Commercial Business Partner – MOD Head Office Commercial

The Head Office Commercial (HOC) Team comprises around 78 full time equivalents across the five main offices in the UK. We play a vital role in supporting the delivery of value for money and in the team we have a wide-ranging customer base crucial to the operations of the Department. Through our commercial business partners and category managers we work strategically and in collaboration with stakeholders, driving innovative sourcing solutions throughout the entire commercial lifecycle to ensure delivery of best value outcomes to our customers. We deliver against an incredibly diverse set of requirements, often against significant challenges. The MOD’s head office includes customers such as the Department’s Chief Operating Officer, Heads of Finance, Commercial and People (both civilian and military); but also business areas including the Defence Safety Authority, Security Policy and Operations, Defence Business Services and the MOD Police.
In this role you have the opportunity to build strong partnerships with Head Office Business areas and drive customer satisfaction whilst helping to deliver important services. You will provide advice, guidance and deliver end-to-end commercial solutions. Being a commercial business partner will require you, supported by a small team, to be confident in using analysis, demand intelligence and market engagement to advise on route to buy options, procurement processes, supplier, contract and performance management. You will support the development of customer strategies helping to shape their commercial requirements and deliver high quality outputs, risk control and value for money for all contracts under your management. It can be a testing role but rewarding and unique.
We look forward to reading your application., A vacancy has arisen within the MOD Head Office Commercial, Business Partnering Team, this role leads a small team who work with Head Office customers to deliver contracted solutions and provides wider commercial support to the MOD’s Head Office.
MOD Head Office includes a diverse range of customers and in the commercial team we have adopted a business partnering approach with staff ostensibly facing-off to specific customers. This role particularly supports working with the MOD Police and assists with the wide range of requirements which support activity overseas funded from the International Security Fund (ISF) and sponsored by the MOD’s Security Policy and Operations (SPO) area; It is anticipated that the role will also support the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Military Capability (DCDS (Mil Cap)) and the Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC). However, it is important to note that the MOD is currently undertaking a Strategic Defence Review and it is anticipated that this could lead to substantial changes - so the specific areas which the post will support may adjust over time.
Furthermore, we adopt an approach across the wider business partnering team where we support one another, veering and hauling work in accordance with the volatility of our pipeline, so opportunities to support other customers will almost certainly arise. The portfolio of contracts in Head Office is broad, ranging from low value/low complexity service provision arrangements to complex multi-year outsourced service contracts; and our commercial officers support through all stages of the procurement cycle.
The role requires strong partnerships with Head Office Business Areas: understanding, developing and shaping their strategies and commercial requirements; maintaining the commercial pipeline including new commercial activity and changes or variations to existing contracts; delivering the overall end-to-end commercial solutions based on broad-spectrum understanding, sound sourcing strategies, and effective (and compliant) execution. Contracts then require proportionate commercial support once in their delivery phase; and there is often a substantial requirement for ad-hoc commercial advice.
The role involves close liaison with other business partners and commercial teams, exploitation of business critical tools, ongoing innovation and improvement, leadership and behavioral role-modelling. It requires commercial acumen and expertise, and not a little creativity, as well as strong relationship management abilities.
The team is currently scaled with the business partner to leading two qualified commercial officers (1x SEO and 1x HEO) and typically hosting a commercial graduate trainee.
Locations, The main responsibilities are detailed below, whilst this will be the focus of the role the successful candidate will have the opportunity to show where they can add value in other areas:-
+ Build partnerships with nominated Head Office Business Areas, acting as their interface into Head Office commercial. Work with these Business Areas to understand, develop and shape their strategies and commercial requirements
+ Build and maintain the overall commercial pipeline for nominated Head Office Business Areas, including new commercial activity and changes or variations to existing contracts
+ Deliver the overall end-to-end commercial solutions based on a deep understanding of the market and customer needs, ensuring sound sourcing strategies, project planning and delivery, contract negotiations and award, and contract management plans are in place
+ Develop and manage supplier relationships where appropriate to maximise commercial leverage, manage KPIs and deliver on contractual obligations
+ Champion the implementation of strategic contracts and take responsibility for ensuring that all activities undertaken across procurement and contract management for your area of responsibility are compliant with EU Public Sector Contract Regulations as well as best practice principles
+ Take responsibility for managing commercial activities across the spectrum of Acquisition, including holding a delegation to sign contracts
+ Oversee the management of risks and issues including having mitigation, response and escalation strategies in place
+ Work collaboratively with Head Office Category Leads and our Business Operations and Commercial Improvement team to ensure that teams across Head Office Commercial are supporting their customers and providing a cohesive service offering
+ Monitor external trends in the market, providing intelligent management information to customers, including spend analysis and supply market knowledge to support decision making and benefits realisation
+ Contribute to the development of effective tools and organisational continuous improvement techniques. Support MOD Commercial colleagues in assessing, baselining and continuously improving their commercial capability through the application of Commercial Operating Standards in their commercial activity
+ Drive innovation and work with the team to consistently review current Commercial processes, policy and governance, and general ways of working to identify opportunities for improvement
+ Lead engagement, as necessary, with certain other Government departments, suppliers, Framework providers and public sector buying consortiums
+ Lead meetings / workshops with customers and business partners across MOD to understand business requirements and develop pan-MOD opportunities
+ Support the wider Head Office Commercial Leadership Team to move forward with the defined strategy as required
+ Lead a small team of commercial officers, operating as an effective line manager and delegating authority and tasks to them
+ The Post holder will need to be able to hold an expert level commercial delegation, and that requires them to be MCIPS qualifed., 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 on 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. Please note: Only candidates that achieve an A grade at ADC will be invited to interview for this role.
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.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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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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., + Assertive – Ability to act as the established and accepted authority on commercial and Procurement activities amongst stakeholders and customers
+ Commercial Focus – Have a track record of identifying Commercial opportunities to drive benefit in new and existing Commercial
+ Builds Relationships – Ability to build effective relationships across Government departments, customers, commercial colleagues, in order to share best practice and deliver the best commercial outcomes
+ Understanding Sourcing Needs – Be able to take customer requirements and convert them into commercial solutions and develop procurement strategies that meet business governance and policy
+ Procurement Process – Experience in a range of procurement activities from high-value, high profile to more ad-hoc transactional. Experience working with Framework Agreements
+ Contract and Supply Management – Experience in the commercial aspects of contract and supplier management providing continued support to stakeholders. Strives for continued value add

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the UK Government’s largest spending Departments with a budget exceeding £50Bn per year and net assets valued at over £100Bn. MOD is responsible for over 40% of the value of all Government contracts placed with the private sector each year., Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 6th January 2025 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.