DGC Directorates commercial outcomes and priorities within a given portfolio.
+ Accountable for the development of the commercial capability of team members to achieve effective results on time and to the highest quality standards and costs.
+ Responsible for compliant delivery of contracts and frameworks delivering customer requirements
+ Responsible for the development and adoption of fit for purpose commercial policies, procedures, practices and tools to support excellent procurement across the business.
+ Responsible for the application of the principles defined within the commercial DNA. Ensure best practice SRM and market analysis deliver corporate outcomes.
+ Each Category Manager will work with customers within their portfolio to ensure their pipeline requirements are met and will work in conjunction with other subcategory leads to manage the customer relationship.
+ Responsible for the relationship with senior client managers, CCS and Director level supplier representatives.
+ Accountable for planning, implementation and delivery of category/sub-category plans.
Financial Scheme of Delegation
All Category Managers have a delegated authority at all stages of the procurement process:-
+ Sign off of Procurement Strategies and Contract Award Reports up to £2m
+ Make commercial commitments up to £2 million
+ Single Tender Action (up to £250k), If you are invited to attend a virtual ADC, but for any reason are unable to meet the date outlined then please get in touch with the team at commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible. The ADC is booked and paid for in advance by departments, therefore it is only in certain circumstances we are able to accommodate alternative dates.
Details of schemes available are attached in the advert.
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.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
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+ Risk Mindset – Demonstrates proven commercial risk mindset and be able to articulate commercial risks and balance these against business needs, PCR compliance, value for money and quality
+ Market Insight – Understands the importance of market insight in commercial and how this will be utilised to drive benefits and manage risks. Can demonstrate category led intelligence and knowledge
+ Commercial Focus – An accomplished commercial professional with a track record of setting high standards and delivering results in a complex and demanding commercial environment
+ Builds Relationships – Ability to guide stakeholders with differing business needs through the process, inform, influence, and manage expectations and promote the benefits of commercial practice
+ Procurement Process – Experience in the development of strategies for high value/risk, critical/complex procurements and playing a leading role in the implementation and end to end delivery of these
+ Contract and Supply Management – Proven contract and supply management experience with a track record of driving performance, managing contract variations, dispute resolution and efficiency through delivery

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 17th December 2024 and will require a full day's attendance.

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.