Procurement Lead / Category Lead

We have multiple vacancies for Commercial Leads in our Corporate Services & Property (CS&P) Pre-Award team within HMRC’s Commercial Directorate, which sits within the Chief Finance Officer’s (CFO) Group and is accountable for all commercial arrangements covering the organisation’s circa £2.5bn annual external spend. We are also part of the Government Commercial Function (GCF), which is an essential element of addressing the value for money agenda whilst delivering higher quantity public services across government.
HMRC is a great place to work because we’re committed to creating a workplace where all of us feel trusted, respected, supported, and confident in our role – working in modern, inclusive environments and using improved tools, technology, data, and processes.
The Corporate Services & Property Pre-Award team lead the Commercial delivery for a range of goods and services to ensure value for money across high-profile third-party spend areas across three main subcategories of (i) Banking & Financial Services, (ii) Property & Facilities Management, and (iii) Corporate Support Services.
Procurement Lead roles sit within the Sourcing team which spans all tree subcategories. The future job holders will lead sourcing activity for high-risk/high-value requirements whilst also managing medium and low risk procurements end-to-end through a team of Sourcing Specialists.
Our Category Lead roles sit within each other three subcategories mentioned above, however the team works flexibly to deliver projects across CS&P and subject matter expertise is not a necessity; we are seeking rounded Commercial professionals who can demonstrate proven business partnering, commercial acumen, strategic thinking and a commitment to continuous improvement.
The team have delivered high-profile commercial solutions during Brexit and Covid, including border customs operations and financial services, which continue to provide crucial support to the tax infrastructure of the UK. Today, the team maintain a BAU pipeline of 250+ contracts totalling c£1.5bn per annum. Projects are wide and varied across the entire organisation including those that support the development and delivery of HMRC’s strategic goals, innovation, and market-making initiatives in complex areas of tax and fiscal policy.
Our vision is ‘To be one of the UK’s leading strategic Commercial teams’ and these roles will contribute to the development of value-adding commercial solutions whilst increasing the function’s profile across the organisation.
We are seeking innovative individuals with excellent influencing skills to work collaboratively and flexibly across a wide variety of commercial requirements in a fast-paced and diverse environment., Reporting to a member of the Commercial Extended Leadership Team, you will be able to lead a team of sourcing specialists (Procurement Lead), or as a Category Lead you will be accountable for the overall subcategory strategy, ensuring the delivery of innovative, competitive and compliant commercial outcomes that are aligned to HMRC objectives and maximise value for money.
You will ensure that all procurement activities for your area are always effective and compliant with HMRC policies and procedures. You will develop highly effective and trusted relationships with key senior internal and external stakeholders. You will also be responsible for providing leadership to your subcategory team and wider Commercial Directorate, playing a key role in increasing the level of commerciality, the operational execution and stakeholder/supplier engagement across the team, whilst taking a proactive approach in talent development within your area of responsibility and beyond.
You’ll have substantive procurement/commercial experience and demonstrable delivery of high-value complex projects and categories.
You will be expected to contribute to the corporate contribution which could be working on Government Commercial Organisation cross-departmental initiatives, HMRC Commercial Directorate initiatives and/or providing mentoring, training, or volunteering, for example.
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:
+ Develop customer relationships to help build a forecast of demand for commercial services and to work collaboratively with commercial colleagues to plan and execute the related commercial work in your subcategory.
+ Develop procurement strategies (including category strategies), sourcing processes and in-life management which support the delivery of HMRC and Cabinet Office objectives.
+ Use specialist knowledge to support the development of innovative strategies and optimum routes to market to deliver the required commercial outcomes and improved value.
+ Using commercial acumen and extensive category knowledge, influence business needs, organisational objectives and policy, ensuring market and sector intelligence is maximised and emerging and/or innovative solutions and suppliers are considered for all commercial activities.
+ Using an up-to-date and complete commercial pipeline, proactively and through the team, deliver commercial activities to drive improved value to time, cost & quality.
+ Identify and successfully mitigate commercial risk in category and procurement strategies.
+ Ensure all activities are carried out in a compliant manner, and systems are updated and used correctly (e.g., Ariba e-Sourcing platform).
+ Provide support to the operational contract/supplier management teams.
+ Ensure that commercial processes applied to the subcategory spend areas are executed in a manner that is compliant and consistent whilst value adding to customers.
HMRC will be hosting an information session on the 22nd January at 12:00.
This will allow you to learn more about the role from Hiring Managers and colleagues working within the team. If you’re interested in attending, please contact commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk to receive joining instructions., 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: Ability to identify and successfully mitigate commercial risk.
+ Market Insight: Ability to learn about new markets quickly and the ability to understand market dynamics to provide specific market insight to aid decision-making along with skills in procuring, negotiating and delivering services.
+ Commercial Focus: Experience advising on complex commercial projects involving novel and non-standard commercial and contractual mechanisms. Providing solutions that drive great value for money outcomes and strong customer outcomes.
+ Builds Relationships: Ability to build credible relationships with key internal & external stakeholders and challenge senior stakeholder decisions.
+ Understanding Sourcing Needs: The ability to truly understand customer requirements which then allows effective sourcing to be execute.

Please be advised that the Virtual ADC is taking place on 12th February 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.