Senior Commercial & Contracts Manager (Ref: 92329)

OPG is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and was set up in 2007 following the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We are a friendly and inclusive organisation that delivers vital public services with real impacts on the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society. We work closely with the Court of Protection, the legal profession, social services and charities. Our staff are mostly based in Birmingham and Nottingham.
The Public Guardian, supported by OPG, discharges a range of statutory functions under the Mental Capacity Act – principally maintaining registers of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) and of orders appointing deputies and guardians; supervising deputies, and dealing with representations about the way in which attorneys and deputies are exercising their powers. The OPG registers approximately 900,000 LPAs and EPAs and supervises around 60,000 deputies per year.
Following a consultation in 2021 by the Ministry of Justice, ministers have now set out plans to transform the LPA system – making it quicker to use, easier to access and even more secure from fraud. Under the proposals, people will be able to make an LPA completely online for the first time – bringing it in line with other government services such as applying for a divorce. The current paper-based system will continue to operate meaning people can choose an accessible process that’s best for their specific needs.
Through this and other reforms, the way OPG provides services will change to help us meet the growing needs of our users, partners and our stakeholders. It will make sure our users experience a better level of support and it will help us to respond to the changing needs of society. These reforms will enable us to create high-quality services that are accessible and affordable for all.
Team Overview
This is an exciting time at the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), as we transform how we deliver our statutory services and ensure that we are fit for the future. As a senior commercial and contract manager, you will be a critical member of staff within the Strategy & Central Services Directorate, leading procurement activities and co-ordinating contract management processes across OPG.
It’s likely that candidates with full commercial lifecycle experience will be suitable for this position. There will be a joint commercial focus, with a need to manage existing contracts whilst also playing a key role in the re-procurement of relevant goods and services., + Effective stakeholder engagement and management – proactively developing influential and collaborative relationships with your stakeholders to ensure that commercial objectives and best practice are fully understood and embedded within the operational strategy and plans.
+ Procurement – Setting commercial strategy, demonstrating best practice, ensuring commercial processes are understood by stakeholders, executing commercial deliverables and taking responsibility for the success of the commercial aspects of the overall project. This will involve both direct responsibility for a small number of procurement projects as well as working as part of a team when procurements are delivered by MoJ CCMD.
+ Developing and implementing market facing category strategies – building on a clear understanding of historical and forecast spend and future technical strategies to ensure that there is an effective route to market, and that products and services required to deliver our portfolio can be delivered.
+ Supplier Management – building effective relationships with current and future suppliers. Enabling the market to better understand our requirements and ensuring that we nurture healthy, mutually beneficial relationships that deliver the right solutions at competitive prices. Responsibility for ensuring that suppliers are effectively engaged prior to any commercial activity, during the process and throughout the life of the resulting agreement and securing effective delivery of agreed services.
+ Contract Management – Helping to embed and co-ordinate contract management practices across OPG. Managing large, long-term contracts, ensuring that value and quality is delivered over their entire term and that exit/recompete/extension actions are proactively planned and executed.
+ Cost-saving initiatives – providing a real focus across the portfolio; identifying opportunities to increase the overall value delivered to the MoJ through third party engagements.
+ Risk analysis – managing commercial risk and providing mitigating actions, ensuring assurance on decisions made. Proactively anticipating potential commercial risks on projects and contracts and acting as the expert and commercial advisor to delivery teams, to help ensure effective mitigations are put in place.
+ Line management – acting as a positive and proactive role model for your team. Leadership and development of a small team of commercial professionals with a key focus on promoting well-being, plus on learning and development opportunities. Manage the team, promoting flexibility on tasks and responsibilities as workloads within the team change.
+ Compliance – Ensuring compliance with governance, legislative and policy requirements as appropriate.
Agreed Expectations
The successful candidate will be expected to work from their base location on a weekly basis in line with current Civil Service requirements, outside of any reasonable adjustments.
In addition, there is likely to be regular travel to OPG sites where the majority of the team are based in Birmingham and Nottingham., + Has completed or is working towards CMCP (the Governments Contract Management Capability Programme) Foundation accreditation.
+ CMCP (the Governments Contract Management Capability Programme) Practitioner or Expert'.
Please ensure the dates of any accreditations you are relying on, are entered on to the CV. Should you progress to the assessment stage of the process, you will be required to provide a copy of the original certificate. Failure to provide evidence at interview may result in your application not progressing to the next stage.
Application process
This recruitment will follow the Civil Service Success Profile process. Candidates will be expected to provide a CV and Personal Statement of Suitability of no more than 1000 words in support of your application based on essential and desirable skills.
Interview Process
If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview which will use the Civil Service Success Profiles. At interview, candidates should expect questions on:
+ Strengths relevant to the role
The following Behaviours at Level 4:
+ Leadership
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Changing and Improving
All interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Leadership
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Changing and Improving, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
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)

The post holder must be keen to learn and able to demonstrate experience in the following areas:
Essential:
+ A proven track-record delivering sourcing and/or contract management in a high value/ complex commercial environment.
+ Strong business acumen and ability to show evidence-based decision making.
+ Excellent stakeholder management skills and building strong interpersonal relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
+ Contract management- evidence of managing varied contract and thre ability to lead supplier performance issues and disputes.
+ Excellent written and oral communication skills. With the ability to breakdown complex information.
+ Awareness of public sector procurement legislation., The following qualifications/skills are essential to the role and proof will be required at interview:
+ CIPS/MCIPS or relevant commercial experience/accreditation.

Alongside your salary of £56,532, Office of the Public Guardian contributes £16,377 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Access to learning and development
+ A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
+ A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
+ Annual Leave
+ Public Holidays
+ Season Ticket Advance
For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ