Deputy Commercial Director - Programmes

Thank you for your interest in joining Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Commercial Directorate. The FCDO pursues our national interests and projects the UK as a force for good in the world. This is a really exciting and challenging time to join our Commercial function as we look to expand our influence and contribution to deliver on policies to support our global development and diplomatic objectives. Our role is to ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes for every pound the British taxpayer invests in aid and our global diplomatic network. The team procures a wide range of contracts - with development suppliers to tackle poverty, other deprivations and climate change, as well as technology, estates, and corporate services suppliers to support our global network of 280 embassies and high commissions.
Within our department there’s more to do than just procurement. We manage relationships with existing suppliers; look for new ways to engage with potential suppliers and we have a strong focus on agile working, learning and development to ensure we can raise capabilities as well as respond to emerging global challenges. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will play an important role in driving the capability and supplier engagement changes required as we move towards the flexible and collaborative benefits that the new Procurement Regulations will bring.
We are looking to build a strong common culture of which we can all be proud and have put diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do. Our work is important, and we would like to welcome you to be a part of our team!, The FCDO delivers for the UK internationally, leading the government’s diplomatic, development and consular work around the world. Our work aims to:
+ Shape an open and stable international order through strong alliances and future partnerships.
+ Protect our national and international security and mitigate any threats.
+ Reinvigorate the UK’s leadership role in international development to tackle shared global challenges, respond to humanitarian crises, and support the Sustainable Development Goals.
+ Support British nationals around the world by providing resilient 24/7 Consular services and agile crisis response.
The Commercial Directorate provides an end-to-end procurement and commercial solutions to deliver FCDO business, whether that's development programmes, corporate and people services, or managing and improving our overseas estate, IT and security. Overall, the Commercial Directorate provides robust and proportionate review and assurance of FCDO’s third party spending. The Commercial Vision is:
“Delivering better diplomatic and development outcomes through global commercial excellence.”
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to take a leadership role in Commercial Programmes Delivery responsible for advising and procuring for a wide & diverse range of complex International Development Programmes. Commercial Programmes Delivery currently consists of the following Pillars and cross-cutting teams:
+ Indo Pacific and Americas & OTs, Climate and BIP
+ Girls Education, Gender, Science & Research, Health
+ Africa
+ MENA, AFPAK, EECAD & Humanitarian
+ Conflict, Security & Open Societies
+ Frameworks & Grants
+ Supply Chain Management
The FCDO Commercial function is responsible for all of FCDO’s 3rd party spend both on programmes (Policy Priority themes) and corporate (Estates, ICT and Professional Services). The primary purpose of the Deputy Commercial Director is to provide clear commercial leadership to the Programmes commercial team and wider FCDO organisation, as well as providing leadership across wider FCDO Commercial. This is a leadership role able to advise and provide guidance to other members of the Commercial team where necessary. This role covers all areas of FCDO globally. As part of the Commercial directorate Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Deputy Commercial Director will also be involved in setting the strategy of the directorate and will take an active role in ensuring that the directorate delivers its outcomes and lead on strategic improvement initiatives.
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
You will need to develop excellent relationships with senior stakeholders from across the entire organization, and to use your influencing skills to navigate complex challenges as a point of escalation. This role will give you excellent opportunities to develop your leadership approach not only within Commercial, but across wider FCDO and GCO.
+ Act as a member of the FCDO Directorate SLT, which is responsible for setting the direction and agenda of the directorate as a whole.
+ Work collaboratively with the Commercial Director – Programmes and Deputy Commercial Director – Programmes to ensure the smooth operation of Commercial Programmes, enabling the teams to deliver a high-quality commercial service to the FCDO.
+ This is a hands-on role, and you will be expected to maintain a strong understanding of commercial activity taking place in programmes and be able to advise and provide guidance to other members of the Commercial team where necessary, as well as taking responsibility for signing off commercial activity within the scope of your delegation.
+ This is a leadership role where you will advise and provide guidance to other members of the Commercial team where necessary, operate as an inspirational coaching leader as well as empower a team of specialists to deliver. You will ensure good commercial practice across all programme spend.
+ The FCDO has a significant influence over many commercial and Civil Society Organisations, and you will play an important role in developing positive relationships with both the market as a whole and individual entities as appropriate.
+ Be amongst the most senior members of the Government Commercial Function and play a role in the broader commercial reform programme led by the Government Chief Commercial Officer.
+ Play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong commercial function for the FCDO and across government.
The successful candidate will:
+ Be amongst the most senior members of the Government Commercial Function and play a role in the broader commercial reform programme led by the Government Chief Commercial Officer;
+ Play a key leadership and change management role in developing a strong commercial function for the FCDO and across government., This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.
Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 6th February 2025 – Please ensure availability as alternative dates cannot be guaranteed. This will require a full day's attendance. Please contact commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in advance if you are unable to attend this date.
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.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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.

+ Risk Mindset – Ability to balance delivery of outcomes and provide leadership against wide-ranging, complex categories with cultural, environmental and reputational risks and constrained markets
+ Market Insight – Leading the strategy for commercial activity across large matrixed programme portfolios in an international environment
+ Commercial Focus – Significant commercial leadership expertise in complex, transformative environments which includes the delivery of procurement, supplier management, and contract management best practice in widespread environments
+ Builds Relationships – Excellent communication and senior influencing skills. Ability to work considerately and empathetically to deliver excellent commercial outcome
+ Strategy and Policy Development – Demonstrable experience in shaping and implementing commercial strategy and policy for a wide range of stakeholders, leading others to deliver objectives in a fluid and/or ambiguous environment

Abercrombie House, East Kilbride, Glasgow (moving to Glasgow City Centre 2025/26) Or King Charles Street, London.
Occasional travel required to London/East Kilbride/Glasgow and overseas to visit stakeholders.
Minimum 60% office attendance required.
Relocation costs will not be reimbursed., 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.